Ryder Cup Predictions

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I'm sorry. These are people who have paid large money to be boisterous, drink-filled 'fans' of a large money event. I don't like their intervention. That's why I love lower key events in which a few keen spectators watch the best players: Walker Cup, national championships etc.

[Rich Goodale]

The best players will have won 24 hours from now and they will have deserved it.  The significant ticket owner numpties who have desecrated what was once a lovely bilateral and biennial gathering for the game that all of us love have spoiled it for most of us all.


Shame......



rfg

[Jim_Kennedy]

The best players will have won 24 hours from now and they will have deserved it.  The significant ticket owner numpties who have desecrated what was once a lovely bilateral and biennial gathering for the game that all of us love have spoiled it for most of us all.


Shame......



rfg

[Rick Shefchik]

...I find the overall predictions of everyone, both on here and in the media and elsewhere, to be humorous. Seems like every RC, the US comes in as a heavy favorite on paper, and every RC the Euros flat out paste them (that's US slang for gives 'em a whooping, which is US slang for God only knows whatever English expression means wins convincingly and resoundingly)....and then two years later, the prognostications repeat.


Just bizarre.

George, after the Friday and Saturday no-show by team USA, I find it impossible to believe the the Yanks will ever be favored - by anyone - in future Ryder Cups hosted by Europe. When things start to slide for team USA in front of pro-Euro crowds, they crumble like kids at their first AJGA event. This has been going on for twenty years, and the US simply isn't producing enough thick-skinned gamers like Spieth, Thomas and Finau. Even Reed has been exposed as a homer.
As for Tiger and Mickelson, it's long past time that they pack up their wayward drivers and bid adieu to international team competition. They are part of the problem. Each might make good Ryder Cup captains, but Furyk is from the same generation of hot-house U.S. pros who showed little resistance as the Euros repeatedly put cleat marks on their asses -- and Furyk seems to have imparted the same passive, lifeless attitude to his team. The next U.S. captain that figures out how to motivate his team to stand up to the crowds and the barrage of holed putts on European soil should be given the job for life.

[Peter Pallotta]

Maybe it's simpler. Maybe it's just that the 'on paper' predictions are always wrong/inaccurate: the Euro-Team members are individually & collectively much better than their world-rankings (and certainly Fed-Ex points) suggest -- since those rankings (and points, obviously) are heavily skewed towards PGA Tour participation & performance, and PGA Tour courses are set-up to disproportionally reward certain types of golfers/skills set and to consistently support the 'these guys are good' branding. So any Euro member who doesn't play almost exclusively on the PGA Tour ends up faring relatively worse 'on paper' than his American counterpart. As I say, maybe it's simple: Molinari is a better all-round golfer than Reed, Fleetwood is better than Speith, Rose is better than Thomas, Stenson is better Johnson, Rory is better than Bubba, Garcia is better than Mickelson etc.

[Kalen Braley]

The Euros can gloat all they like but they still know who thier daddy is.


The US has twice as many wins all-time, (26-13-2) and it got so bad back in the 80s the UK had to invite far more countries to make it a game...


https://www.rydercup.com/europe/history/2014-ryder-cup-past-results

[Sean_A]

I was shocked Phil played 4somes.  He doesn't drive the ball well enough for that format on that course. 

Tiger is at it again...a lifeless performance in which he displayed zero joy. 

Finau was very lucky, but at least he took advantage of the luck.  Why Rosie went for the flag on 18 is a mystery.  Tough shot to pull off in a self imposed do or die situation. 

Poulter got a point yesterday, but he looked very average. 

The course...it is what it is...and I think it does very well for what it was designed to do.  That double island green (15 & 18?)...wouldn't it be cool if the 15th green extended to between the rear mounds?

The cheers for bad shots have been going on for several Ryder Cups now.  The Ryder Cup is a different animal which can't be put back into the cage.  The goal really should be to not tolerate that crap for the real events.

I would hate to play this course, but I have to admit this week is another aspect of bifurcation which should exist.  There is no point in giving these guys room to swing away unless it can be guanteed the course will be f&f and windy on at least a few days of a tourny.  Plus, we get the extra advantage of there being courses for the pros and courses for everybody else...which is perfect if we hope to preserve classic courses.  It really comes down to a choice of a birdie fest or hack out fest.  There is little gound between the two extremes where the pros are concerned because few courses can really challenge these guys without classic US Open setups.  And if a course is that good, do we really want to risk it being mucked up to host pros? Courses for markets is important and it is as critical to distinguish the low capper market from the pros just as it high cappers to low cappers.

Ciao

Sean

A near faultless bit of observation. The only point on which we diverge (ironically) is on bifurcation. As a traditionalist, I just hate the idea of different sets of rules and courses for amateurs and pros. I'm quite happy that courses like this one exist, and that they have the kind of set up it has, its a big world after all and all the better for variety, but why restrict particular courses to certain qualities of player ?

Niall

Well, if you want to play that Ryder Cup setup have at it. As for the other way around, it seems to me that whenever the pros play an old course, that course needs to be altered and re-setup to suit their game.  No thanks.  A course encounter with the tours is like coming across cops...you hope to break even...so not great odds.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

George -


Finau's approach shot was miss-hit, bounded off the top of a pylon to about eight feet from the pin.

So I assume they were booing because after his crazy good luck, Finau did not have the decency to miss his short putt. 

Possibly the single luckiest thing I have ever seen.  He chunked his approach.  If it's an inch right, it's in the water.  An inch left, it's in the crap 20 yards short of the green.  It lands dead on the wooden bulwark and bounces to 8 feet.  Bonkers.  And that really wasn't booing.  Some here (my good friend Rich Goodale amongst them) are trying to find misfeasance where it doesn't exist.  We did get a mashed potato shout, though, so things aren't all that great.

Mark

I'm going to disagree. He hit a good shot bang on line. He possibly was half a club short from perfect. Yes he could have bounced off into the water but equally if his ball had landed 6 inches to the left he would have been fine.

With regards to the booing, I only saw the highlights and it sounded like booing to me although it could well have been good natured. Whatever, they at least had the decency to be quiet when he was putting.

Niall

Sure, he could have landed a foot left of the wood and been short of the green in the rough, but to land on the wood (whose surface can't be much more than about four golf balls in size) and end up with a 5 footer for birdie is the very definition of luck.

Ciao

[BHoover]

I can’t quite point to any particular reason, but so have a strong feeling Europe is going to win this Ryder Cup. Call it a gut feeling.

[Matthew Rose]

Europe 14.5-13.5


US will need to win 8 singles matches on Sunday and they'll win 7.

I guess a 10-6 deficit means this scenario is still in play, if you add a halved match in there somewhere.

Not really sure where the wins are gonna come from though, based on what I've seen.

[Tim Leahy]

The best players will have won 24 hours from now and they will have deserved it.  The significant ticket owner numpties who have desecrated what was once a lovely bilateral and biennial gathering for the game that all of us love have spoiled it for most of us all.
Shame......


rfg

The Euro golf hooligans have turned the RC into a wrestling match. It will be just as ugly next time in Wisc. Be careful what you wish for.

[Jeff Schley]

I can’t quite point to any particular reason, but so have a strong feeling Europe is going to win this Ryder Cup. Call it a gut feeling.

Really going out on a limb there!   

[Mark Pearce]

Very telling stat Sky gave yesterday.  Before this week the European team had a combined 233 competitive rounds on this course.  The US team had 8 (of which 50% were Justin Thomas, who was easily the best American in the competition).  Would the match have been closer if more of the American team had played the French Open?

[Carl Rogers]

Agree w/ all of the above, but I will add......
1. The Americans have no such thing as a home course advantage, who really knows Whistling Straights or any other future American Ryder Cup courses all that well?
2. Patrick, Phil & Bubba, particularly, as well as other Americans, do not play courses, they do not know, very well.
3. As much as this web site, does not care for American style US Open golf courses w/ lots of water & severe rough, that set-up that completely favored the Euros.
4. Tiger had a great come back year, but just ran out of gas.  Tiger, if on another Ryder Cup Team, should not play foursomes. .... and other wise conserve his mental strength for only 1 round per day.
5. Phil should remove himself from Captain's pick consideration and if he should ever make the team through playing should develop an injury and withdraw.
6. Finau is a complete player.

[George Pazin]

Very telling stat Sky gave yesterday.  Before this week the European team had a combined 233 competitive rounds on this course.  The US team had 8 (of which 50% were Justin Thomas, who was easily the best American in the competition).  Would the match have been closer if more of the American team had played the French Open?

Seems reasonable, though I’d guess the outcome would have been the same even if they’d have teed it up ay Top Golf Paris...


I don’t know why, but it appears that the Euro players really enjoy playing together on teams, reveling in the comradeship aspect, especially in the team events the first two days. Seems like even the American players who are friends don’t really enjoy competing as a team. Could be a completely different reason, could be mistaken inferences by yours truly, but that’s what it looks like to me.  Apologies to Peter, but I don’t think the Euros are any better golfers, player v player, or you wouldn’t have results in singles like (my guy ) Tony trouncing one of the best Euros, Tommy Fleetwood. (I’m really going to enjoy watching both of those guys over the next few years, I think.) Or Simpson handling Rose pretty easily.


I’m going out on a limb and predicting the narrative for the next RC: US team heavy favorites on paper.... yawn. Sure they haven’t won in Europe in forever, but heck, they’ve won twice in the US since 2000! Hard to top such ironclad past results!


Or you could harken back to the glory days, before the internet even existed.....


Yep, the Steelers owned the Patriots in the 70s and 80s; if I ever meet Tom Brady, I’ll make sure to tell him who’s his daddy. I’m sure that keeps him up at night. I see his hands shaking, but maybe that’s just because he can’t lift all those rings.......

[BHoover]

I can’t quite point to any particular reason, but so have a strong feeling Europe is going to win this Ryder Cup. Call it a gut feeling.

Really going out on a limb there!   

I was not incorrect.

[Mark Chaplin]

Niall - with the European picks making 3.5/4 and the US picks 0/4 it looks like the Captain did well.


Karen - post Bobby Jones, Snead, Palmer & Nicklaus the US Ryder Cup teams are a shadow of their former self.

[Pete_Pittock]

Monday Night Football. Thursday Night Football. You don't see any NFL teams play both during the same week. But the bulk of the American team will spend four weeks in the FedEx playoffs, then immediately play in the Ryder Cup. Only a few Europeans make the Fed Ex, and even they seemed a bit off. I think that is about +3 Europe. Just sayin.

[George Pazin]

...and the US picks 0/4 it looks like the Captain did well.

As the principal member of the Tony Finau Fan Club, I must ask how you came up with this notion.


Tony went 2-1-0, and was benched for reasons heretofore unknown in the afternoon foursomes sessions (wouldn't want a guy who bombs it straight and far, I guess is the logic...). He trounced Fleetwood rather easily earlier today, and was one of the few US bright spots throughout the competition. One could argue that he and Justin Thomas were the only two US guys who really showed up big time.

[Tim Leahy]

It is the weather. When it gets cold the pampered PGA pros quit too easy.

[Niall C]

I'm sorry. These are people who have paid large money to be boisterous, drink-filled 'fans' of a large money event. I don't like their intervention. That's why I love lower key events in which a few keen spectators watch the best players: Walker Cup, national championships etc.

Mark

I agree. I also agree with Rich's sentiments also. If the RC was never played again for whatever reason I wouldn't be too bothered. My only caveat to that is that no doubt the TV companies/sponsors would conspire to create something worse.

Niall

[Ian Mackenzie]

I think Tiger is the US' "Ryder Cup Jinx".
Sure, victory came in '99, but since then, Tiger has been a burden and his track record reflects that.


US won in 2016 but Tiger was just a supporter, not a player.
He sucks the oxygen out of the team.


Europe wins and I dont really care about the score.

Thank you...;-)

[Thomas Dai]

And the Captains for the next Ryder Cup in 2020 will be - drum roll -


- Europe.....?
- USA ......?


atb

[Kalen Braley]

I sure got this one very wrong, and a shame no one took me up on some friendly wagers from my prior post..., as i would have surely lost some dosh.


Hard to put a finger on why the Americans played so poorly.  I think unfamiliarity with the course probably played the biggest role as others have suggested.


P.S. In the last 30 years the home team has won all but 4 times, just short of 75% of the time.  I guess the best predictor for these matches is home court advantage.

[Phil McDade]

...and the US picks 0/4 it looks like the Captain did well.

As the principal member of the Tony Finau Fan Club, I must ask how you came up with this notion.


Tony went 2-1-0, and was benched for reasons heretofore unknown in the afternoon foursomes sessions (wouldn't want a guy who bombs it straight and far, I guess is the logic...). He trounced Fleetwood rather easily earlier today, and was one of the few US bright spots throughout the competition. One could argue that he and Justin Thomas were the only two US guys who really showed up big time.

I'm putting in vice president of the Finau Fan Club

Finau's foursomes benching will remain one of the great mysteries of this year's event.