This And That From 2012 Ryder Cup Saturday
/Doug Ferguson's game story opens by suggesting the European finish Saturday may mask a sizable deficit, but was so thrilling that no one really cares.
Bob Harig suggests the last two matches won by the Europeans Saturday gave us some sliver of hope for a suspenseful Sunday, and also notes that Ian Poulter's 5-birdie finish play only makes his Friday afternoon benching look worse.
Ewan Murray's Guardian game story reminds us the Europeans have only once come back from a Sunday deficit and that was when they trailed by two at Oak Hill in 1995. He also offered this on the crowds.
How a patriotic, noisy crowd have lapped it all up by cranking up the atmosphere with the confirmation of each US point. They are perfectly entitled to do so, even if some of the whooping reaction to poor European shots remains in bad taste.
The Daily Mail's Patrick Collins with the traditional lamenting of the American crowds.
The galleries revelled in it all yet the composition of spectators told a tale of their own. Study the crowds and you might easily conclude that America is populated exclusively by white people, with the solitary exception of Michael Jordan. Yesterday, they gave instinctive applause to the two ex-Presidents Bush as they toured the course in a buggy. George Dubya seemed vaguely alarmed by the rare compliment. The players they follow are cast in the same God-fearing, Romney-voting mould. The overall impression is of the Tea Party at play, and their delight in battering Europeans is unmistakeable.
The Telegraph's Jonathan Liew on Ian Poulter emerging as Mr. Ryder Cup Saturday (though most of us already knew this, which is why his Friday benching should haunt the Captain).
Most of the time, Poulter’s feverish aggression renders him deeply irritating as a person. This is, after all, a man who has a section on his personal website devoted solely to his collection of sports cars. But for one week every two years, he becomes a continent’s hero: the fuel on which Team Europe runs, the conductor of its orchestra, a lightning rod for America’s scorn.
Gene Wojciechowski thinks the 10-6 trailing Europeans have a shot if Keegan Bradley is abducted, Michael Jordan, President Bush, Amy Mickelson and Rev. Jesse Jackson are in the singles lineup and Lee Westwood is made a U.S. citizen.
The bookmakers at William Hill would agree, offering 1/8 on the US to lift the Cup and 9/2 on Europe.
Heading into Sunday, John Huggan says that seen beside Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy "appeared flat, done in and unlikely to be fully prepared -- either mentally or physically -- for yet another Ryder Cup match less than 24 hours later."
And Malcolm Folley with this obituary for Tiger Woods, Ryder Cup central fixture.
In future, Woods will perhaps no longer be considered a central fixture in the US team. He forfeited that long-held conviction over two of his roughest days in the Ryder Cup, when his old nemesis, Phil Mickelson, aided by young sidekick Keegan Bradley, whipped the densely populated galleries into a frenzy.
Even with a less suspenseful finish likely, Dave Kindred says we've already seen why the Ryder Cup is more fun to watch, more fun for (some) to play and more rewarding of those having fun.
It is not silly to say the Ryder Cup creates more pure fun than the Masters, the Opens, and the PGA Championship do combined. Those events are freighted with history, even burdened by history, and they demand payment in pain from any player who would make their history his. Next to those exercises in masochism, the Ryder Cup is a dawn-patrol tee time with your buddies.
Highlights from the Golf Channel's talking heads:
Brandel Chamblee: “If you don’t consider the score. If you just take away the fact that the crowds involvement late in the match, you can’t help but think that the fact that Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson were not out there in the afternoon were a big part of why, I think, Europe was able to stage some miraculous comebacks.”
Nick Faldo: “They now have a real important job of putting out the 12 players. This is a big moment. The European Team has got to be thinking how are we going to win this and where are we going to win this. And they’re going to have to start looking at the back end of the 12 where America is looking at the front end of the 12.”
David Feherty: “I don’t think, in the history of the Ryder Cup, there’s ever been a team that has gone into Sunday four points behind feeling any better than this European Team. They have the momentum. It feels like they’re tied up, six points to 10.”
For fun, here's what Google Translate gave me:
Peter Hanson poked also in Saturday's second round. It made him very disappointed. "It's just as well I did not say anything, because that would not be so beautiful anyway," he says to the Swedish Golf.
The announcement came just before noon, when the morning matches were about to run out.
Then Peter Hanson had long stood and warmed up, to help clean up the figures in afternoon tee time. But among the eight names like Captain José Maria Olazábal had chosen was not the Swede.
Following the publication Hanson sat long and hard in the Europe section of the law, but when all the fire-balls had been knocked out, he finally set out to run a ranking workouts with trainer Richard Lindberg and caddy Mark Sherwood. Though judging by the determined steps and clenched his face, it was probably more about turning off his anger.
Captain Ollie's post round news conference posted by Golf Channel.
Folley says Ollie gave the team quite a tongue lashing Friday night, a contrast to his on-course demeanor.
Jose Maria Olazabal has been a low-profile captain, at times appearing invisible. Yet, behind closed doors after a ragged, unprofitable first day for the stars of the European game, he voiced his displeasure in a speech of controlled anger.
‘We got the hair dryer treatment,’ said Graeme McDowell. And McIlroy, a fervent Manchester United fan, added: ‘It was a roasting, real Sir Alex Ferguson stuff.’
Oliver Brown with this less than flattering assessment of Captain Olazabal.
On only the second day, he could be accused of myriad misjudgments. Why did he drop a buoyant Ian Poulter for first-day fourballs in which Europe were swatted 3-1? Why did he join up Justin Rose, Poulter’s first choice of partner, with a woefully out-of-sorts Martin Kaymer? More damningly, why was he not a more prominent presence on the course? Where Love was ubiquitous, haring between holes and discussing pairings with his son – called, in case you were curious, Davis Love IV – the ever-intense Olazábal preferred to hover backstage, leaving the on-course motivational speeches to his quartet of deputies.
We know that the Spaniard is capable of Churchillian flourishes, given that he famously reduced several members of the European team to tears with an address at Valhalla in 2008. But he ought to have done more to animate a side in danger of heavy defeat. The verdict of Colin Montgomerie, the victorious captain at Celtic Manor two years ago, was withering as he claimed the players were not nearly demonstrative enough in their body language.
“Even when they win a hole, there is no energy or momentum,” the Scot said.
On the American side, Rex Hoggard reports that Davis Love stuck to his committee of advisors for assistance.
The Golfweek team makes their predictions for Sunday's singles.
Jim McCabe's notes include the career achievement for Tiger joining Phil Mickelson as the all time leader in Ryder Cup losses, with 17.
Ed Sherman with birdies and bogies, doesn't seen NBC too happy with what will most likely be a suspense free final day.
Sam Weinman and Alex Myers also file birdies and bogies, awarding NBC a bogey for Saturday's technical difficulties.
John Strege with some of the telecast and Twittersphere highlights.
Michael Bamberger thinks Bubba has changed the game forever with his Happy Gilmore opening tee shot.
Gary Van Sickle is already handing out awards, that's how over this thing is. He gives Medinah a big thumbs-up and based on the other awards, you realize we've already seen more wacky and nifty things in two days this week than we saw all of the "playoffs." Another reminder how much better Ryder Cup golf is than anything we see the rest of the year.
The Observer gives out awards too and they called the U-S-A chants "the Ryder Cup's vuvuzela equivalent." Uh, no.
In the photo department, SI's gallery. The Chicago Tribune's shots. And a Guardian gallery of mostly Getty Images.
Golf Channel's Saturday highlight package.
Sportscenter's highlight package.
The opening Watson v. Donald match goes at 12:03 ET, 11:03 CT, with NBC starting at noon, but will be preceded by Golf Channel pre-game coverage starting at 8 am ET. William Hill's take on the singles matches.
And finally, James Orr explains that the messages in the sky for Europe are tweets selected and commissioned by Paddy Power to get a little publicity for a possible Guinness record: World's Biggest Tweet. Video of one message above Medinah Saturday:
