"Probably on paper the worst Ryder Cup team we've ever fielded"

Nobody can claim that Johnny Miller hasn't done his part to motivate the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Chadd Cripe writes in the Idaho Statesman:

NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller was in Boise on Monday and he ripped the U.S. team that will try to win back the Ryder Cup from Europe next week in Ireland.

"This is probably on paper the worst Ryder Cup team we've ever fielded," Miller said during the press conference for the Kraft/Nabisco Shoot-Out at Hillcrest Country Club.

Miller also expressed reservations about captain Tom Lehman, who will decide how to use his 12 players. He will create four two-man teams for each of the first four rounds.

Miller says it's imperative that Lehman pair Tiger Woods with Jim Furyk, and Phil Mickelson with Chris DiMarco, because those pairings have worked in the past.

That could leave the team's inexperienced players, including four Ryder Cup rookies, paired together.

"I believe if he divides those up we're going to get creamed," Miller said of the Woods-Furyk and Mickelson-DiMarco teams. "I'm really concerned that Lehman uses the theory that we've got to use a good player with a not-so-experienced player."

Our Rookies...

John Hawkins sounds like he's trying to talk himself into being excited about the back end of the American team.

Huggan On Woosie/Bjorn Spat

John Huggan digs a little deeper and exposes the European Tour's hypocrisy in fining Thomas Bjorn:

Things are never that straightforward, however. Not when European Tour officials are guilty of blatant hypocrisy in their dealings with a man who deserved better treatment than he got from a captain who already looks to be out of his diminutive depth.

Ferguson On Sutton

AP's Doug Ferguson catches up with Hal Sutton, who has pretty much disappeared since Captaining the Ryder Cup team in 2002 2004.

Noting that "for all he has done in golf - a career that began by beating Jack Nicklaus at the PGA in 1983 and culminated with a victory over Woods at The Players Championship in 2000," it seems Sutton is sadly going to be remembered for the Ryder Cup loss. Sutton, thankfully has moved on with a children's hospital project and new golf course project.

When he isn't at the hospital, Sutton can be found at Boot Ranch, the opulent golf club he is building in the Hill Country of Texas, a rugged piece of nature about 60 miles north of San Antonio and 60 miles west of Austin.

Sutton has spared no expense. The name plates on the lockers are made of sterling silver. The benches are covered with hides of ostrich, alligator and longhorn. Each member - former President Bush among them - gets customized boots to be worn on property, much like members in their green jackets at Augusta National.

Gulp. Anyway...on the Ryder Cup:

"I'll look back on it as a positive experience," he said. "I think it's the greatest marketing event in the world. It's a big to-do. And if somebody thinks you did something wrong, well, that's why it's a big to-do. If somebody badmouths something I did, if in some people's minute opinion they think putting Tiger and Phil together was a mistake ..."

His voice grew loud, thick, determined, just as it was that Thursday before the matches when he announced Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson would be partners for the first time.

They lost both matches, setting the tone for a European rout.

"Here's the truth," Sutton continued. "Do you think they were going to get through their whole career on the same team and somebody wasn't going to put them together? You think the world wanted to see it? Absolutely! I wanted to see it. You wanted to see it. You had your opinion whether it would work, whether I was right or I was not. And it's easy to talk about now."

"There's a feeling I disappeared because I was embarrassed by what happened?" Sutton asked.

"Embarrassment has never driven me off. You're not trying if you haven't failed. I'm not afraid to fail, and I don't consider that a failure. I didn't hit a single drive or a hit a single putt all week. At the end of the day, failure is about whether the ball goes in the hole when it comes to golf."

Micelli On Lehman's Selection Process

Thanks to reader George for this compelling story by Alex Micelli dissecting Tom Lehman's Captain's pick process and the awkward situation involving assistant captain Corey Pavin. Somehow it's hard to envision Woosie giving his picks this much thought!

Bjorn Apologizes, It Was The Disease Talking

Ah, had to apologize so soon! Bjorn couldn't even wait a few days so we could enjoy the bickering. Disappointing.

Lawrence Donegan has the details:

The small band of critics who believe Ian Woosnam is not up to the job of captaining Europe's Ryder Cup team lost their outspoken leader yesterday when Thomas Bjorn, who on Sunday described the Welshman as "pathetic" and "barmy", issued a grovelling public apology. It cut little ice with the European Tour, who fined the Dane a five-figure sum for his "unacceptable" outburst.

"Having had a day to reflect on my comments, I realise I have made a mistake and, as such, have unreservedly apologised to Ian for my comments, which were made in the heat of the moment following the disappointment of not making it on to the European team," said Bjorn.

Bjorn, who has played in two Ryder Cups and was a vice-captain to Bernhard Langer at the 2004 event in Detroit, has a reputation for being one of the more combustible members on the European Tour. "I am a passionate guy who believes that the Ryder Cup is one of the world's greatest sporting events and I was desperately disappointed not to make it into the team," he said yesterday. "I realise that it is 100% the captain's choice and in Lee and Darren I believe he has picked two great players.

"All I want now is for all the media, players and fans to get behind the team for the matches in Ireland and for my comments to be forgotten." He should be so lucky. Woosnam is a proud man and he is unlikely to forgive easily, if at all.

Captain Woesnam

Poor Woosy, he's been practicing his Opening Ceremony speech since February and all he gets is a bunch of criticism and backstabbing in return!

John Hopkins reports on the lashing Woosie received from Thomas Bjorn, who insists it's not sour grapes, but instead, fury at Woosnam's lousy organizational skills.

“So far his captaincy has been the most pathetic I have ever seen,” Björn said. “I haven’t spoken to him for six months and now I find that I’m not in the team watching television. How can that be right? He has put a lot of players through misery because he just hasn’t done the right thing.

“I have nothing against Lee Westwood. But if you can find one category in which he has beaten me then I would like to see it. I have played better than him in the qualifying phase — and then Woosnam bases his decision on results which are more than five years old. I don’t understand the way he is handling the whole situation. It doesn’t look like he is burdened by leadership qualities.

“He came into the bar at the hotel and gave me 20 seconds about Lee having won twice at the K Club. In a bar — that kind of sums it up. He can’t walk up to me, tell me in 20 seconds and expect me to be happy. I’m very disappointed. I think he’s been very poor in the way he’s handled the players.”

Woosnam cited Westwood’s two victories at the K Club as being among the factors that influenced him, leaving unsaid that Björn ran up an 11 on the 17th in the final round of last year’s Smurfit European Open when he had begun the day four strokes clear of the field.

“If that’s what it’s come down to then why didn’t he tell me I don’t think you’ve got the bottle to stand on the 17th tee?” Björn asked. “Yes, Lee’s won twice there. But Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros won at Augusta and I don’t think they’d be picked if this Ryder Cup was being played there.

“Woosie played with me when I finished second at the K Club (in 2001) by finishing three-four-three (an eagle and two birdies). So I’ve had good experiences there, too. But if it’s come down to one bad one then why didn’t he tell me?”

Meanwhile, Woosnam is not happy that former Euro Captain Bernhard Langer has advised current U.S. Captain Tom Lehman. But it's Langer who is surprised that he hasn't been consulted by Woosnam! Gosh I love how these big men are getting in touch with their pre-school days!

"I can't understand why he has not asked me for advice or suggestions," Langer said in Munich. "Everyone is different and has their own tactics but the only thing I know about him (Woosnam) is that earlier in his career he had a wonderful swing."

Ooooohhhh, don't just love how the Ryder Cup brings out the sportsmanship and class?

Woosnam revealed he has sought the advice of two other past Ryder Cup captains, while Langar has been offering advice to friend and US team captain Tom Lehman.

The German claimed he held "a little bit" back in their chat but that still seems to have riled Woosnam.

"It seems strange to me that Tom Lehman asked to speak to Bernhard Langer," the Welshman said.

Hmmm...I wonder what it is that Langer and Lehman have in common?

Huggan On Picks, Vol. 2

He explains in a Golfobserver.com column why Carl Pettersson didn't get a closer look:

Had the US-based Swede been allowed to join the European Tour at the start of the qualifying period (Pettersson claims he wanted to but was denied by the tour, whose officials insisted he must wait until the beginning of the 2006 season) he would have comfortably made the side without recourse to a wild card. Because of the delay, his PGA Tour victory at the 2005 Chrysler Classic and second place at the State Farm Classic one week later earned the likeable Pettersson nothing in Ryder Cup terms. Then, of course, he won the prestigious Memorial Tournament earlier this year.

It was never to be, however. Even if Pettersson, whose steady game looks ideal for foursomes play, could point to multiple victories on the world's biggest and best circuit during the 12-month qualifying window (and one more than the European Ryder Cup side combined), there was never any real chance of Woosnam burning a pick on someone he couldn't even be bothered to call in the lead up to making his selection. The Welshman has never been one of life's more outward looking individuals and was always going to favour a fellow Brit over a continental European. "Xenophobic" would be too sinister a description for Woosnam's attitude towards those not brought up in the British Isles, but "insular" isn't too far off the mark.

Euro Squad Set

Mike Aitken offers Ian Woosnam's thinking on his Captain's picks and the Euro squad, which PGATOUR.com breaks down here.

Huggan On Euro Squad

John Huggan looks at the possible scenarios heading into Sunday's BMW and the likelihood of Clarke-Westwood Captain's picks.

Tait On Shaky Euro Situation

Alistair Tait looks at the odd European Ryder Cup situation, with Jose Maria Olazabal sitting out and Monty questioning his devotion to the cause. Gosh, don't you just wish you could be in Ian Woosnam's shoes?

"We're here to bond"

A few fun stories were filed on the U.S. Ryder Cup team's appearance at K Club. First, James Corrigan in the Independent:

Woods certainly looked motivated as he braved a downpour of Noah proportions to finish off the 18th, together with Jim Furyk and JJ Henry as Lehman interestingly put them out in three-balls. "It was fun," he said, his smile daring one to think otherwise. But then, Woods had triumphed the previous night in Ohio in a rain-sodden shoot-out over his team-mate Stewart Cink, and golf tends to be rather enjoyable when you have just won four on the bounce. "We're here to bond," he said, singing from the Americans' well- rehearsed hymn sheet.

And the always entertaining Martin Johnson in the Telegraph: 

Woods, though, cleared his diary to join the rest of the US team on a specially chartered jumbo 747 on Sunday night, at estimated cost to the PGA of America of £250,000. It was, as you might expect, slightly less painful than it was for those taking a scheduled flight across the Atlantic.

Not only were the players not required to divest themselves of their shoes and trouser belts, they were all offered a pair of complimentary pyjamas before entering a cabin remodelled to resemble a five-star hotel executive floor.

Woods has been trying to live down his perceived insouciance for an event in which America's declining fortunes have largely been put down - hence Lehman's idea for this visit - to a lack of cameraderie.

In particular, his pairing with Mickelson in the last Ryder Cup produced the kind of chemistry more reminiscent of Dr Jekyll's experiment with test tubes than an irresistible blend of the world's No 1 and No 2 golfers, and Woods himself has only won fives times in 16 outings with a partner.

And...

Listening to a succession of American golfers talking on auto-pilot about how good their team spirit was, and how happy they all were to be here, was certainly illuminating, but only if you'd just had a long audience with the Speaking Clock. Woods himself said that in his experience, every Ryder Cup boiled down to "who makes the most putts, and who wins the 18th hole".

As competition for the most riveting insight into this year's Ryder Cup, it lagged far behind the news that there will be 40,000 square metres of tent, 300 car park attendants, and the allocation of 9600 toilet rolls to supply one hundred 1,100 litre portable lavatories. Maybe more if it's a tight finish.

And Lawrence Donegan in The Guardian...

What began with a card school at the back of a chartered flight across the Atlantic ended last night with a barbecue and a little fishing on the Liffey as the US Ryder Cup team completed day one of the most enthusiastic team-bonding exercise since Baden Powell was in short trousers.

Indeed if singing in unison was all it takes to win the most famous team event in the sport then Ian Woosnam's European squad might as well stay at home for next month's extravaganza at the K Club.

One can only hope this expression of team spirit was genuine because on this evidence the overnight trip seemed a very long way to come for a glorified group hug. The public was banned from the K Club and journalists' access heavily restricted, but as the US team set off in their buggies very little in the way of serious work appeared to be taking place. Woods, for one, admitted he had hardly bothered to hit any putts - "the greens were soft and they won't be like that at the Ryder Cup" - while Mickelson appeared more interested in taking copious notes.

To Walk Or Ride The K Club?

This unbylined wire story covers the U.S. Ryder Cup team playing K Club today and notes that the players all took carts.

What about the caddies? 

Match Play Lite

Scott Michaux profiles Vaughn Taylor, who, try not to cringe, will be playing his first match play event at the Ryder Cup. Same deal with Brett Wetterich.

Reilly: "the single worst squad we've ever taken to a Ryder Cup"

Rick Reilly in this week's Sports Illustrated:

Have you seen the U.S. team? It has all the intimidation power of the Liechtenstein navy. It would have a hard time beating the Winnetka Country Club ladies' B team. It's the single worst squad we've ever taken to a Ryder Cup, and that's saying something, considering the last batch got pummeled 181Ú2-91Ú2.

"We'll definitely be the underdog," Phil Mickelson says. "You lose four of the last five Cups, you're the underdog."

This outfit would be the underdog to a stiff breeze. Or do Brett Wetterich, Zach Johnson, J.J. Henry and Vaughn Taylor make your timbers shiver? It sounds like somebody's Webelos troop. None of those four have ever played in a Ryder Cup before. Three of them missed the cut at last week's PGA, and Henry finished 41st.

Wetterich has missed five cuts in his last eight starts. You look at him and think, Was he my waiter at Olive Garden last night? If he wasn't, he will be soon.

Won't Tiger be psyched to be paired with him?

That's the other thing: Tiger. He's the No. 1 player in the world by a light year, the Golfing Gladiator. Until he goes to Ryder Cups, and then he suddenly becomes Dead Man Walking.

He mopes around like a husband in couples therapy, only he talks to his partner less. It may the only thing he sucks at. His Ryder record is 7-11-2, and no wonder. He wasn't wired for team play. He trusts nobody. Why should he buddy up with people he's been trained to swallow in two bites or less? The hangman doesn't play on the prison softball team. Lions don't room with lambs.

Michael Bamberger says this team resembles a European squad from a few years ago...back when they were huge underdogs. And just in case you don't think you could pick J.J. Henry out of a lineup, SI.com features photos of the team members.