Re: 2014 Ryder Cup

by Merlin Tue 30 Sep 2014, 08:51

One final note .... all this nonsense about pairing the US with Asia/Australia etc etc is just that.
Nonsense.

The US have plenty of rookies coming up through the ranks to again field strong teams..... however, I think it is high time
they stopped looking at the $$$$$ earnings per player and instead focus on the spirit and the attitude of players in a fight.

Because when all's said and done, The Ryder Cup is a fight .... a scrap more like.

by taipan Tue 30 Sep 2014, 09:49

taipan wrote:
tricycle wrote:Nobody really saw a Medinah like collapse at Medinah either. Don't think they've been as bad as the scorecard, just seem to be lacking some experience. Something which Dustin Johnson and Dufner could really have added to.

Thought Van de Velde nailed it when he said that it was a good decision to let Spieth and Reed rest yesterday (unlike his 99 open before it comes up). Unless, given Reed is already a top 5 player in the world....

One issue they do have which Europe didn't two years ago is identifying who their top performers are. Was easy with Donald, Rose, McIlroy and Poulter for Europe to send their guns early, but who is USA's main player?

I think the thing is that the US just dont get the team bit,

by taipan Tue 30 Sep 2014, 09:49

Duplicate post

by beamer Tue 30 Sep 2014, 18:24

It can't jeopardise Mickelson's future participation, as a player anyway... if he makes the top 8 or 9 in the points list they have to pick him, that's the rules.

Unless they decide to move to a fully captain-selected approach that is, with no points system at all, which would surely have to apply for both sides - would mean captains would no longer be stuck with players they didn't rate or felt were poor for team spirit, and they could plan ahead long term with pairings based on players who get on well and are suited in terms of styles of play. On the negative side, it could make both sides very cliquey and difficult to get into for a rookie, whether a youngster or late developer. Would McGinley have gone with Dubuisson or Donaldson for example given free choice, even though they were high in the money list?

by Merlin Tue 30 Sep 2014, 21:06

Perhaps (as I mentioned in my post) it would be refreshing (certainly not cliquey) to pick individuals based
on ability and fight - not just the $$$$ earned -though I suspect that that selection process of $$$$$ won will continue..

Nevertheless... explain Steve Gallagher's pick ahead of Luke Donald ??
Or Thomas Bjorn's (first time back in the Ryder cup since 2002) for that matter.
A massive half point between the two of them, out of a possible 5 !!

Luke Donald ... Out of a possible 11 points, has scored 8 and a half in the Ryder Cup !
So ...., did McGinley know something the rest of the golfing world didn't when picking his wild card ?!

Hard enough for a recognised pro to get into the team let alone a rookie (unless you're related to a previous Captain) ... !! Wink

by skully Tue 30 Sep 2014, 21:40

LOL at fat floppy Phil. Always was a pompous tit.

by beamer Wed 01 Oct 2014, 00:33

Merlin wrote:Perhaps (as I mentioned in my post) it would be refreshing (certainly not cliquey) to pick individuals based
on ability and fight - not just the $$$$ earned -though I suspect that that selection process of $$$$$ won will continue..

Nevertheless... explain Steve Gallagher's pick ahead of Luke Donald ??
Or Thomas Bjorn's (first time back in the Ryder cup since 2002) for that matter.
A massive half point between the two of them, out of a possible 5 !!

Luke Donald ... Out of a possible 11 points, has scored 8 and a half in the Ryder Cup !
So ...., did McGinley know something the rest of the golfing world didn't when picking his wild card ?!

Hard enough for a recognised pro to get into the team let alone a rookie (unless you're related to a previous Captain) ... !!

Bjorn wasn't a wildcard, he comfortably qualified by right.

Gallacher missed out on automatic qualification by one shot and knows the course like the back of his hand, there probably was an element of wanting a Scottish player in there but it's not as if he was a world number 150 plucked out of nowhere, he was a form player. I suspect McGinley felt somewhat obliged to pick him then wasn't quite sure how best to use him, though.

by tricycle Wed 01 Oct 2014, 01:49

Early season Bjorn would've stormed a few points. He has lost form recently but was one of the first certainties in the team.

The way things turned out, can't really flay him for his wildcard picks, even if Gallacher got little chance.

by horace Wed 01 Oct 2014, 01:57

Should Fat Phil be banned for a period (say 6 months)from the US Tour for his comments?

by tricycle Wed 01 Oct 2014, 03:21

No, as pathetic as his comments were, and his Ryder cup record is, it's his opinion. Also, with the broadcasters already whinging incessantly about how Tiger's absence has hit ratings, they'd hardly gamble with the second biggest draw.

by Merlin Wed 01 Oct 2014, 08:00

tricycle wrote:Early season Bjorn would've stormed a few points. He has lost form recently but was one of the first certainties in the team.

The way things turned out, can't really flay him for his wildcard picks, even if Gallacher got little chance.

Aye, point taken .... but early season Donald too would've stormed a few points!
His form, like Bjorn's, also dipped later on ... however, I don't subscribe to the view of PM "wanting a Scottish player"
in the team, and frankly, Gallagher knowing the course "like the back of his hand" was a tilt at windmills!

Still .... a win is a win.
And it's left the Seppos in a heap as to their future plans.
Be interesting to see who they pick as their next Captain at Hazeltine ... if they settle for the Zinger, then
Mikleson's words will have hit their target and player-power will have won the day.
Watch out for the pods .....!

h - this isn't football ! You can't ban a player for speaking his mind, no matter how distasteful the comments,
and like trike says, the Seppo TV and media would have an apoplectic fit at his enforced absence.

by beamer Wed 01 Oct 2014, 08:30

Merlin wrote:
tricycle wrote:Early season Bjorn would've stormed a few points. He has lost form recently but was one of the first certainties in the team.

The way things turned out, can't really flay him for his wildcard picks, even if Gallacher got little chance.

Aye, point taken .... but early season Donald too would've stormed a few points!
His form, like Bjorn's, also dipped later on ... however, I don't subscribe to the view of PM "wanting a Scottish player"
in the team, and frankly, Gallagher knowing the course "like the back of his hand" was a tilt at windmills!

If he'd been an uncapped 38-year-old from, say, Spain who just missed out on an automatic place, he wouldn't have got a look in. The home player factor was clearly a massive part of it, from a point of view of course knowledge and also getting the crowd fired up, hence the misguided Poulter pairing and not having a plan B for him.

Not the worst treatment of rookies we've had though, I think it was Mark James as captain in 1999 who had a couple of qualified rookies he just didn't fancy, and didn't use them at all in the pairs before sending them out as lambs to the slaughter in the singles. And we know what the outcome of that one was.

by taipan Wed 01 Oct 2014, 09:52

Merlin wrote:
tricycle wrote:Early season Bjorn would've stormed a few points. He has lost form recently but was one of the first certainties in the team.

The way things turned out, can't really flay him for his wildcard picks, even if Gallacher got little chance.

Aye, point taken .... but early season Donald too would've stormed a few points!
His form, like Bjorn's, also dipped later on ... however, I don't subscribe to the view of PM "wanting a Scottish player"
in the team, and frankly, Gallagher knowing the course "like the back of his hand" was a tilt at windmills!

Still .... a win is a win.
And it's left the Seppos in a heap as to their future plans.
Be interesting to see who they pick as their next Captain at Hazeltine ... if they settle for the Zinger, then
Mikleson's words will have hit their target and player-power will have won the day.
Watch out for the pods .....!

h - this isn't football ! You can't ban a player for speaking his mind, no matter how distasteful the comments,
and like trike says, the Seppo TV and media would have an apoplectic fit at his enforced absence.

If the pod system is so good, why don't the Europeans use it?

by Merlin Wed 01 Oct 2014, 10:01

It was stated in jest with several tongues in cheek, taips!

It suits dolphins though!!

by taipan Wed 01 Oct 2014, 10:10

Merlin wrote:It was stated in jest with several tongues in cheek, taips!

It suits dolphins though!!

I know, but does fat Phil?

by tricycle Wed 01 Oct 2014, 19:36

Merlin wrote:
tricycle wrote:Early season Bjorn would've stormed a few points. He has lost form recently but was one of the first certainties in the team.

The way things turned out, can't really flay him for his wildcard picks, even if Gallacher got little chance.

Aye, point taken .... but early season Donald too would've stormed a few points!
His form, like Bjorn's, also dipped later on ... however, I don't subscribe to the view of PM "wanting a Scottish player"
in the team, and frankly, Gallagher knowing the course "like the back of his hand" was a tilt at windmills!

Don't think so, Merls. Bjorn was competing in every tournament at the turn of the year and was racking up top 10s. Donald has been insipid all season apart from the PGA championship at Wentworth where Bjorn really choked in the bunker.

Agree about your second point, Gallacher shouldn't have been picked just because he's Scottish. That said, he did merit it imo.

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