Ryder Cup

[joe bloggs]

Well lads who will come out on top?

I think Europe will sneak it.

Europe has an advantage in away games compared to the yanks when they travel, as most of the Europeans are vastly experienced at playing in the states, while some of the Americans hardly have a stamp on their passports.

I like the way Olazabal has honoured Seve on the bag and I reckon the Europeans will want to win it for him.

[LeoMc]

Well lads who will come out on top?

I think Europe will sneak it.

Europe has an advantage in away games compared to the yanks when they travel, as most of the Europeans are vastly experienced at playing in the states, while some of the Americans hardly have a stamp on their passports.

I like the way Olazabal has honoured Seve on the bag and I reckon the Europeans will want to win it for him.

That would be an advantage if the Ryder cup was in Europe but the Americans are at home and have the crowds backing them.

[deiseach]

Well lads who will come out on top?

I think Europe will sneak it.

Europe has an advantage in away games compared to the yanks when they travel, as most of the Europeans are vastly experienced at playing in the states, while some of the Americans hardly have a stamp on their passports.

I like the way Olazabal has honoured Seve on the bag and I reckon the Europeans will want to win it for him.

That would be an advantage if the Ryder cup was in Europe but the Americans are at home and have the crowds backing them.

I think his point is that home advantage is less of an advantage of the Yanks than to the Europeans because the Europeans are used to playing Stateside. Personally, I'm not so sure. We always hear how Americans are not used to playing in Europe when they're over here, but there's nothing un-American about venues like the Belfry, Valderrama, the K Club and Celtic Manor.

I think Europe will win it. In previous years they've been relying on a lot of team spirit waffle to get them over the finishing line, but for the first time in a generation they look to have the better players in their ranks as well. McIlroy is the best, Donald is close enough and they have some proper snarling matchplay competitors in Garcia, Poulter, Westwood and McDowell. Oh, and the team spirit thing is also there. Never mind 'doing it for Seve', they'll all want to rub America's noses in it.

[Puckoon]

As I posted below on the golf thread - I think we are going to get whupped. Based on current PGA tour form we are in danger of a hiding and I think the only thing that might save us is team spirit, the match play format and the hope that some of our higher ranked players ( the 6 guys in the 20s and upwards) play really really well. This American team is as good a team as they have sent out in a few ryder cups now... I've two different bets on with fellas from work, and I think it's going to be a costly weekend! Not to mention the rankings below were before Snedecker won the fed-ex cup. Those rankings are about a month old.

I would fear for the European team if this was a straight up stroke play 4 day tournament. Granted, I mostly watch the PGA tour, but many of the Europeans are playing week in and week out in it and while they are winning and doing well - almost all of the players in the American side have been on the front page of the leaderboard on any given Sunday.

Match play is a very different animal, and that I hope is where the European hope lies for a win. We've been hammering them in the majors, G-mac and Rory have taken some great scalps over the last two years. Sergio is coming back into form this year and Poulter's Ryder cup record is fantastic.

If Westwood and Donald can do something also, Justin Rose can rediscover some of his early 2012 form and the rest of the duffers just make themselves hard to beat - then we have a chance.


USA
1.   Tiger Woods (3)
2.   Phil Mickelson (22)
3.   Bubba Watson, ( 8  )
4.   Jason Dufner, (7)
5.   Keegan Bradley (12)
6.   Webb Simpson (5)
7.   Zach Johnson  (16)
8.   Matt Kuchar (13)
9.   Dustin Johnson (14)
10.   Jim Furyk (30)
11.   Brandt Snedeker (18)
12.   Steve Stricker (10)
   
Europe
Rory McIlroy (1)
Justin Rose (9)
Graeme McDowell (15)
Paul Lawrie (28)
Francesco Molinari (25)
Luke Donald (2)
Lee Westwood (4)
Sergio Garcia (17)
Peter Hanson (34)
Martin Kaymer (29)
Ian Poulter (26)
Nicolas Colsaerts (36)

I entered the official world rankings of each player there, startlingly high numbers on the European sides, and I think it puts the Stricker/Johnson debate to bed  . Dustin Johnson for his length should be winning more, but his short game has been poor.

[Orior]

Morning foursomes just announced.

Prediction:

USA 3 Europe 1

[laoislad]

Morning foursomes just announced.

Are you gonna tell us or do we have to guess?

[Tony Baloney]

Morning foursomes just announced.

Are you gonna tell us or do we have to guess?

McIlroy & McDowell vs Furyk & Snedeker
Donald & Garcia vs Mickelson & Bradley
Westwood & Molinari vs Dufner & Z Johnson
Poulter & Rose vs Stricker & Woods

[Tony Baloney]

Morning foursomes just announced.

Are you gonna tell us or do we have to guess?

McIlroy & McDowell vs Furyk & Snedeker
Donald & Garcia vs Mickelson & Bradley
Westwood & Molinari vs Dufner & Z Johnson
Poulter & Rose vs Stricker & Woods

Going for (updated):

EU
US
1/2
US

EU:1 1/2
US:2 1/2

[laoislad]

Morning foursomes just announced.

Are you gonna tell us or do we have to guess?

McIlroy & McDowell vs Furyk & Snedeker
Donald & Garcia vs Mickelson & Bradley
Westwood & Molinari vs Dufner & Z Johnson
Poulter & Rose vs Stricker & Woods

Going for:

EU
US
Either way
US

1/2
EU
US
EU

EU 2 1/2
US 1 1/2

[Tony Baloney]

Undecided really on the last pairing. Poulter and Rose could blow hot or cold - Poulter is a good man for the matchplay and is good mates with Rose so may turn out to be a good pairing.

[Puckoon]

I like the look of the first two European pairings. If the crowd gets in Sergio's head again it's all over though!

[AQMP]

McIlroy & McDowell vs Furyk & Snedeker  1/2
Donald & Garcia vs Mickelson & Bradley    EU
Westwood & Molinari vs Dufner & Z Johnson  US
Poulter & Rose vs Stricker & Woods  US

[Premier Emperor]

I predict McIlroy will have a stinker!

[southdown]

What is difference between fourball, fousromes and singles (Im new to the game so excuse my ignorance)?

[oisinog]

What is difference between fourball, fousromes and singles (Im new to the game so excuse my ignorance)?

In Fourball each player plays a ball and the best score wins the hole

In foursomes 1 ball is played per pairing and its stroke about best score wins the hole

singles is straight matchplay best score wins the hole