PLAYING WITH JOY

[Paul Payne]

You are right. I stand corrected.

[Lloyd_Cole]

And after playing with Joy.

I just found this on the BBC blog.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/rydercup/2006/09/post_12.shtml

I know we shouldn't glorify drinking, but I think they earned their fun. And don't worry, there is every chance of a similar scene in the Wirral next week.

[Marty Bonnar]

L,
that is a bit spooky as I just ctrl'C' and ctrl'V'd from that very blog to post here.

Clarke: “I’m a little bit younger than you. Just mind your age.”
Woosnam: “There’s nothing like experience.”
Clarke: “If you can keep up with me later you’ll be doing ok.”
Garcia: “There’s a challenge here.”
Woosnam: “No doubt about it.”
Clarke: “Guinness ability, that’s why they picked me for the team, there was no other reason whatsoever.”
Woosnam: “When I said we were going to have a party, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A PARTY BOYS.”
Clarke: “What was the question?”

I am man enough to happily admit to blubbing like a baby when the big fella finished. The BEST Ryder Cup on the WORST Golf course I have ever witnessed. Makes you kind of proud to be a European (whatever that is!)

FBD.

[Rick Shefchik]

That sounds like a party that anyone would love to be a part of -- except, perhaps, the health/fitness nuts on the U.S. tour. Maybe that's the problem on left side of the Atlantic -- we don't have enough drinkers.

[Paul Payne]

I think their cups runneth over with joy.

[Ulrich Mayring]

It has been said in the US that the European Tour is about as strong as the Nationwide Tour, which would explain why the US team is favorite every time. However, those who say that were completely missing the point and the Ryder Cup proves it again and again.

First off, the European Tour pays very little money compared to the level of skill you need to win there. So if you want to make a decent living off the European Tour, you have to play much better than on the US Tour. Second, many European players play both tours or even mainly the PGA Tour. The days when the European Ryder Cup squad came from the European Tour and consisted of players, who had never played against the Americans before, are long over.

Looking at the world rankings, which are comprised from all tours, we find that the European squad is actually ranked better than the US squad. Let's square off the top 9 players on each side (the stats don't change, if we bring in all 12):

Team USA
#1 Woods
#2 Mickelson
#3 Furyk
#15 diMarco
#16 Toms
#22 Campbell
#23 Cink
#37 Verplank
#42 Johnson

Team Europe
#8 Garcia
#9 Donald
#11 Stenson
#13 Howell
#14 Montgomery
#17 Casey
#18 Harrington
#19 Olazabal
#24 Clarke

Just from the world rankings, this makes it 6-3 to Europe. And if the big 3 from the US team don't perform, it becomes a rout.

So, it's as easy as that: the Europeans win, because they are better players.

Ulrich

[Jim Nugent]

Ulrich, I'm pretty sure that if you used that measure in any other RC, the US would have won every single one.    

This year the world's top three ranked players combined for 3 1/2 points out of 11.  That, in a nutshell, is why the U.S. lost.  Had they done as well as Europe's 3 highest-ranked players did -- 8 1/2 out of 11 -- the U.S. would have won the cup.  

I agree that Europe's squad was deeper than the U.S. this year.