[johnk]

There's gonna be a lot of articles about changes the US should make, including ideas like making Michael Jordan captain.

I have an idea thats just so wacky that it just might work.

PLAY SINGLES FIRST.

You got anything better?

Or maybe: 6 singles matches then foursomes, then fourballs, then 6 singles matches...  Let Tiger play singles twice!

Do something so the US doesn't blow it the first day.  That's all I'm saying.  At least keep it interesting.

[peter_p]

Go back to just GB&I, or let us add all of North America.

[John_Conley]

Why change anything?

[Jim Nugent]

John -- if they played singles first this year, and got the same results as actually happened, Europe would have been leading 8 1/2 to 3 1/2.  Actually, probably 9 to 3, since McGinley would not give a 25-foot putt on 18 in that situation.  

Tournament over after the 1st day.    

Another idea:  give the U.S. team some handicap strokes.  That's the time-honored way to even up mis-matched opponents.  

[Matthew Mollica]

Go back to just GB&I, or let us add all of North America.

After the last 10 years, there's a reasonable argument to be made for making it Europe v Rest of the World.

With World #1 and #2 on their side, the US team still can't get within a bull's roar of the Europeans, wherever it's played. Clearly, the US needs help. They can't play as a team, and obviously care little for the notion of representing their nation. The disparity in team spirit is as plain as day.

Rest of the World v Europe seems fair. It would be one hell of a way to finish a season!

MM

[ForkaB]

I say we do it based on country of primary residence, and not birth.  That way, we get Els, Goosen, Appleby, Casey, Olazabal, Donald, etc. on our team.  Or, if that is too unfair, make it based on the citizenship of the Wives and Girlfriends.  We Lose Tiger, but gain Casey and Donald.  Maybe Tiger might even learn how to be a team player that way......

[Brian Walshe]

Matty,

You have to wonder how many more times the US will get thumped before the call goes out to make changes.  It took about 25 years of carnage before Europe was added to the GB&I team so on that basis perhaps another 10 years of European dominance will see the call to add other countries to the US team to restore interest.  By that stage well over half the players on the US Tour will be from outside the US so there'll be plenty to choose from.

[Tom_Doak]

Matthew:

Your solution is unlikely, first and foremost because the PGA of America is not going to split its bounty with the PGA of Australia or the Australasian Tour.  Don't forget, it's about the money.

The way to go is to have a three-team round robin.  Make the USA and the ROW play the President's Cup next year, to see which of them gets to play in the Ryder Cup in 2008.  And give one-third of the proceeds of the play-in to the previous Ryder Cup team so they will make more money for winning.  That would give everyone involved a financial incentive to field their best team and to play their guts out.

Just because the Americans have sucked lately doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the format.  The Europeans were clearly the stronger team this year, and that's without accounting for the fact that players who don't play the US Tour are cheated a bit in the World Golf Rankings because other events are underweighted.

[Brian Phillips]

John K,

Change...Change!!?

Are you nuts!!

Everybody but the USA are loving the way things are....

 

[Brian Phillips]

The Europeans were clearly the stronger team this year, and that's without accounting for the fact that players who don't play the US Tour are cheated a bit in the World Golf Rankings because other events are underweighted.

No kidding...

[Phil_the_Author]

It is always those who are losing who demand changes and cry "foul!" The one winning never does...

[Brian Phillips]

Philip,

Was it not Jack Nicklaus that asked for changes when you guys were whipping our butts all those years ago....it would not be British to ask for changes when losing...

The British are known for our gentlemanly suicidal tendencies...just ask the Zulus...

[John Kavanaugh]

I didn't find one golfer yesterday that was upset at us losing to the European team.  They truly are our brothers during the current world conflict...Find a way to play the World against Islam and we might have some fun.

[Brad Tufts]

I agree with Tom's idea.  The PGA would probably scoff at the possibility of not having Tiger and the American stars at every one of these events, but there could be some delicious matchups of globetrotting stars....Els v. Clarke....Sergio v. Adam Scott....Monty v. Vijay...etc...

I do think one of the things that would keep the attention the casual golf fans in the US to a Europe v. ROW matchup would be having it at a good course in an exotic locale, the same thing the Shell's golf matches used to do...

[Matthew Mollica]

Tom,

Brian and I are just fishing for responses, and to be truthful, I didn't think we'd get as cerebral a response as yours.

I know it's all about money. I suspect most people view it as such, when the emotion subsides. The roll call of recent venues says as much. As does the core of any spirited discussion anyone from the US ever enters into regarding the Ryder Cup.

If only the boys from the USA displayed as much bottle on the course, as they do in discussions regarding proceeds from the Cup!

FWIW, the round robin thought is a goodie.

MM

[Jason Blasberg]

Matthew:

Your solution is unlikely, first and foremost because the PGA of America is not going to split its bounty with the PGA of Australia or the Australasian Tour.  Don't forget, it's about the money.

The way to go is to have a three-team round robin.  Make the USA and the ROW play the President's Cup next year, to see which of them gets to play in the Ryder Cup in 2008.  

I've thought for some time that the President's Cup was the reason why the US team doesn't get up for the Ryder Cup.  The more th PC get's competitive and there are great finishes like Tiger and Ernie in sudden death or DiMarco draining that putt, the more it sucks the enthusiasm out of the Ryder Cup.  I'd have to think it's hard to get up for both every year especially as the PC get's more and more competitive.

TD, the problem with your suggestion is that you've got a competition lasting two years, with the winning team in the PC bringing, most likely, a different team to the RC a year later.

I suggest cutting the teams down to 8 players, and playing a 3 way round robin match play in the same year.  You still have 24 players in the competition and the winner would actually be the best team in the World.

Perhaps we could turn the US team into North America vs. Europe vs. Rest of the World.

If there's room in the even for GB&I to join ranks with the rest of Europe there's room for Canada and the Rest of the World.  

[Anthony Butler]

Matthew:

Your solution is unlikely, first and foremost because the PGA of America is not going to split its bounty with the PGA of Australia or the Australasian Tour.  Don't forget, it's about the money.

The way to go is to have a three-team round robin.  Make the USA and the ROW play the President's Cup next year, to see which of them gets to play in the Ryder Cup in 2008.  And give one-third of the proceeds of the play-in to the previous Ryder Cup team so they will make more money for winning.  That would give everyone involved a financial incentive to field their best team and to play their guts out.

Just because the Americans have sucked lately doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the format.  The Europeans were clearly the stronger team this year, and that's without accounting for the fact that players who don't play the US Tour are cheated a bit in the World Golf Rankings because other events are underweighted.

Tom, thanks for putting the round-robin thing out there. The Euros having to get up for international competition at this level of intensity only once  every two years is probably as good an explanation as any on why the Euros are starting to beat up on the US... there is simply not enough talent disparity to justify the scores of the last two matches.

In terms of changing the competitive format of the actual Ryder Cup matches, Jack Nicklaus's suggestion of adding Europe to the team was adopted for two reasons. The addition of Sevvy, Faldo etc was bound to make the matches more competitive. More important to the sponsoring organizations, competitive matches were the only way the Ryder Cup would grow and flourish after 30 years of lopsided US victories. Not sure we are quite there yet... if the matches stop being the gift that keeps giving to the US and British PGA, we might see some format or eligibility tweaks.

Still, anyone want to bet that Valhalla & Celtic Manor won't sell out in about a day?

[Philippe Binette]

Let's face it:

US should change their qualifying format..

If you were a European player would you rather face:
1) A multi-time winner and veteran like Pavin, playing well this year
or
2) A experienced guy like Couples, Leonard etc... even if they're not playing that well this year.
or
3) Brett Wetterich, JJ Henry, Vaugh Taylor

Psychologically, those guys are less scary... and a guy with 3 or 4 eoru tour win has been under pressure before etc. He knows he is going to win his match

[Mark Pearce]

The addition of Sevvy, Faldo etc was bound to make the matches more competitive.

I think you'll find that Faldo is English, so would have been qualified to play for GB&I.  It's worth remembering, by the way that there was a resurgence of British golf in the mid-80s (Faldo, Lyle and Woosnam all won majors) which coincided with the addition of Seve and Langer.

You won't get much enthusiam in Europe for a "Rest of the World" match, it's such a nebulous idea.  Who could ever get agitated about playing against RoW (or even for them).  The President's Cup simply doesn't arouse the same passion as the Ryder Cup, nor will it ever do so whilst one team is a fairly meaningless gathering.  The Europeans like to beat the USA and, as Brookline showed, the reverse is true.

[Matthew Mollica]

You won't get much enthusiam in Europe for a "Rest of the World" match, it's such a nebulous idea.  Who could ever get agitated about playing against RoW (or even for them).

Spoken by a man who's never been to a President's Cup?? When the RoW team are competitive and start winning, people sit up and listen.

I saw a few smarting after having been beaten up by a harlequin team from Africa, Australia and Asia. At Royal Melbourne. They were captained by a guy called Jack, and boasted such names as Phil, Tiger, O'Meara, Leonard, Love, Duval, Janzen...

MM

[Jerry Kluger]

Okay, all you smart guys, if you were captain and could pick all 12 members of the team who would you pick and do you really think they would do any better?  Naturally, it's all speculation, but try to give a reason why you think the other players would do better.

[Anthony Butler]

The addition of Sevvy, Faldo etc was bound to make the matches more competitive.

I think you'll find that Faldo is English, so would have been qualified to play for GB&I.  It's worth remembering, by the way that there was a resurgence of British golf in the mid-80s (Faldo, Lyle and Woosnam all won majors) which coincided with the addition of Seve and Langer.

You won't get much enthusiam in Europe for a "Rest of the World" match, it's such a nebulous idea.  Who could ever get agitated about playing against RoW (or even for them).  The President's Cup simply doesn't arouse the same passion as the Ryder Cup, nor will it ever do so whilst one team is a fairly meaningless gathering.  The Europeans like to beat the USA and, as Brookline showed, the reverse is true.

yeah, sorry, what I failed to make clear was that Sevvy was added to the team around the time Faldo came 'online' for GB & I. The etc.. was meant to indicate that players like Woosie & Lyle were added to the team soon after to make them a competitive force. BTW- I agree with you to some degree on the ROW concept. The President's Cup can arouse comparable passion to the RC, but only when it's played outside the US in a major city. Then you get a big crowd wanting to see a little US blood spilled. (e.g. Royal Melbourne 1998). It will be interesting to see the crowd's mood in Canada next year. Of course, if Weir pull his socks up and make the team, it will take on a whole new dimension.

[Tim Pitner]

Please, don't change a thing at the Ryder Cup; it's not broken, although the U.S. team currently is.  Whatever you do, don't change the Ryder Cup because of the President's Cup.  The President's Cup is a pale imitation of the Ryder Cup, and I say that as a big fan of some of the international players like Els, Goosen and Scott.  It doesn't have the history of the Ryder Cup, nor the rivalry.  Pairing South Africans with Australians seems to have some logic, but then you throw in Asian players, and Canadians, and South Americans--there's no rhyme or reason to it.  

Whatever the final score, the scenes from Ireland were stirring.  There was more emotion at the Ryder Cup than in the whole rest of the golf season--it's fantastic.  Don't change the Ryder Cup format.  The U.S. may well want to change its qualification system though.  

[Aaron Katz]

The U.S. needs better players.  Period.  They seem to care about the event sufficiently IMO.  If you don't think the players were trying to peak their games I think you're wrong.  Sure, Mickelson and Co. try to peak their games for the majors, but they try to peak again for the Ryder Cup.  The problem just comes down to the players.  

Mickelson played like crap, but he's been playing like crap since July.  

Furyk had a losing record, but he got beak 2 up by Paul Casey's eight birdies!  

Woods played well except for one round, I think.  Pretty typical performance.  When Woods has played like a dog (1997, 2002 in particular) he was in the middle of swing changes.

The Euros have players from six different countries.  At any given time when those players were junior golfers, they were considered the top player from their country.  They learned how to deal with that pressure -- the pressure of being "Number 1" and the pressure of being the flag bearer for their country.  Between a guy like Henrik Stenson or a guy like Vaughn Taylor, who would you rather have?  Who do you think has grown up playing with Ryder Cup-like pressure on his shoulders?  

The U.S. is definitely able to field a better team than the one it put out there.  The goal should be to have as many "Number 1's" as Europe does.  Europe has two "Best Spaniard" golfer on its team -- Ollie from one generation and Sergio from the next.  Clarke and Harrington each can lay claim to best Irish golfer of his generation.  Westwood is undoubtedly the best English golfer of his generation, with Luke Donald not too far behind.  Monty preceded both of those as top Englishman.  Stenson has definitely taken the mantle from Parnevik for top Swede. You see where I'm going here.

What had the U.S. gotten?  Two players that could lay claim to "Top American" titles -- Woods and Mickelson.  The rest have always played second fiddle, and I think this has reduced the ability to play in pressure packed situations.  A team with more "Top American" golfers might do better, and the team would look considerably different.  It would be a team that spanned generations far more than the current team.  Off the top of my head, here's who would definitely have been on it this year:

Tiger, Phil, DL III, Freddy, and Lehman (top American for at least two years).  These are the only "Top American" players that are close enough to top form that they would be formidable opponents.  So then you've got to go to recent play.

Obviously Furyk, Toms, and DiMarco are worthy choices based on current play and world ranking (though I think that DiMarco is actually a poor match play player because he's not the type of guy that can pulls shots out of his ass and piss off his opponent).  Hard to argue with Cink and Verplank on the team, based on play and gutsiness respectively.

That leaves two guys left.  Zack Johnson showed he was worthy, so I'll leave him.  

The last guy?  How about Ryan Moore?

How would that team stack up against the Euros?

[Mark Pearce]

Aaron,

All sorts of people might take exception to your description of Monty as Westwood's predecessor as top English golfer, not least Monty himself.

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