Paul Azinger's Secret Strategy

[tlavin]

Azinger surely got the guys to bond with each other better than past teams.  The absence of Tiger (who spends the rest of the year humbling everybody else) may have made that task easier in some way, but I think Jeff Rude has the winning formula exactly right.  This is from the Tour blog on golfweek.com:

"But the main reason the Americans won the Ryder for the first time since 1999 is this: Europe’s Big Three of Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood never won a match. They went 0-7-5."

I don't know if that was Azinger's doing or Faldo's failing, but there's no doubting the logic in Rude's analysis.

[Will MacEwen]

I have heard a credible theory that Tiger struggles in the team stuff as he doesn't let his guard down around guys he wants to beat like a drum the rest of the year.  Makes as much sense as anything.

[Kalen Braley]

Phil,

The problem is your logic completely falls apart on several kep points.

1) He's yet to be apart of a losing President's Cup team.
2) He was on a winning Ryder Cup team in 99.
3) He was the top performer two years ago for the US when everyone else fell apart.

I'm just not buying the arguement that this is a Tiger thing.  He does gel with several players on the US side and has played some great golf with them.  Yes its true he and Phil ain't best of friends, but one poor matchup can't be blamed on the collapse 4 years ago either. Its the entire US team that has fallen down in those losses...one man can't win or lose a ryder cup.

[Phil McDade]

Kalen:

1) The President's Cup is a poor shadow of the Ryder Cup, I think, in terms of how the U.S. players approach it and seek to make the team.

2) One win in five RC's -- that's batting .200, Kalen!

3) He won 3 of 5 possible points in '06 -- more than any other U.S. player, but less than Poulter's 4 this year in a similar losing cause and less than the 3.5 Sutton grabbed in '99, when the U.S. needed every single half-point available. He was paired w/ Furyk every single time out in '06, one of the U.S.'s better RC players in recent years.

He has not played great golf -- or at least golf up to his usual standards -- in the Ryder Cup, having been paired with a number of very good players.

[Kalen Braley]

Kalen:

1) The President's Cup is a poor shadow of the Ryder Cup, I think, in terms of how the U.S. players approach it and seek to make the team.

2) One win in five RC's -- that's batting .200, Kalen!

3) He won 3 of 5 possible points in '06 -- more than any other U.S. player, but less than Poulter's 4 this year in a similar losing cause and less than the 3.5 Sutton grabbed in '99, when the U.S. needed every single half-point available. He was paired w/ Furyk every single time out in '06, one of the U.S.'s better RC players in recent years.

He has not played great golf -- or at least golf up to his usual standards -- in the Ryder Cup, having been paired with a number of very good players.

1)  Phil if the President Cup is lesser than or something to that extent, they sure would be wise to adopt that same strategy to bring to the ryder cup as they have never lost under Tigers watch.

2)  Just giving evidence that he has been apart of a winning campaign.  And the other players on those teams must be given thier full credit for the part they played on each of those teams as well....once again, one man can neither win nor lose the cup alone.

3)  You must be kidding me?  We're talking 2006 when the US side got drubbed. A few extra half points wouldn't have matter.  But Tiger still got 30% of his teams points?  And this is somehow a poor performance on his part?  Surely you jest or I'd love to have some of the stuff your smoking.

Has Tiger had the best Ryder Cup record?  Of course not, but even as middle of the road performer, he's done better than Cink, Mickelson, and Leonard whom you have no problem with being on the team.

[George Pazin]

He has not played great golf -- or at least golf up to his usual standards -- in the Ryder Cup, having been paired with a number of very good players.

Maybe that's due more to the vagaries of match play - especially team match play - than his actual play.

[Chris Kane]

1) He's yet to be apart of a losing President's Cup team.

I can vividly remember the embarrassing performance of the 98 team at Royal Melbourne, led by Tiger Woods. 

[Mike Hendren]

4 words-

Miek Hendren Pep Talk

Jim, I'm considered more of a weapon than a strategy.  I also served as Boo's interpreter.

Bogey

[George Pazin]

1) He's yet to be apart of a losing President's Cup team.

I can vividly remember the embarrassing performance of the 98 team at Royal Melbourne, led by Tiger Woods. 

You guys can really hold a grudge...

The worst thing about that debacle is that it probably lessened the likelihood of returning to the wonderful RM anytime soon. I'd trade all of the recent Presidents Cups for another chance to see one at RM.

[Tim Pitner]

[Did anyone else note how Faldo employed a strategy much more like the last few (losing) US captains? Play everyone, mix up the pairings a bit, never really get into any rhythm? I always thought one of the strongest aspects of the Euro team in the past were the consistent team pairings, which fostered a real team atmosphere.

When you get down early, you're more inclined to mix up the pairings to try to find a combination that works.  As I said (somewhere) before, not having Monty, Clarke and Donald really hurt the Europeans not just for what they're done in Ryder Cups before, but because it deprived Harrington, Westwood and Garcia of their traditional partners.  Other than Westwood/Garcia and Poulter/Rose, they didn't seem to find any sustained partnerships.

[TX Golf]

While the US did get killed in that presidents cup, I find it hard to say that Tiger was the leader of the team. Not only was Nicklaus the captain (who has gone on to win many others... showing that odd things do happen, such as the US winning without Tiger), but the team consisted of Calc, Couples, O'Meara (fresh of TWO major victories), Love III, Duval (had 8 wins over the past two years), Furyk, and Mickelson (who was still considered a great young player). While everyone knew that Tiger was talented, he wasn't considered greater than all these guys at that time. I think Duval was even ranked higher than him that year. Tiger by no means was Tiger a leader on that team.

Robert

[Chris Kane]

You guys can really hold a grudge...

The worst thing about that debacle is that it probably lessened the likelihood of returning to the wonderful RM anytime soon. I'd trade all of the recent Presidents Cups for another chance to see one at RM.

We only hold a grudge when our opponents try to revise history 

You don't need to trade anything (it is the most overrated competition of all time); as you will see RM again at the 2011 President's Cup.

[Kalen Braley]

1) He's yet to be apart of a losing President's Cup team.

I can vividly remember the embarrassing performance of the 98 team at Royal Melbourne, led by Tiger Woods. 

Chris,

This is true, I had forgot he was on the 98 team.  However as a Prez Cup rookie, I hardly think the burden was on him to lead that team to victory.

[Mike_Young]

4 words-

Miek Hendren Pep Talk

Jim, I'm considered more of a weapon than a strategy.  I also served as Boo's interpreter.

Bogey

Nope....I am Boo's interpreter.....and trainer......"you got to let those dogs hunt to see what you got"

[George Pazin]

You guys can really hold a grudge...

The worst thing about that debacle is that it probably lessened the likelihood of returning to the wonderful RM anytime soon. I'd trade all of the recent Presidents Cups for another chance to see one at RM.

We only hold a grudge when our opponents try to revise history 

You don't need to trade anything (it is the most overrated competition of all time); as you will see RM again at the 2011 President's Cup.

Damn, you just made my day, I completely missed that announcement. I gotta start saving up!