Ryder Cup: More Reader Reaction

The further we get from this Ryder Cup, the better it looks. I was bothered by the overzealous stoking of the Kentucky crowd by Boo Weekley and captain Azinger, but what lingers is a great competition taken over the by younger generation on both sides, a development that bodes well for the future. Jaime Diaz's piece on Anthony Kim and the other young guns captures that beautifully.

What's more, most of you don't agree that the Americans overdid the cheerleading. (To get a slightly different view, check out the London Times web site. Nice blog throughout the Cup by Justin Rose and great coverage bu John Hopkins and colleagues. Much talk on that site about who should or should not be the next captain of the Euro team).

Here's a typical comment from a New York Golf World reader:

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One can clearly see on TV the "disdainful" look that Lee Westwood gave Boo Weekley . There is nothing wrong with Boo trying to get cheers from the people. If I remember it right, Sergio Garcia has always been "the only child" among 11 gentlemen in the past Ryder Cup matches. However, even he did not show much reaction about Boo the same way Westwood did. Although, since both were not in the Saturday morning matches, I can presume he has the same opinion as Westwood. Only, Sergio is more mature and gentlemanly to make it evident on TV.

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Let us not take away the sportsmanship in the Ryder Cup. Both captains are professional in their actions specially Azinger when asked about their reactions to the omission of the two in the matches. Westwood used to be one of my favorites, but not anymore. Thanks Sergio for keeping it "cool."

Luzviminda G. Veloso

Ridgewood, N.Y.

We got only one letter on the following subject, but it's a subject that came up more than once among writers in Valhalla, and that's the passing over of Larry Nelson for a captaincy.

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Paul Azinger "broke the Ryder curse." Now maybe the PGA will apologize for their major mistake and serious break with PGA tradition for not selecting Larry Nelson (a two-time PGA Champion) as a Ryder Cup captain. When it was "his turn" we were initiating a long losing effort in the Ryder Cup.

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Jeff Thomsen, PGA

Boise, Idaho

Nelson not only won two PGA Championships, he had a stellar Ryder Cup record. In three Matches, he went 9-3-1 and was undefeated in singles (2-0-1). In the 1979 Ryder Cup, he had perfect 5-0 record, winning four team matches with Lanny Wadkins and defeating Seve Ballesteros, who would become a European captain, in singles.

--Bob Carney