Ryder Cup - The Forgotten Men

Just browsing through Ryder Cup history there and looking at the 12 man teams from when I began to watch golf (1987 onwards), there are some players in both sides who I knew little of or who featured and then faded into obscurity. Just wondering if anyone can fill in a bit of a "where are they now" or "what happened to them".

And also, who do they think may be the one person from either side who will play in this year's event but be the forgotten member in years to come.

1987
Europe - Jose Rivero
USA - Dan Pohl

1989
Europe - José Maria Cañizares
USA - Ken Green, Mark McCumber

1991
Europe - Stephen Richardson
USA - Wayne Levi

1993
Europe - Peter Baker
USA - Jim Gallagher Jnr

1995
Europe - Philip Walton
USA - Peter Jacobsen

1997
Europe - Ignacio Garrido
USA -

1999
Europe - Jarmo Sandelin (Also surprised to see Andrew Coltart was a Captain's Pick)
USA - Hal Sutton

2002
Europe - Pierre Fulke
USA -

2004
Europe -
USA - Chris Riley

In the more recent events, there aren't any golfers who have played then aren't around anymore although some may say Padraig is heading that way.....

Hal Sutton played in the 2002 Ryder Cup as well, and captained the 2004 US team, so I'm not sure its accurate to say he faded into obscurity after 1999.

Ignacio Garrido is currently tied 76th (on level par) in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

EmmDee,
To tick some American boxes:

Dan Pohl - has strangely not pursued a Champions Tour career; recently read an article saying what a miserable pro-am partner he was. Perhaps keeping his misery to himself these days but, in his mid-80's prime, was the Tour's longest hitter.

Ken Green - Magician with the fairway wood; at one time the most fined player on Tour. Has been bankrupt and a tragic motor accident three years ago deprived him of a lower leg and some loved ones; plays one or two Champions Tour events a year.

McCumber - Miserable sod, accused of cheating by Norman and has largely disappeared, playing very seldom on the Champo's Tour where he might have been expected to thrive. Successful golfcourse architect.

Wayno - PGA Tour POTY in 1990, unfortunately his one RC was in 1991 when he'd lost his form. Inadvertently caused the PGA to revise their RC qualifying criteria. Enjoyed successful Champo career and tees it up in Florida Friday. Heart by-pass a couple of years ago.

Gallagher - Lost form and drifted around the periphery of the PGA Tour until turning 50. Could have a decent Champo career and is playing this wek.

Jacobsen - Very successful businessman, is big into promoting and managing Golf events. Gifted Gilford and Seve a crucial hole in the 95 RC, suffered a multitude of injuries but has had some good Champo Tour results. Playing this week. Utterly useless commentator for NBC TV.

Sutton - Serial marryer and divorcer, (Halimony). Perhaps the worst RC Captain in living memory. Plying the Champo Tour with limited success. Very large, like his ego.

Riley - Career went down the tubes after Sutton threw him under the bus in Detroit. Brilliant short game, plays very quickly (too quickly?), a non-exempt player on the margins of the PGA Tour - in this week's Pebble Beach field.

i can help out on the Jarmo Sandelin front. He currently is playing on the Asian tour in effort to rediscover his form, saw an interview with him about 2 weeks ago on the Asian Tour golf show, said he was hoping to use Asia as a springboard back to the European tour.

The one that stands out for me, cos a) he gets a lot of stick on here and b) I've always quite liked him, is Ben Curtis. It's only 3 and a half years since he made the RC team, on merit and independently of his major win, and was ranked in the top 30 in the world. Lost form completely since then, but the way some describe him you'd think he last cashed a decent cheque in 1985.

Actually, I'd disagree generally with the assertion that recent tournaments haven't had any forgotten men yet. In '08, the US had Curtis and Weekley who have since lost their tour cards, and Perry who's drifted on to the Champo Tour; Europe had Wilson who's lost his card, Soren Hansen who almost did, and Stenson who is only still talked about because his decline has been so spectacular. In '06, of the US side Wetterich no longer has a card, Vaughn Taylor has retrieved his via Q-school, DiMarco has been scrambling to keep on tour and J.J. Henry has become a stereotypical journeyman. Europe's aren't as obvious, but Olazabal, Howell and Montgomerie haven't done much since.

Cheers Kwini. Strange that there seemed to be one player who performed so well to make the sides but then never maintained or returned to that form. Perhaps less likely to happen nowadays with the selection policies of both sides.

Sad to hear about Ken Green's accident. Fair play to him still playing on despite missing part of a limb.

Hi Ned, I think the reason I didn't mention the players of recent times who have lost their way a bit, is because I was aware of their plights and I can still see their names appear in low key PGA events or at the bottom of leaderboard (eg Stenson).

I sort of remember Stephen Richardson but what happened to him? Seems he burst on the scene then completely bombed after his 1991 appearance.

Ned

EmmDee,
As Ned say, the very recent past shows us that golfers will always suffer peaks and troughs of form.

Just looking at the Celtic Manor crew, Eddie Molinari, Fisher, Harrington, Overton, Cink have all dropped to 80th or worse in the owgr rankings, while Anthony Kim (from Valhalla) is another to have disappeared, even if temporarily. Fickle.

I also think most of us are aware that players can easily disappear for 2-3 years and then come back strong. That's why we should't write the "recent" RC'ers off just yet. Just look at Westwood, Clarke, Bjorn and Toms to mention some of the bigger names.

dont forget Jean VDV!

Ben Curtis must be reading V2.

Hi EmmDee

Wouldn't say that I know Steve really well but he grew up at the same club as me (Lee-on-the-Solent) and I still see him fairly regularly on a Sunday as he plays with the same guys each week (including his dad John who once led the Open) and is in the bar the same time we are.
As far as I know he just plays southern area pro-am stuff these days but I think that he is exempt in some form for the Seniors tour in a few years time because of his Tour wins and might give that a try (though don't quote me).
Certainly wish him well if he does as he's a decent guy.

Never liked Corey Pavin since '91 !

kwinigolfer wrote:

Anthony Kim (from Valhalla) is another to have disappeared, even if temporarily. Fickle.

Didn't Kim spend most of 2010 out injured? He still managed to finish 5th at The Open last year. Looks to be having a poor start this year missing 3 out of 3 cuts. Hopefully he regains some form as I really like his game.

Andrew Coltart the wild card back 1999 never got to play in the doubles . I thought this was the strangest wid card I have ever saw.

Why pick some one and not play him till Sunday???

Caf
He went horrendously off form between being picked and playing.
His captain [Bernard Gallacher?] had little choice.

Doon the Water wrote:Caf
He went horrendously off form between being picked and playing.
His captain [Bernard Gallacher?] had little choice.

He was one of the team rookies that Mark James chose not to play until the singles. Jarno Sandelin was another one, not sure if there were others. Not surprising that they both lost but Coltart was also cheated by the crowd. On one hole he missed the fairway to the right and was looking for the ball. The crowd told him it was in an area 30 yards away from where it really was. Obviously didn't find it and he had to re-tee meaning another lost hole.

VdV.

Coltart played Woods and, all things considered (such as the nonsense Grumpy describes) didn't do at all badly.
Also the Ryder Cup where Johnny Miller was inciting the crowd via on-course Watchmans.

Played in a pro am with Steve Richardson. Really nice bloke and some very impressive golf. I think along with Paul Way and a few others can still make some cash on the back of Ryder Cup and Euro Tour background, and frankly good luck to him/them.
Have played with many ams keener to tell you how good they are/were than Steve Richardson!

After losing his brother and his long time girl friend in the accident that cost him his leg, Ken Green then lost his 21 year old son to a drugs overdose the following year. He also became the first amputee to play on the Champions Tour in May 2010.