Ryder Cup predictions.............

First topic message reminder :

USA 15 - Europe 13

European top points scorer - Rory Mcilroy.............

European Lowest Points scorer - Lee Westwood....

USA Top points scorer - Jim Furyk.............

USA Lowest points scorer - Webb Simpson........

USA 8 - 8 Europe going into the singles......

As Uncle Ben said in 99..............I've got a good feeling about this...

Surprised Mcginley was made captain (Not that he's done a bad job or anything)......A number of other players have done more in the game..

Like Mark James I'm wondering what he's done to deserve it.

Gees, Truss.  You had a good feeling last time.  You had a good start last time.  Remind me what happened? Keep counting your chickens, still a LOT of points to play for

I'm following the updates on the Guardian website. Was Sergio's shot really that bad or are they being dramatic?

"But that’s an end to the good news, because on the 5th tee, Sergio sends a vicious snap hook into the trees down the left! I’ll be surprised if that ball’s not lost, for it’s in Amateur Country. That’s one of the worst shots I’ve ever seen in professional golf. It’s out of bounds. They’re playing three off the tee. God almighty. I remember one guy topping a tee shot in a European Tour event, the Wales Open maybe, which hit a bin near one of the tee boxes ahead and came rebounding back towards his affronted face. Can’t recall who, which is probably for the best. That was worse. But I’m not setting the bar high for Sergio here. “There are 18 handicappers who would be disappointed with that shot,” opines Colin Montgomerie on Sky Sports, and he’s being very polite."

Incon, it was baaaad. High handicapper stuff.

No, it really was that bad. It was a low vicious hook that hurtled through a hedge about 100 yards from the tee.

A few people were politely looking, but it was a forlorn hope.

So Westwood CAN putt. I heard rumours of this, but never believed it. 

At a boy Lee

I've never had Sky before but I'm really irked by the sheer number of advert breaks and for the desperate betting shops.
They really know their demographic don't they?

Sergio is really struggling. He's hitting all manner of poor shots.

Donaldson looking the player that Gallagher isn't.

super_realist wrote:I've never had Sky before but I'm really irked by the sheer number of advert breaks and for the desperate betting shops.
They really know their demographic don't they?

Oh you should try watching this in the States, adds at least every 5 minutes....

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:...2 1/2   -  1 1/2 ........Loving it so far.......and let's face it Westwood/Donaldson is a crap pairing and a gift.......

Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.....

Sorry Truss, but you asked for that!

Going to a tight RC. Some of the lower ranked players are going to be inspired and some of the 'locks' (I hate that phrase) are going to be weaker than expected. Should be interesting whatever.

5-3. Great stuff by Europe. Well done indeed.

Nice comeback and I think that's the first time Mickelson and Bradley have lost as a pair.

Mickelson looked knackered...

Only play him once tomorrow.....

Put Kuchar on the next plane..

Well played Europe.

Only play Rory once please and consider breaking up the sergio/rory pairing.

Still don't think Stephen Gallagher shouldn't have been picked.....Luke Donald all day long


Think both captains have got the pairings right for tomorrow morning....except I think I would have played ZJ instead of Furyk

Don't get the first two American pairings.

I think the Bubba/Kuchar one could actually work (although gotta think Stenson/Rose will win that match) agree regarding the second one.

What teams would you have picked!?

I'd play Reed/Spieth first. Then I'd probaly play Bradley with Bubba, in stead of Kooch.

Reed/Spieth very strong - and a great future for the Walker/Fowler partnership too. I like the way McGinley has mixed things up where necessary for tomorrow though. Will Gallagher get another outing before the singles?

Re. Gallacher: think it depends on the fourballs.

Foursomes should be:
Gmac/Vickie
Stenson/Rose
Sergio/xx (poults or rory)
and if Westy/Donaldson win they'll play again.

I'm not sure about Poulter and McIlroy as a pair. Poulter looked completely out of form, and McIlroy wasn't brilliant. They could get a hiding tomorrow. Otherwise it looks like a good line up.

For the Americans, pairing Furyk and Mahan looks like a strange combo in fourballs. Watson was poor as well, don't think he and Kuchar are an obvious pair.

Looks like Tom Watson is hoping to be able to field Bradley & Mickelson, Spieth & Reed, Fowler & Walker and Johnson & Mahan in the foursomes tomorrow afternoon.

BBC coverage wasn't bad, after a dispiriting start with Alliss straightaway calling Webb Simpson "one of the rookies". Ken Brown later remarked how Rose & Stenson's 2&1 afternoon win could've been described as "a 3&1 win" - quite a feat, given they had been 1 up playing that hole!
The Faldo comments? A stirring defence from McDowell, even though he got ALL his facts wrong about Westwood's benching.

sirbenson wrote:Still don't think Stephen Gallagher shouldn't have been picked.....Luke Donald all day long...

Yeah. Definitely agree, especially having seen Gallagher today. I know Poulter stank the place out but Gallagher looked very, very weak to me. Stark contrast with Donaldson who looked like he was made for playing in this.

Rory has had bad days in the past and came back the next day superbly. Let's hope Saturday is one of those days. I think it's time to bin the new driver.

I predict Truss will make at least four outlandish comments on Saturday and will use "." At least 60 times in three sentences.

My real prediction is that it will be another close day and that Truss's original score prediction of 8-8 is very likely.

Think Rory should be benched in the afternoon. We don't want another Ryder Cup Tiger.

Rose is playing some magnificent golf

He's got the perfect partner in Stenson. Stenson is giving him a free shot to the green on almost every hole, and a free putt on nearly every hole.

I don't agree with the comments about Gallacher. He deserves to be there on a captain's pick, especially since it's in Scotland. He was dragged down by Poulter yesterday. It's tough to play with someone who is so out of form.

Donaldson did ok yesterday, but he's struggling today.

George

Poulter is somehow failing to turn McIlroy in great iron form into a convincing lead. Poulter should have been benched until the singles and put out first. (ie written off as a dud this week)

If McGinley was going to do that he wouldn't have picked him in the first place

I'm not sure Poulter should be written off as a dud, but he's not really doing it out there. Both Tom Watson and Paul McGinley must have been lying awake at night wondering why they made the wild card selections they did.

Oh, for a retrospectoscope.

George

i don't follow golf all that closely and it was clear to me Poulter was in terrible form at the moment, and had been for quite some time. How exactly was he going to miraculously turn into a top player?

So it should have been obvious to someone like McGinely who has presumably been keeping tabs on these guys stats.

Mac, you are right. Poulter isn't playing well, and it's a triumph of hope over expectation if you turn up somewhere like the Ryder Cup, playing poorly, and expect you are going to miraculously transform into a birdie machine. I'm sure he was selected because of his record in recent Ryder Cups, but as it says in the financial services adverts, past performance is not a guarantee of the future returns.

At least Poulter has a good past record. Why Tom Watson selected Webb Simpson defies logic.

Quality of play for the AM Friday Four-ball is just incredible...  Rose = unfreeking believable... Reed/Spieth kids = awesome...   too many others playing great to mention...all in all looks like 7 of the 8 pairings acquitting themselves very very well...  

THIS is what it's all about... !!!!

You're right Robo, some of the golf today has been exceptional. Whether Stenson can play this afternoon will remain to be seen.

Stenson won't play because of a bad back this afternoon apparently.

Maybe they'll partner Rose/Garcia. Then Gmac/Dubie.
Don't know what to do about Westy/Donaldson, they were 4 under, still lost.
Who to pair with Rory in foursomes?

That was one of the most impressive putting performances by Mr. Rose. The "main line slayer" in top form. USA keeping this closer that I had imagined. Sunday may be exciting.

Poulter, looks like he offers the merest hint of salvaging an awful round and then leaves rory fighting the Mercans on his own again.

Here's the thing I don't get during the ryder cup. In most tour events the players in form remain in and around the top 10 from thursday onward, it is not the norm for players to suddenly start playing significantly better as the week goes on. So why do captains not just stick with the in form players from day 1. Vic Dub and gee mac must be thinking they could have seen rory over the line by now.

Choke from fowler

Oh hello, Poulters woken up, heart of a lion that guy!

Be_the_ball wrote:Oh hello, Poulters woken up, heart of a lion that guy!

Heart of a lion.... Ball striking of a 20 handicapper.

I don't know Mc, Poulter plays very much on his emotions. It only takes a chip in or a drained long putt to ignite a very important player for Europe.

mac is just trolling again

Davie

When I predicted weeks before the event Poulter would be poor (as I type this poulter shouting fore left on 18th tee) you accuse me of trolling. Now that my prediction comes true you still accuse me of trolling?? WTF?

McIlroy has kept this match alive over the 18 holes with almost no help from Poulter, barring one great chip in. Which was after another terrible Poulter shot.

I know Poulter's not trying to play badly, but he really is I'm afraid. That drive on the 18th was shocking.

Whoever gets him the singles isn't going to lose any sleep. Unless it's Webb Simpson of course. Pars will be good enough in that one!

Chip in on 15, birdie on 16, makeable birdie on 18 until Rory made it irrelevant (but Poulter's shot made Rory's chip less pressure).

Of course you are trolling - ball striking of a 20 handicapper?? You must have some bloody good ball strikers on your pitch and putt