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Azinger on Twitter: 'Hunter sitting surprised me'

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger apparently intends to voice opinions, via Twitter, throughout the Ryder Cup, which could be interesting, provided he shares his opinions unvarnished.

Here's his first post addressing Friday morning's pairings:

"Sitting Furyke makes sense because he loves alternate shot. Hunter sitting surprised me a little. Course playing wet&long, US will like that."

-- John Strege

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Let the second-guessing begin

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments
NEWPORT, Wales -- If Corey Pavin found himself getting roasted on Wednesday for his choice in motivational speakers, Thursday's inquisition was at least pertaining to matters closer to the actual competition.

One question had to do with his sending a struggling Jeff Overton out in the morning at the expense of Jim Furyk, who won both the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup last Sunday. (Pavin's response: "He said he's been tired. He's been counting the money.")

The other had to do with burying Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in the third slot. It will mark the first time since 1999 that Woods will not be in the opening match of the Ryder Cup (save for 2008, when he missed the matches altogether).

And it wasn't just the media that was thrown off by Pavin's move. His European counterpart was expecting to see Woods either earlier or later.

"Tiger being hidden is a different move," Colin Montgomerie said.

Not that Pavin would admit to "hiding" Woods. In fact, he was reluctant to go into much detail at all about his pairings choices. When asked during the opening ceremonies why he put Woods and Stricker in the third position, Pavin deadpanned, "Because the first two slots were filled."

-- Sam Weinman 
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Breaking down Friday's four-ball pairings

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments
NEWPORT, Wales -- A look at the four-ball pairings for Friday morning's opening session (all times are local):

Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson (USA) vs. Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer (Europe), 7:45 a.m.

Mickelson draws the task of breaking in another rookie like he did in 2008 with Anthony Kim. The long-hitting Johnson had to go out with orders to simply pound the ball given the cold, wet conditions that will prevail for the scheduled opening match at 7:45 a.m. Kaymer, the PGA champion, might be the rock of the group even though he is a rookie given Westwood's inactivity since August to rehabilitate a calf injury. America's flash might have the edge here.

Prediction: USA 1 up


Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar (USA) vs. Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell (Europe), 8 a.m.

U.S. captain Corey Pavin might have forgotten Cink in the introductions at the opening ceremonies, but he wasn't going to leave him out of the morning lineup after making him a captain's pick for the primary purpose of shepherding fellow Georgian Kuchar through team play. The McIlroy-McDowell duo was the most anticipated pairing of the week and the two Irishmen figure to be formidable and perhaps the most close-knit team for either side. But will they make enough birdies? Probably.

Prediction: Europe 2 and 1

Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods (USA) vs. Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher (Europe), 8:15 a.m.

The pairing of Woods and Stricker was a no-brainer given the success they enjoyed together going 4-0 in last year's Presidents Cup. If you don't need reminding, a lot has happened since then. Meanwhile, Poulter was a rock for Europe in 2008 at Valhalla, and might be brash enough to not be fazed by Woods.

Prediction: Halved


Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton (USA) vs. Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington (Europe), 8:30 a.m.

More notable than Corey Pavin throwing two rookies into the mix right out of the gate is he did it at the expense of Jim Furyk, who is arguably the hottest player in the world. Harrington might be still looking for his old form, but he's got plenty of positive Ryder Cup experience to draw upon, and he's got a solid partner in Donald. This could be the first waxing of the week.

Prediction: Europe 4 and 3

-- Dave Shedloski and Sam Weinman

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By Ryder Cup standards, four-ball is new to the game

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments
NEWPORT, Wales - With runs of birdies, the four-ball format often produces the most exciting sessions in the Ryder Cup, which could again be the case when the 38th Ryder Cup begins Friday morning. Four-balls, though, is a relative newcomer to the biennial competition.
 
From 1927-1961, the Ryder Cup consisted of foursomes and singles matches. Four-ball play was added in 1963, the year of a resounding United States victory over Great Britain at East Lake CC in Atlanta. Americans Billy Maxwell and Bob Goalby had the honor of playing in the first four-ball match, defeating Dave Thomas and Harry Weetman, 4-and-3.
 
The U.S. has an overall lead in the four-ball format, 95.5-85.5 points. Since 1985, however, in an era in which Europe has won seven of 12 Ryder Cups (and retained the cup with a tie in 1989), it has a 57.5-38.5 four-balls advantage, sweeping a four-balls session in 1987 and 1989.
 
-- Bill Fields
 
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The Twenty Ten: Two courses in one?

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments
NEWPORT, Wales -- Not that captains Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin don't have enough factors to weigh when formulating their pairings for the Ryder Cup, which begins Friday, but Jim McKenzie, Director of Golf Courses and Estates Management at the Celtic Manor Resort, can throw yet another at them.

Seems there are two golf courses lurking out there, not just one. The reason is the 125 millimeter rough that will not be mown for the rest of the week. (That translates to five inches, by the way.)


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"It will be like two different golf courses out there, at least on the days it doesn't rain," McKenzie said Thursday as he made final preparations on the Twenty Ten Course built specifically for the 38th Ryder Cup. "In the morning, with the heavy dew we get this time of year, the rough will be, as we say in Scotland, claggy and clingy. It will be a factor with it being very tough in the morning."

The rough is also much tougher than when the Wales Open was conducted earlier this year. "Some of the feedback we got from the Wales Open was that the rough was a little bit inconsistent. A lot of that came mainly from Graeme McDowell, who won the Wales Open and used to be a member here," McKenzie explained. "But I talked to him yesterday and he couldn't help but mention how dense the rough is.

"And we won't be cutting it the rest of the week. You have the tire tracks and all to consider. But really, it takes a bad shot to be in that rough. This is a resort course; the fairways are fairly wide. They're almost like runways. We have a band of 30 mm rough and another band of 60 mm rough before you get to the heavy stuff. It takes a bad shot to be in there."

Yes, but bad shots happen regularly under intense pressure. Especially in those morning matches, when the nerves are frazzled. Claggy and clingy could be popular terms by day's end.

-- Dave Shedloski

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Opening ceremonies underway, pairings to come

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments
NEWPORT, Wales -- The four-ball pairings will be announced by the respective captains in roughly an hour, but depending on who you listen to, a couple of tandems are already a given.

Among them: Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods for the U.S., brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari for Europe, and the Northern Ireland pair of Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy.

According to the Guardian's Lawrence Donegan, we should also count on Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer going off first together for Europe.

Another team that looked to be a lock was the long-hitting pair of Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson. Both are taught by Butch Harmon, who predicted on BBC moments ago that they will indeed play together. But in what was either an audible by Corey Pavin or an attempt to throw Colin Montgomerie off his scent, the U.S. captain did not have those two play together in a final tune-up on Thursday.

We'll know for sure soon enough.

-- Sam Weinman
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Rested Westwood says he is ready to play

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments
NEWPORT, Wales -- Europe's top player, Lee Westwood, put to rest any doubts about his preparedness for this week's Ryder Cup, even if it means playing less than a full slate. The No. 3 player in the world said Thursday he is sufficiently rehabilitated after being sidelined since August with a calf injury.


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"I don't have too many concerns.  I don't have concern with the competitive edge," Westwood said. "I've played well in the practice rounds, and I don't see how that's going to change in the competitive rounds. And when the match itself starts, I think I'll be up for it even more. It's a very difficult golf course to come back to.  It's very heavy underfoot, and it's quite hilly in places, and there's quite a lot of slopes, steep slopes to walk up to; 36 holes a day, ideally I would have liked to have broke myself in gently in a tournament with 18 holes a day, but that wasn't possible. ... But I wouldn't be here if I don't think I could play five matches."

Westwood, who still is receiving treatment for a half-hour before and after he plays or practices, doesn't believe that will be necessary, however. "I think we've got a strong enough team in depth that we, you know, can rest players. Maybe the plan would be to rest players. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not as young as I used to be where I could play five in a week as easily.  There's a few more miles in my legs, and maybe the best way to get maximum out of me is to play me in four, I don't know, or whatever Monty sees fit."

-- Dave Shedloski

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Ballesteros weighs in from afar

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments

NEWPORT, Wales -- It should be no surprise that Seve Ballesteros has been inundated with requests for interviews since Colin Montgomerie's disclosure Wednesday that he had the former Ryder Cup star and captain speak to the European team by phone on Tuesday evening.
 
Ivan Ballesteros, one of Seve's brothers, responded via e-mail Thursday that "we have put a note from Seve in his web, so you can take bits of that article from Seve. He is receiving lots of requests for an interview, and it is not possible for him to attend everyone."
 
Montgomerie, the current European captain, said the exchange with the Spanish legend inspired the requisite passion in his team.
 
"It was good to hear from him Tuesday night for sure," Lee Westwood said. "He sounded just as passionate as he always does when talking about the Ryder Cup.  He obviously is one of the legends of the game, and instrumental in taking European golf to a world audience, I think; and he did that partly through his own career, but a majority of that through all of that passion he showed in the Ryder Cups. He obviously carried that through to Valderrama when he was captain, as well."
 
Below are a few snippets from Seve via his webpage, SeveBallesteros.com:
 
"Dear friends, this week, The Ryder Cup starts. I will follow the matches and I am sure we will watch great golf during the weekend.
 
"I had a very exiting conversation this last Tuesday with Captain Colin Montgomerie and all the team. It was great to have a chat with all of them and talk about this week. I really felt team spirit in that conversation, and I am confident Europe will do very well this week. They are all great champions.
 
"I miss the competition and especially the Ryder Cup, but I will follow the matches on TV. It's not going to be easy, but the more difficult it is to win, the sweeter victory will taste."
 
Additional thoughts:
 
ON COLIN MONTGOMERIE:
 
"I believe Colin is the best European Captain we could have this week. He has always been a true leader in and out of the course. He knows better than anyone else how to put on him all the pressure and free his players from it. He has an enormous leadership capacity and I am sure Monty will indulge, look after and instruct the European team.
 
ON THE U.S. TEAM:
 
"Tiger Woods has not been doing good this season and neither has Phil Mickelson. For the public to see the seemingly weakness of the U.S. stars could give the wrong idea that things could be easier for the Europeans. That is a mistake. This is match play and this format is where anything can happen. In 2008 Tiger was out of the competition due to an injury and the US TEAM displayed its best team spirit and not just as a sum of individualities. Corey Pavin knows about this."
 
ON THE ROOKIES:
 
"This is a Ryder Cup full of rookies. Europe has six and USA has five. Some of them like Rory McIlroy looks like he has been playing Ryder Cups ever since. At last year's Seve Trophy in France he achieved 4,5 points from 5. He is an outstanding golfer. Same goes for Martin Kaymer who has won his first big competition. From all the newly comers, I believe that the two mentioned are those who will feel the pressure less."
 
ON WESTWOOD:
 
Westwood and (Padraig) Harrington two great players with a huge experience. They will be of vital importance to the team. Lee's recovery on the last few years is wonderful. Specially his behavior at the Majors. I have no doubt he will win majors very soon."
 
ON SERGIO GARCIA:
 
"His appointment as vice-captain reminds me of Miguel Angel Jimenez's role at my side in Valderrama in 1997. Sergio's case is a bit different given that Miguel Angel hadn't had any Ryder Cup experience before that time when he helped me at Valderrama '97. I would very much want to see Sergio as a team member this year, but in golf as in life there are ups and downs and at this point he cannot be at the course as he would liked to. Maybe the dreams, the excitement of wishing to do a teammate's shot will help him in the future."
 
-- Dave Shedloski

 
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Taking a scientific look at Ryder Cup pressure

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments
NEWPORT, Wales -- The mental challenge for players in the Ryder Cup has long been one of golf's most interesting topics, whether those competing for pride and country succumb to the moment or rise to it.
 
Tom Watson, despite everything he accomplished on his own, says he was always more nervous at a Ryder Cup. To former player and captain Tony Jacklin, a golfer is "totally exposed" in the team competition.
 
The topic has even reached the scientific community. In the October issue of The Psychologist, the journal of the British Psychological Society, authors Marc Jones of Staffordshire University and David Lavallee of Aberystwyth University address the psychology of the Ryder Cup in "A Good Walk Worth Watching."
 
One of the article's interesting points is about the effect of a home gallery on the outcome, which is salient this weekend with huge pro-European crowds expected at Celtic Manor.
 
"Teams perform better at home for a number of reasons (see Carron et al., 2005, for a review), but of particular relevance to golf may be familiarty with the playing conditions, increased confidence and expectations of success by players, and a perceived benefit from a supportive and vociferous audience," Jones and Lavallee write. "There is emphasis on perceived benefit because, while performers perceive that a supportive audience helps performance, in laboratory-based studies it either has no effect (Law et al., 2003) or performance is actually worse (Butler & Baumeister, 1998). Thus, while the data from the Ryder Cup supports a home advantage this may not be the result of a supportive audience."
 
To Jones and Lavallee, a golfer's performances has a lot to do with "the theory of challenge and threat states in athletes." They write: "According to the theory, a golfers will experience a challenge state with high self-efficacy, a perception of control and a focus on approach goals. By perceiving the competition as a challenge rather than a threat, the golfer will have less cause to regulate their responses. In short, prevention, in terms of perceiving the event positively so there is less cause to regulate unwanted psychological responses, may be better than cure."
 
In other words, as Jimmy Demaret liked to put it, butterflies are OK, as long as they're flying in formation.
 
-- Bill Fields
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Monday finish to Ryder Cup in cards

Thursday, September 30, 2010 Comments
NEWPORT, Wales -- The popular conception about golf in the U.K. is that they'll play in anything. Not true, especially when the golf course in question is tucked deep in a valley, already spongy soft, and hosting one of the world's most anticipated events.

This, of course, is a roundabout way of saying the weather forecast for Wales is particularly dreadful for the next few days. How bad? See for yourself.

wales_470.jpg

No, no one is going to be confusing this place with San Diego anytime soon, and it presents the very real possibility of play being pushed into Monday.
The good news, if you want to look at this way, is that play can't go on beyond then.

According to reports, the Ryder Cup has to be completed by 6:43 p.m., local time. The score at that point determines the winner.

Update: Fear not, says Celtic Manor's Terry Matthews. The resort owner says his golf course can withstand the rain. Here's hoping he's right.

-- Sam Weinman


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