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Monday Ryder Cup Clippings

Golf Digest — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:01:00 -0700

It appears most of the writers felt it was a little early to declare where this one falls in the pantheon all-time great Ryder Cups, but over the next few weeks I'm sure the magnitude of what we witnessed will be written about extensively.

In the meantime, the scribes sounded like they benefited from sleeping in Sunday. Or maybe they finally realized just how adorable they looked in those limp green bibs the PGA of America made them wear inside the ropes.So subtle and yet, so fashionable!

Here we go, one final time for a truly spectacular three days of golf.

THE LEDES

Doug Ferguson in the AP lede:

The Americans didn't need a miracle putt or even the best player in the world to take back the Ryder Cup.

Strong as a team, strong as individuals, the Americans rode the emotion of a flag-waving crowd and its two Kentucky players on Sunday to win the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999.

Peter Dixon writes:

Tiger Woods? Who needs him? Certainly not the United States team, who brought Europe's run of three Ryder Cup victories on the trot to a shuddering halt at Valhalla last night.

James Corrigan in The Independent:

The week began with question marks over Nick Faldo's leadership and it ended with a giant query flashing high above the targeted scalp of the Europe captain.

Thomas Bonk in the L.A. Times:

Nine years, three defeats, two wipeouts and one absent superstar since the last time it belonged to the U.S., the Ryder Cup changed hands Sunday at Valhalla Golf Club, where the routine cheer was just as unexpected as the outcome.

Lawrence Donegan gets right to the point:

Nick Faldo gambled his reputation as a Ryder Cup captain yesterday and lost. The United States beat Europe here by 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 to secure the first American triumph since 1999 and the worst European defeat in 27 years.

Larry Dorman, for the New York Times:

When it was clinched on Sunday, and it was clear the United States had the points to win the Ryder Cup, Paul Azinger leapt to his feet, thrust his hands skyward and let out a yell that was drowned out in the din. This victory was so big, not even the voice of Azinger, the team captain, could be heard, and so it became just one of a multitude that blended into the huge, roaring sound wave that engulfed the 17th green at Valhalla Golf Club.

In the quick commentary division, Matthew Rudy tells us who the winners and losers were while the GolfChannel.com team offers report cards on the Americans and the Europeans.

THE AMERICAN TEAM

Paul Newberry looks at the band of oddballs who formed the winning American team.

Dave Shedloski says the rookies and rednecks came through.

The lessons of the 37th Ryder Cup start with a simple fact that we've always known about sports in general but tend to forget sometimes when it comes to the more sedentary but enervating game of golf: The highest level of competition is usually a milieu for youth.

For with it they bring young hearts, young nerves and the shortest memories.

The team interview isn't very productive, but there is this...

Q. Now that you've run around the greyhound track and caught the rabbit, what did it taste like?

BOO WEEKLEY: Chicken (laughter).
KELLY ELBIN: Not sure how you follow that up.

Boo's final diary item, channeled through Jim Moriarty, is now posted.

THE EUROPEAN SQUAD OF 12 WHO WILL START BACKSTABBING THEIR CAPTAIN BY TUESDAY

Just kidding! Well, we'll see.

Remember this moving defense of their Captain when the first stories break from "anonymous team sources":

Q. Since you became captain, many of your decisions have been criticized. In the wake of this defeat, you'll receive more criticism tomorrow no doubt from the British press. I wonder, do you care, and if not, why not?
JUSTIN ROSE: Thanks.
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: Do I care? (Looking up and down the table.)
LEE WESTWOOD: No is the word you're looking for, I think.
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: About what, do you think I care.
That's a bit harsh.
IAN POULTER: Can I jump?
SERGIO GARCIA: Can I jump in?
JUSTIN ROSE: Can I jump in?
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: Please.
LEE WESTWOOD: We hold the golf clubs and we hit the shots, not the captain. If you want to talk about me being rested Friday morning and Sergio being rested, that's the session we won, so Nick was right to do that. So you tell me whether Nick was right or wrong.
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah (applause), it's true.

Of course, who would want to talk to the press with questions like this:

Q. You're being very gallant in defeat, but presumably it must hurt you on a personal level as a guy as immensely successful in his playing career that under your leadership The European Team has changed from a winning team to a losing team; how hard is that for you to take personally?

JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: (Shaking head) that question doesn't deserve an answer.
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: Thank you.
KELLY ELBIN: Captain Faldo, European Team, thank you very much.
SERGIO GARCIA: Thank you.

AP's Will Graves was one of the first to note that for all of Faldo's moves, it really came down to poor performance by the "big three."

Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington -- who had combined for 38 1/2 points during their storied Cup careers -- managed just 2 1/2 at raucous Valhalla, giving a largely lifeless performance as the U.S. won the Cup for the first time in nine years.

John Hopkins agrees:

Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia. These are the three men whose inability to score points in the Ryder Cup cost Europe the chance of a fourth win in a row. Garcia had not been well a week earlier and did not seem to be at his best all week. Westwood had had tonsillitis a few weeks earlier and this may have contributed to his sub-par performance. Harrington just looked flat out tired.

Mike Aitken considers Ian Poulter's impact.

While there were plenty of grounds to brand Faldo a plonker for the way he handled Europe in Louisville, the shrewd manner in which he bolstered Poulter's ego was not one of them. Instead of benching the man he nicknamed Raquel, after the character in Only Fools and Horses, the captain put him straight back out with Rose and was rewarded with a 4&2 win over Stricker and Ben Curtis.

Bill Elliott says Poulter is the next Monty...

Playing first alongside Justin Rose and then with Graeme McDowell as his partner, Poulter has been a fist-pumping, eye-popping Jumpin' Jack Flash for Europe, the rallying point for everyone beginning to fret too much. Asked if he now saw himself as the "new Monty" of the side, he revealed a more thoughtful and modest side to his character. Looking unblinkingly at his questioner he said: "It would be an honour to take on his role, a role he's had for so many years and someone who's been so successful, but I don't know if I'm quite in that position yet."

THE TIGER EFFECT

Mike Adamson goes where few will dare. But I think, at least as a Dodger fan who has seen how well his team has played since Jeff Kent disappeared with a knee injury, that it's a question worth exploring.
Would this team have clicked with Tiger present?

Woods's below-par record for the US team - combining the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, he has lost more of his 50 matches than he has won - remains something of a mystery. He has won the WGC Match Play on three occasions, including this year, his competitive streak thriving in mano-a-mano combat. But pair him with another and he cannot stop losing.

Woods has had a remarkable 11 partners in the Ryder Cup, three of whom were in this US team. All three, Jim Furyk, Justin Leonard and particularly Phil Mickelson, have played with spirit, unburdened by the great man's presence. Likewise it is hard, albeit not impossible, to imagine the debutants Anthony Kim and Boo Weekley playing with such uninhibited personality were they in Woods's shadow. Although Azinger lost the world's best player, it is not too much of a stretch to suggest that his uplifting captaincy has also benefited from the absence of such an intimidating figure in the team room.

KIM V. GARCIA

Doug Ferguson on the tense Kim-Garcia match.

From the moment Anthony Kim stepped on the first green and saw two golf balls within 2 feet of the cup, he made it clear he wasn't going to give Sergio Garcia anything Sunday in the Ryder Cup.

"Good, good?" Garcia ask, suggesting they concede the birdies.

"Let's putt them," Kim replied.

Garcia rapped in his short birdie, and as he plucked his ball from the cup, picked up Kim's coin.

That set the tone for a testy opening match at Valhalla in which the only thing Kim gave Garcia was his worst loss in the Ryder Cup. Kim rarely conceded any putt and closed out Garcia with an 8-foot par on the 14th to win, 5 and 4.

"Sergio and I are good friends and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him," Kim said. "He's a great player and a great guy. But out there, we're out there to do business, and we battled all day. And now we can start being friends again."

Regarding this incident, Richard Williams wrote:

When the Spaniard's suggestion of a joint concession was rejected, he rolled his putt home and then nodded to Kim to indicate that he should pick up his ball.

Was this the move with which 007 tried to lure Auric Goldfinger to defeat at Royal St George's almost half a century ago, inviting his opponent to pick up a short putt early in their match in order to be able to put greater pressure later on, when a similar putt arose at a more vital juncture?

Perhaps Kim had read the same book, because yesterday he was falling for nothing.

CAPTAIN AZINGER, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR

Steve Elling raves and reveals the secret plan that Azinger teased us with so many times:

Improbably, Zinger stayed zipped, which was doubtlessly a bigger longshot than his team of overachievers blistering the Europeans, who had won five of the past six cups, including the past two by record-busting margins. Come to find out, it wasn't so stealthy after all. Azinger's master plan was to divide the team into three groups of four -- the players ultimately were paired in practice and live play -- and assign an assistant captain to each group. Who knew that team-building could be born of divisions, right?

He took inspiration from a military documentary he saw years ago. Must have been about platoons, because the small American clusters had the Europeans surrounded and outfoxed all week.

Jim Litke writes:

About the only place Paul Azinger ever got the better of Nick Faldo was at the Ryder Cup. Although the only time either captain used a club this week was in TV commercials or replays, darned if Azinger didn't find a way to best his European counterpart again.

A short par putt conceded to Jim Furyk guaranteed that Sam Ryder's gilded trophy would spend the rest of an Indian summer day basking in Kentucky, then linger on this side of the Atlantic for at least the next two years.

Cameron Morfit says the PGA of America would be crazy not to bring Paul Azinger back.

If they do that, Julius Mason will want to get another job!

CAPTAIN FALDO, CAUSE OF WORLD FINANCIAL CRISIS AND OTHER ATROCITIES

Gee, just think. The British Press had deadlines so they only got to issue a few thoughts, mostly related to his singles pairings theory. Imagine what'll happen when they have time to pen a column or two.

The Daily Mail's Paul Hayward was by far the most brutal. Captain Calamity?

Mike Aitken seemed especially displeased with Sunday's singles pairings. His first of two rants:

Although Europe went into the 37th contest as odds-on favourites, Nick Faldo turned out to be a stubborn, erratic captain whose attention to detail from the sidelines was a pale shadow of the compulsive champion who left no stone unturned as a player.

True, there was a period during the middle of the afternoon when Faldo's ploy looked like it could come off if everything went in Europe's favour. In the end, though, it was a massive error not to elevate McDowell, Poulter, Westwood and Harrington into the middle of the order. By the time Europe's strong tail came into play, it was simply too little, too late.

And rant No. 2 from Aitken:

Faldo's take on how close Europe came to winning this match was a puzzling theory in light of the substantial five-point margin of loss. "We just needed to hold them up," he said.

And...

Butch Harmon, one of America's most respected coaches, argued that Faldo was not the same resolute character as a captain that he was in winning major championships.

"I watched Nick win all six of his majors and he always looked in control," said Harmon. "He didn't look in control now. He looked nervous."

James Corrigan in the Independent:

As soon as the singles match-ups were released there were raised eyebrows as to the Europe running order. With a 9-7 overnight deficit the visitors needed points and needed them quickly. Yet Faldo put what many considered to be his three premier performers out in the three last pairings. It meant that when Jim Furyk collected the final point needed for America to reach the 141/2 golden milestone, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington were left stranded out on the course, the results of their matches suddenly deemed irrelevant.

Faldo later admitted it was a gamble but declined to concede it was a pigheaded gamble. Curtis Strange was pilloried for making the same strategic error at the Belfry in 2002 and it seems inevitable Faldo will be, too.

Matt Dickinson gets back to the other issues we'll never stop hearing about.

Faldo’s thin skin, the need to have his sports shrink by his side even out on the course and his grating sense of humour had confirmed what we knew all along, which is that he is no natural leader. But what we had not expected was that a man who had dedicated himself so much to this job would make such a colossal strategic mistake –echoing Curtis Strange’s blunder in 2002 in sending Tiger Woods out last and leaving the world’s best player stranded.

Will Graves shares this quote from Faldo's Jimmy Roberts interview that is sure to not go over well at home.

Europe captain Nick Faldo, however, wished he'd had a few more blue-and-gold fans behind the ropes.

"I wish we weren't quite so outnumbered in the crowd," Faldo said. "Maybe high gas prices kept some from coming over."

James Lawton talks to a few Brits and they try to be kind, but you can read between the lines:

Said Jacklin: "I knew Nick was very nervous coming here and I know how much importance he has attached to his responsibilities over the last two years, and while I haven't agreed with all his decisions, including the ones he made yesterday, I have really respected his approach – also, right now, you look at his contribution and you cannot honestly say he has been wrong."

Faldo's former Ryder Cup team-mate Peter Oosterhuis, now a leading TV analyst in America, declared, "When I played with Nick he never needed any baby-sitting. It was just a case of saying, 'Nice shot, Nick, well played – things like that'.

"I didn't agree with his decision to give a wild-card spot to Ian Poulter rather than Darren Clarke, but just look how it has turned out. Poulter has been Europe's most important player, he's shown himself a leader, a tough guy."

Sadly for bloggers, Faldo has ruled out another bid as captain. James Corrigan already chimes in on possible future captains.

CROWD CONTROL FOR LEE WESTWOOD

Phil Casey is one of many to report on his post round complaint:

The Englishman who earlier in the tournament had criticised Boo Weekley's premature celebrations and said the crowd was worse than Brookline in 1999, believed the fans had continued to go too far.

"You expect the crowd to be supportive but I've been abused from start to finish," he complained. "It's the downside of the week for me. I don't think it helps. There is a difference between supporting your side and abusing the opponents."

Owen Slot analyzes the galleries:

Kentucky is a state that provides a service in the United States by giving outsiders a sense of superiority. However, the apparent army of inbred farmers who chew tobacco and sleep with their firearm failed to turn up at Valhalla, not even on singles Sunday, when the atmosphere tingled and the chants of “USA! USA!” echoed around the course.

The locals, so the story went, were going to fry the Euros. Golf etiquette would be challenged. Samuel Ryder would be executing triple salchows in his grave. As it was, arrests on this course, by the end of Saturday, numbered zero; only one person had been ejected from the course and that was a photographer who committed the cardinal sin of clicking his shutter when Phil Mickelson was on his backswing.

Paul Mahoney contemplates the role of the crowd and says they were key to the U.S. victory:

They'll never get credit in the history books, but it was Paul Azinger's 13th Man, all 40,000 of them, who won the 37th Ryder Cup for the United States. Captain America's two-year plan to fire up his players and the Kentucky crowd worked.

THE STATE OF THE CUP

No matter how you feel about the outcome, any fan of the Ryder Cup has to be relieved that the American team assured that it will remain the premier spectacle in the sport every two years.

Lawrence Donegan focuses this story on that angle:

There are better, more historic and more picturesque holes in the world than Valhalla's 18th but there are few possessed of such dramatic potential as the 547-yard par-five with the amphitheatre green that has featured so prominently at this year's Ryder Cup.

"I was genuinely worried about the Ryder Cup, in terms of generating interest and excitement," confessed the former European captain Bernard Gallacher. "The American fans were not going to put up with another nine-point defeat and neither was corporate America." Gallacher's sentiments were echoed by the former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart who said: "I've been in the States for the previous three weeks and it was scarcely being mentioned. I was a bit fearful for the tournament when I got to Kentucky."

Suffice to say, neither man is worried any longer.

THE FUTURE OF THE CUP
And finally, it's not too early to look ahead. Peter Dixon on Celtic Manor:

For the record, there are 738 days to go before play gets under way at Celtic Manor, just off the M4 near Newport, Gwent, and while the venue might not sound quite as exotic as Louisville, Kentucky, the excitement generated will certainly be the equal of anything witnessed here over the past week.

Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune on Medinah, 2012 site:

Some mocked Valhalla's layout as artificial and hokey, but it did lend itself to match-play drama with split-fairway holes such as the par-5 seventh. Medinah lacks obvious risk-reward holes, but some can be enhanced by moving tee boxes and pin positions.

Some criticize Medinah's par-4 18th as dull and anti-climactic. But its three par-3s over water — especially the 17th — should lend themselves to first-class drama.

Ugh, Medinah. I never thought I'd write this: at least we have four years to savor the beauty and brilliance that was the last three days at Valhalla.

U.S. Wins Easily!

Golf Digest — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:10:43 -0700

Okay it wasn't that easy. I've gone through 10 Pepto tablets and two bottles of Maalox, but they did manage the largest U.S. margin since 1981. However, anyone who watched knows it was incredibly close. That won't stop the inevitable slaughter of Captain Faldo by the British press. We'll wrap it all up with one more all-purpose, no holds barred clippings post Monday morning.

Until then, congratulations to the Paul Azinger, the U.S. team, Valhalla's golf course maintenance team and all of the people who pulled off an impressive event.

"You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do"

Golf Digest — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:27:00 -0700

After driving in the right rough next to a stone stairway, Sergio Garcia asked for relief using a unique stance. After fussing around a while, opponent Anthony Kim came by to see what kind of gift the official was attempting to hand Garcia, who had his left foot set back to touch the stairs.

"That's a normal stance?" Kim asked.

After hearing the rules officials declaration that it was, Kim declared, "You gotta do what you gotta do."

A few minutes later the official declared the lie unplayable. Garcia hit the green with his third but still lost the hole to Kim's par.

NBC's Roger Maltbie said he didn't think the Sergio stance was "much of a stretch."

You be the judge:

Rosaforte's Report

Golf Digest — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:12:06 -0700

Tim Rosaforte shed some light on the behind-the-scenes affairs last night, reporting that the U.S. team kept things light and brief, with Boo Weekley telling a story about wrestling an orangutan and the wives doing a song and dance skin (yikes!). And by then, because the round took so long, it was past midnight. Just kidding.

Rosaforte also reported that Ian Poulter and Anthony Kim won't be exchanging Christmas cards after Kim accidentally bumped into Poulter yesterday during an on-course celebration, to which the blonde wonder apparently did not react well to.

Finally, he reported that Paul Azinger's frequent cart guest is Ron Braund, a friend and consultant who is author of the Carolyn Bivens biography the worst titled book ever: Understanding How Others Misunderstand You.

Sunday Ryder Cup Clippings

Golf Digest — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:07:00 -0700

After a breathtaking reminder of what an amazing sport golf can be when egos are set aside and courses prepared to let the players demonstrate their skill, I expected more glowing reviews.

Then again, when the last three matches take 5:45 each and finish in the dark on a day that started at 8 a.m., I suppose you can't blame the press and in particular the game story writers, for general bitchiness.

Still, there's plenty of spirited coverage to savor, starting with the overviews of Saturday at Valhalla.

IT WAS A DAY UNLIKE ANY OTHER
Just kidding, no one dipped into that well.

I loved the lede by Bill Elliott in The Guardian:

Fractions, it was about fractions, little movements this way and that, the spin of a ball, the swerve of a putt. It will be again today in the singles as once again the Ryder Cup delivers what it promises: drama, excitement, men pushing themselves to their limits of ability and nerve. Triumph and disaster on offer in a Kentucky field.

Doug Ferguson in the story most of the country will read now that newspapers don't have golf writers:

Birdie putts fell one on top of the other, almost too quickly to keep up. Fists pumps charged up the crowd, often accompanied by players screaming above the din to celebrate.Eight matches, 138 holes, 86 birdies, all crammed into 10 hours Saturday at the Ryder Cup.

When a gripping day at Valhalla ended, with both teams huddled on the grassy banks surrounding the 18th green to watch yet another match go the distance, the Americans clung to a 9-7 lead, ahead going into the last round for the first time since 1995.

David Walsh in The Times:

It was one of the great days of golf, a long and enthralling series of matches in the 37th Ryder Cup that matched anything we have seen in this great competition and left us savouring the prospect of today’s 12 singles.

Steve Elling at CBSSports.com:

For those out there who believed the Ryder Cup had lost some of its raw emotion, it's hyperventilating and heavy breathing, it's almost incomprehensible appeal, consider this telling anecdote.

After rising European star Ian Poulter made a knee-knocking 30-inch putt on the last hole to secure a crucial point in the gloaming on Saturday, he walked over to the team's assistant captain, who was feeling a bit transported by the moment.

Then again, who wasn't?

Jose Maria Olazabal, the team's assistant captain, turned to the deliriously happy Poulter and cracked, "I'd kiss you on the mouth, but television is watching."

Given the dramatics of the moment, we're only 90 percent sure he was kidding. Mind you, the levels of tension were so high, Ollie's European team isn't even winning.

In one of the truly memorable days in Ryder history, the U.S. team somehow hung on to a 9-7 lead heading into Sunday's singles matches, which at the rate ulcers are being formed, could clean the Louisville shelves of Pepto-Bismol and Maalox.

In case you missed it and need a quick overview, Eric Soderstrom compiles the rave reviews on Saturday's epic day, which apparently topped Friday's thriller in most minds.

Brian Hewitt offers an array of notes, thoughts and predictions. A sampling:

# I’ve never seen so few short putts missed in a Ryder Cup.

# There was a rumor floating around that George “41” Bush gave Boo Weekley a man-hug Saturday afternoon. Great country, isn’t it?

# The best description of Ryder Cup play I have heard all week came from broadcaster Renton Laidlaw, a Scotsman, in his usual economy of words. “It’s gladiatorial,” he said.

All of the day's results at the official site are here.

CAPTAIN FALDO IS A BLOODY FOOL

Before we get to the British press reviews, check out this interview room exchange after play today.

Q. Going back to Westwood and Garcia, I wonder why you chose not to even mention Garcia and Westwood when you were in here last night.
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: Because the draw wasn't out.

Q. But you had made the picks.
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: Yeah, I had done mine but Zinger hasn't put his in.

Q. But you had made your choices not to play them. I'm just curious why.
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: So I come in here and announce who I'm not playing?

Q. Couldn't you have diffused the situation?
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: You're kidding. If I announced who I'm not playing, is that what you're saying you'd like me to do?

Q. Yeah.
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: And they hadn't but the their team in.

Q. I thought they had put their team in.
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: No. Because it comes out instantly. As soon as the two teams are together -- at that time last night, the teams had not been put together. So I can't go, "Oh, I'm not playing these four guys, oops." Agreed? Or have I got it all wrong?

Q. I wasn't sure what the timing was.
CAPTAIN NICK FALDO: Plus I'm not going to say I've got guys who are tired or injured. That's my opinion anyway.

I'd say relations are a wee bit strained, no?

These won't help. Tom English writes:

On and on it went through the week, these uncomfortable press conferences, these little quips he makes that he seems to find funny but nobody else does, like when he spoke of his sandwich list, the tuna, the chicken, the cheese, the lettuce and finished by saying "lettuce us begin", meaning he wanted a new question. Nobody laughed. Nobody even smiled from what I could tell. Then Faldo made a gesture that told us that his joke was so subtle and so clever that it had gone right over our heads. Silly us. How could we be so dull? "Lettuce us begin." Come on guys. Laugh.

This kind of awkwardness was definitely familiar.

Douglas Lowe in the Herald:

There are two aspects to the captaincy, although ultimately only one matters. There are the away-from-competition duties, at which Faldo has predictably proved to be abysmal. Then there is the much more important matter of tactics and astuteness; Faldo's captaincy will be judged on the outcome of the Ryder Cup tonight.

Will Buckley writing for The Guardian, also taking on the sense of humor issue and then...

Every bit of the above, scarcely credibly, was delivered in between speeches of deadening inevitability from PGA blazers relentless remarking upon the numbers of professional golfers they have in their organisation. It was as if a Rotary lunch had been overtaken by a society wedding, with Faldo making all the speeches.

There are three core facts about Faldo. He is an only child. He had his first argument aged 25. And, at his first wedding, his best man was his agent. All of which, if it is what is required to be a champion, is fair enough. And all of which needs to be taken on board when trying to understand him.

Mark Reason in the Telegraph reviews Faldo's work and has the Garcia/Westwood benching still on his mind even though things worked out.

Sheer folly. It was the act of a man who wanted to do something so outrageous that when it came off everyone would have to applaud his genius. It was the act of a raging egomaniac. It was also a stunt that former Walker Cup captain Peter McEvoy predicted in this newspaper five days before it took place.

McEvoy wrote: "I fear Faldo may try to be too smart and go with instinctive pairings from out of left field. I fear his pairings might be about showing how clever Faldo is, rather than about just doing the right thing." All week Faldo's ego has been in danger of crushing his team. The plan of going to the first tee to discuss the opening tee shot was a good one, but of course Faldo had to put his hand up like a little boy and crow: "It was my idea to go down."

CAPTAIN FALDO IS BRILLIANT!

Paul Mahoney took a shot at himself, offering this lede with a link to his earlier story questioning Faldo's sanity.

Nick Faldo is not nuts after all. He's a genius. Shame on everyone who doubted Europe's Special One. Of course it was the work of a master tactician to bench Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood on Saturday morning. They weren't dropped; they were resting. It's obvious now.

Mark Reason pens another feisty piece where he doesn't exactly compliment Faldo, but at least he's not picking on his sense of humor:

Faldo’s ludicrous decision to leave out Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood from the Saturday morning foursomes was rescued by the hideous play of America’s No 1 pairing and by the heroism of a 28-year-old from Mansfield. Oliver Wilson is both the youngest member of Europe’s team and one of the stuffiest.

James Lawton, who has been the most patient with Faldo, sums things up beautifully:

Faldo, a figure of ridicule up until a late-rising sun burned away the haze and Oliver Wilson and Ian Poulter made the point that maybe Europe's greatest ever golfer still knew a little about the game, wore his relief like a second sunrise.

He said: "They had their day yesterday and now here we are, full of life and fight... golf's amazing, isn't it?"

It is almost as extraordinary as the vagaries of life that can turn a hero into a fool, and then, just maybe, turn him back again.

IAN POULTER, WE ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE A GREAT CAPTAIN'S PICK

There weren't too many filings in the British press about today's Euro hero Poulter. Perhaps they're waiting until next week. In the meantime, Ryan Herrington declares that Poulter belongs. Alistair Tait asks "Who needs Colin Montgomerie?"

Andy Farrell offers this perfect assessment:

Two days into the 37th Ryder Cup and Ian Poulter has gone from a controversial wild card selection to Europe's main man. Of course, he always was Nick Faldo's main man but the captain's judgement had been questioned when a player of the stature of Darren Clarke had to be left at home.

PHIL, WE LOVE TO PICK ON YOU

Jaime Diaz wonders if Phil's reign as the world's No. 2 is about to end.

John Huggan tries to figure out why it took Anthony Kim to breath some life into Phil, but still thinks he hasn't met his ideal Ryder Cup partner.

Paul Newberry focuses on Phil's missed birdie putt on 17 in the afternoon, hardly a shock considering most were struggling with that hole location.

CROWD CONTROL

Lawrence Donegan on the crowds, Azinger and Boo, though this doesn't quite match my recollection of recent matches in Europe!

The Englishman's contempt was not reserved for Weekley alone. Azinger's remarks to the effect that the home supporters should cheer when the visiting players miss putts, had not gone unnoticed in the European team-room. Nor did his playground-esque, and entirely inaccurate, justification; they do it, so we can do it too.

'There's always a respectful silence in Europe between the putt missing and the hole being won - he [Azinger] must be confused. It's unsportsmanlike if you ask me,' Westwood said. 'We're big enough and strong enough to handle that and ignore it. I've heard some nasty things out there from their supporters but you just shake them off. You just look at the person and imagine something disgusting coming out of their head and that does the trick.

Mike Adamson in The Guardian shares this note:

There are some in the press tent, angered by shuttle bus delays, who argue that the Welsh would have been better off visiting Beijing if they wanted to know how to put on a sporting spectacular. Here's the view of one British journalist who covered the Olympics and the Ryder Cup was: 'You can tell which is the developing nation and which is the deteriorating one.'

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

James Corrigan on the new American stars' ability to provide Europe with motivation:

if Nick Faldo really wants to give his men any added incentive then he should merely refer them to the antics of Boo Weekley. The unashamed redneck was warned for inciting the crowd and instructed to calm down after seven holes of his and JB Holmes's afternoon fourballs match against Lee Westwood and Soren Hansen.

Officials told Paul Azinger that Weekley's behaviour was over the top as he beckoned the raucous galleries to increase the volume and the American captain relayed the message to the player on the seventh tee. From then on Weekley's reaction was more muted as he and the big-hitting Holmes closed out a 2 and 1 victory. But the damage had been done.

Paul Azinger with a decidely different take on the Ryder Cup rookie:

CAPTAIN PAUL AZINGER: I told the PGA of America that he would be maybe the greatest character to ever come from America to play on a Ryder Cup team to represent this country, and so far it seems to be the case. I mean, some of the things that he says are just you can't script it. He's really impressive. Plus, he hits it so well.

He's just a terrific player, a terrific man, and we've all really fallen in love with him this week. He's been great to have around.

John Hawkins on Boo's antics...

Weekley's arm-waving histrionics, however, are neither distractive nor antagonistic. Passion rules, baby. We've gotten blown out of the last two Ryder Cups, looking lethargic both times. I don't need a choreographed end-zone dance every time the Yanks win a hole, but the natural displays of happiness that come from one's accomplishments should not be condemned or even questioned.

You want robots? Tune in to next week's Tour Championship.

And finally, Jim Moriarty supplies Boo's daily diary of thoughts. So kind generous of Jim.

SINGLES

Now that we have Saturday out of the way, let's get to Sunday singles. The match listings with player records and other information are here at the official Ryder Cup site.

Here are the individual player points breakdowns to this point.

The Golfweek gang breaks down the singles pairings, while Ryan Herrington does the same for GolfDigest.com.

Steve Elling files a narrative on the pairings and says:

The back end seems to favor the Europeans, who need to amass seven of the 12 available points in order to retain the cup.European captain Nick Faldo said he spent 20 minutes setting the lineup with his team Saturday night and that Harrington, who hasn't won a match all week and is 0-1-1, wanted the anchor position. He will be preceded by Lee Westwood, whose 12-match unbeaten streak ended Saturday with a 2 and 1 loss in the alternate-shot session.

Jim Litke feels that...

the Europeans' last-day lineup is vintage Faldo, cautious and with an eye out for every contingency. Plus, because the Euros have the cup, they would retain it if the matches finish 14-14, which means they need only seven points.

He, too, opted for toughness out of the gate, slotting Garcia in the No. 1 spot. But the players from No. 2 through No. 9 are almost interchangeable parts. If it's still up for grabs at that point, bet on Europe.

Tom English breaks down each match and keeps score as he makes his selections. He has things ending in a tie after a closing rush by the Europeans. How neat and tidy! Same deal for Gary Van Sickle at Golf.com who has the Americans winning 15-13.

Jason Sobel at ESPN.com breaks 'em down too and offers match score predictions.

TIGER'S WATCHING!

Like he has something better to do. From Azinger's interview:

Q. Did the greatest player in the world text you today, and what was the message?

CAPTAIN PAUL AZINGER: He texted me ten times yesterday, at least. He likes to heckle (laughter). He does. I kind of told him he needed to step up his heckling skills a little bit, and he brought it today. I didn't know he could take it to such a high level, so I give him credit. He's been great.

COBALT?

Oh those uniforms. Marty Hackel gives the nod to Europe Saturday:

I call it a huge edge for the Europeans on Saturday. The U.S. uniforms are very somber, very conservative, very safe--no life, no pep, no zip. The trousers once again look like they really fit well, but unfortunately the color makes the uniform pretty bland. In short, it's the kind of outfit that looks great on the Champions Tour.

The Europeans once again look modern and hip. The turquoise of the shirts against the green grass is effective, especially with the light-color trousers. The shirts had the same basic design as Friday's, and the self-collar (same fabric for the collar as the body of the shirt) is modern and smart. And see how great the white shoes are?

Woody Hochswender plays it safe and compliments the Americans for looking safe and even likes the Euro's homage to the Miami Dolphins. Or was it an homage to Earl Anthony, circa 1975?

Simon Hart notes this:

Faldo was closely involved in the design of the players’ clothing and the consensus was that he had lost the plot with yesterday’s garish number – officially described as 'cobalt and off-white’. Glenmuir, the official clothing supplier to the European team, say Faldo requested a 'sport technical’ look. It sounds ominously similar to the 'sport casual’ clothing of spoof broadcaster Alan Partridge.

SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO

And finally, because you can't make this stuff up, Mike Adamson on the Wales 2010 contingent:

The 14-strong contingent from Wales here in Valhalla claim they want to bring some of 'the unique Welsh flavour' to the Ryder Cup when it is staged at Celtic Manor in 2010. Their plans include an opening ceremony extravaganza at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium rather than the traditional low-key ceremony normally presented at the course.

'That's the sort of thing we are looking at,' Roger Pride, director of marketing for the Welsh Assembly Government, told The Observer. 'We want to take advantage of all the assets Wales has to offer. There is some way to go before that is certain - there are many discussions on the agenda. We've been impressed by how the Louisville people have embraced the event. We hope to represent Wales and the Welsh brand at the opening ceremony and other major Ryder Cup events during the week. It's important to give a true sense of the place and the unique Welsh flavour.'

The Welsh brand. At the opening ceremony. Oh I can't wait! But first, we have an epic Sunday to watch.

13th Tees Not Moved Up; Would It Have Mattered?

Golf Digest — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:41:31 -0700

As the first group arrived at the 348-yard 13th, NBC's Mark Rolfing barked out that he was disappointed the tees weren't moved up to the 260-yard tee. Gary Koch concurred, "You would have thought the afteroon fourball would have been the ideal time."

I don't think many of the players would have gone for it. The risk was too great.

Then again, as noted here earlier, the smart play was never used on the risk-reward par-5 7th and if just one player had taken a shot, it might have made for a magical moment. But now we probably will never know.

It'd be nice if the writers would ask Azinger if he shot down the idea, or if Kerry Haigh of the PGA made the call to stick with the back tee.

Pace of Play Disaster Watch

Golf Digest — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:58:26 -0700

Paul Azinger knew J.B. Holmes would hold up the proceedings but it's still hard to fathom that...

(A) It would take the Holmes-Weekley-Westwood-Hansen group 2 hours and eleven minutes to play 7 holes.

(B) They would be put on the clock before making the turn.

(C) They would hold up the entire course. The last group was hitting their shots into No. 5 as the group was on 7 green. That means all four groups were in a three hole area. No wonder there are about 35,000 people around the 7th green!

Players Pick? Not At The 7th

Golf Digest — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:49:04 -0700

Much was made by Johnny Miller in the morning foursomes session about the 7th hole, and the inexplicable strategic choice by the Americans to play down the more dangerous left side. As they approach the hole dubbed "Players Pick" in the afternoon four-ball, look for the right fairway to continue to be divot free even as the Europeans are 7-2-3 on that hole through the first three sessions.

The hole plays 50 yards longer if you go right but offers an incredibly easy third shot for those laying up, yet no one takes the right fairway, making it possible to argue that the strategic options created by Jack Nicklaus are not working.

I would take the opposite and totally unsupportable view that the strategy is perfect.

The players are simply not very shrewd.

You Have To Love Azinger's Honesty

Golf Digest — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:27:17 -0700

Asked by Jimmy Roberts about his pairings, Captain Azinger admitted that he put J.B. Holmes and Boo Weekley out first to fire up the crowd that he sensed wasn't as vocal as yesterday. Roberts asked if it was not an ideal situation because of the tension between Boo and Westwood. Azinger did concede he wasn't happy about the matchup because Holmes and Boo are slow and likely to "slow the whole process down."

Saturday Afternoon Pairings

Golf Digest — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:25:15 -0700

Boo and Lee reunited, Padraig and Justin benched and Stricker/Curtis given another chance.