Posted on 09/22/2006 1:02:11 AM PDT by kingattax
The Ryder Cup has begun with the four-ball matches at the K Club in Ireland.
Verplank just hit a hole in one! What are the odds - two in two days. That's the first time I've ever seen a hole in one as it happened - usually, you just see the recording of it.
Verplank just hit a hole in one! What are the odds - two in two days.
Oh yes. VERY sweet!!!!!!!!What a great player on the "perfect" Ryder Cup team. Paul Casey-STUD, Luke-STU(majors are coming soon for both)Paddy too!!!!!
This is the first time in Cup history that the Euros had a higher average world ranking than the U.S. So it isn't like anyone on this great thread wants to U.S. bash--for the most part they were beaten by the better team. When opportunities presented itself the Euros took it and we didn't. End of story.
At the WGC tourney we have here in Akron(Firestone G.C.), I asked Paul McGinley how Darren was doing(they're the best of friends of course). He smiled in appreciation and said he would play in the Ryder Cup(assuming Ian made him a Caps. pick). I let Paul know how many people around here who are golf knowledgeable were pulling for DC and wished him well.
And Verplank with the ace on 14!!!!!
Oh well........
Luke-STU DDDDDDDDD. OOPS!!!!!
I'm glad that you saw it ....... I'm working here, I missed it.
By the way........ I "missed" the ONLY hole in one I made in my 50 year career back in 1982 at Oakmont C.C.. -- late one afternoon.
I was so sauced/drunk/potted/stewed............... that I hit a sweet six iron...... started to watch the flight of the ball...... and tumbled over onto the tee box..... only to have my buddies tell me it went into the hole.
Oh well.
Try again.
;-)
Title of thread:
Dead U.S. Ryder Cup Thread
What an ass-kicking by Europe!
My kinda pro! I don't think I've ever heard of him saying one unkind word....
and I'll bet he can hoist a few suds when the time is right :)
Thanks for your reply - I am used to the commentators when the PGA broadcasts are on - they are British I think and they have a great way of giving credit and fair examples.
NBC was way over the top in negative remarks and I ended up writing NBC sports which will go nowhere of course except to satisfy myself (lol).
All in all - a great Tournament and the American players might want to practice up on some of the specialities of the Ryder - getting used to playing shared holes - it seems the Europeans are far more experienced at it.
The winners were the Europeans of course - but the fans were too!
I'm glad that so many of you have been able to keep in mind the original "good will" inherent in this event and not be angry at the U.S. team's rather humiliating loss to the European side. The Ryder Cup was always meant to be a friendly, exhibition between close friends, originally with just the U.K. and then eventually with all of Europe.
So kudos to the posters here for being, for the most part, so gracious in defeat. I have to confess that I personally cannot maintain that same level of grace in light of the consistently anti-American sentiments that drift over the Ocean from our alleged/former friends in Europe. And some of that hatred even extends to the European team itself. For example, their rising young standout Paul Casey, who was ironically educated for free at Arizona State, has made rather clear statements (despite his tortured explantions that he was misquoted) expressing his hatred of the United States.
So what used to be a very enjoyable event for me has become just another "political" affair where Euro hatred of the U.S. has made me watch this event not as a fan, but as an American who cannot believe what has happened to our trans-atlantic friendships.
Fortunately, people like you are in a minority.
Apparently not in your country.
To dredge up something Casey may or may not have said yonks ago is deliberately misleading.
He is one of the most sporting players in the world and had good words to say about his American rivals, both during this tournament and the World Matchplay which he also won.
That's rather like British people dredging up the way Montgomerie has been treated by loutish American fans over the years. Not helpful.
I'm sorry USA lost. I was hoping to see a closer contest but it was nonetheless one of the best and most entertaining Ryder Cups of recent years.
I wonder what Faldo meant when answering a Johnny Miller comment/quesion by saying he never watches the "Presidents Cup" matches?
Casey DID say he learned to "properly hate the Americans like everyone else"
LOOK IT UP!!! He was essentially driven off the American PGA Tour, where he played miserably, by the heckling he received from Golf fans aware of his nasty comments.
There is surely anti-American sentiment here in the U.S., just as there is pro-American sentiment in the U.K., but I read far too many English newspapers online to ever buy your argument that there is not a SIGNIFICANT portion of the British public who are anti-American...and it's far WORSE in mainland Europe.
Paul Casey's got a big mouth and made some comments to a journalist that no doubt looked differently in print than he would have intended, were subsequently misquoted, and which he apologised for at the time.
He certainly wasn't 'driven off' the PGA Tour - he didn't actually become a member of the PGA Tour until subsequent to that incident. Last year he played 10 PGA Tour events. The US players don't seem to have problem with him. He has a house in the US, an American girlfriend and an American coach.
For the record, he never said ALL Americans were stupid. He DID say..."Americans can be bloody annoying"; "Sometimes they [Americans] infuriate me"; "The vast majority of them simply don't know what's going on. They have no concept of what's going on in the UK, for instance"
All of which are accurate observations.
Anyway, I'm not going to argue it out with you. Your mind is made up. I don't think you are a golf fan, which is why you only jumped on this thread after the tournament had finished.
Perhaps, B.Y.T.S. can add his insight as he knows more about golf than I do.
You could not possibly be more wrong about my not being a Golf fan. I'm not certain what "level" of fan you are, but it's quite likely I have forgotten more about the game than you will ever know...mostly as a player, but also as a fan.
As a fan though, I think you are going to have to get used to Casey's big mouth as I have a feeling he could emerge as one of the guys to really challenge Tiger over the next couple of years. Mind you, I thought that about Luke Donald and he hasn't really delivered.
Canard,
Casey DID join the PGA Tour BEFORE the 2004 Ryder Cup and BEFORE his anti-American comments. He was granted a special exemption in the spring of 2004 based on his anticipated spot on the European Ryder Cup team and his strong finish in the 2004 Masters. Once he played in that Ryder Cup, he was granted full playing privileges. In 2004, he posted Top Tens at the Masters and the T.P.C. and earned over $500,000 in just a few starts. But in 2005, AFTER the comments became public, he had committed to being a FULL-TIME member of the U.S. PGA. But, he ended up forfeiting his full-time status because he played only about 10 tournaments before heading back to Europe...despite his stated intention to play a full U.S. schedule in 2005. He did so because he made just FOUR cuts in the U.S. and had ZERO Top Tens...and was heckled horribly. For example, he shot 85 in the 1st Round of the U.S. Open, withdrew virtually in tears, got on a plane to England and did not return to the U.S. for two months.
Personally, I think you are right about BOTH Casey and Donald. Both of them are superb players with all the shots. Donald has a smaller "upside" than Casey, but he may have the better mental approach. Both are light years better than any of the younger U.S. players.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.