This Is The Official v2 Golf Board's Ryder Cup Thread: Please Post Here!

[pedro]

First topic message reminder :

RCB was only mentioned as a potential pick in lack of alternatives.

[Be_the_ball]

Good interview with Rex Hoggard re the DJ - Koepka spat and the various different spats that happened. I really didn't expect so much in fighting happening in the US team, however it will be a completely different story in 2 years I imagine.

https://youtu.be/4qBSoiLQvnI

[pedro]

There’s nothing like the aftermath of a US Ryder Cup loss. Priceless. Almost beats the real thing.

Don’t think Reed should count on a wild card pick next time...

[Be_the_ball]

Is Reed being bullied a bit here though? He's obviously outside the clique of young players. I get the impression that Spieth sets the agenda there. Seems a bit strange, he doesn't seem as bad as he's made out to be. I got a laugh out of the "shush" and I'd say the green side crowd got a great laugh out of it. He was very impressive on Sunday at Augusta, I'm wondering if there are a few noses out of joint that he's done well.

[kwinigolfer]

Good interview with Rex Hoggard re the DJ - Koepka spat and the various different spats that happened. I really didn't expect so much in fighting happening in the US team, however it will be a completely different story in 2 years I imagine.

https://youtu.be/4qBSoiLQvnI

Thanks B_t_b; that was a very good interview by your guy.

I wonder about the DJ/Brooks thing, seems more to it than meets the eye, especially given the presence of their ladies, plus the scuttlebutt about Dustin back to his extra-curricular tricks again. Probably a good thing they went their separate ways on Monday.

[Be_the_ball]

Cheers Kwini, glad you enjoyed it   . I was surprised there were any bust ups tbh, but that was probably the last one I was expecting. Had to laugh at the Mrs deleting the Instagram pics that included Brooks. I can just imagine the reaction in the Koepka household, "they've deleted us off Instagram, they're dead to us now".

[kwinigolfer]

I imagine Wayne will be moved to give DJ a good talking to - he won't like this mess at all.

[NedB-H]

I don’t imagine Furyk had anything like the authority he’d need, but compare the team spirit of Europe o the US falling out before the week’s even begun. And the talk beforehand of the US’s bench strength. You could make a case for zero tolerance - any wind of anyone having a falling out and you’re both kicked out for a better team player. Dustin and Brooks can go home and we’ll get Xander and Patrick in.

[super_realist]

Funny how the Yanks behave like children when beaten, a bit the revolting Serena Williams did the other week, they just can't take losing.

When Europe got pumped by the US in America in 2016, there was nothing like this level of petulance and indignation. There might have been a few noses out of joint, and there might have been a collective disappointment but you win as a team, and you lose as a team. The US are showing no class at all here. Just admit you got outplayed and out thought and move on to the next one.

This just stinks of the US being bad losers, they were soundly beaten, partly because of their lack of preparation, and partly some laughable picks like Woods and Mickelson being picked on name and for media/commercial reasons, but if you can't accept losing as a team responsibility, how can you move on?

How could you not play the course before and still expect to win? I presume that the European Captain will ensure that all the players will get over to Whistling Straits and get a few rounds under their belt well before Ryder Cup week next time.

[JAS]

Funny how the Yanks behave like children when beaten, a bit the revolting Serena Williams did the other week, they just can't take losing.

When Europe got pumped by the US in America in 2016, there was nothing like this level of petulance and indignation. There might have been a few noses out of joint, and there might have been a collective disappointment but you win as a team, and you lose as a team. The US are showing no class at all here. Just admit you got outplayed and out thought and move on to the next one.

This just stinks of the US being bad losers, they were soundly beaten, partly because of their lack of preparation, and partly some laughable picks like Woods and Mickelson being picked on name and for media/commercial reasons,  but if you can't accept losing as a team responsibility, how can you move on?

How could you not play the course before and still expect to win? I presume that the European Captain will ensure that all the players will get over to Whistling Straits and get a few rounds under their belt well before Ryder Cup week next time.

We all know how much you dislike Woods but you can’t call him a laughable pick this time round. He’d trended significantly upward in the rankings all year. Contended in at least a couple of the Majors and quickly justified his pick by winning the TC. Yes in the end he was dross but was there anyway the Capt was going to know at what point he was going to run out of gas? Mickelson on the other hand...wtf?? Had I been Shuffler or Kisner I’d have been extremely hacked off. He just had no form. You can’t even put Mickelson in the Sergio/Poulter bracket of “It’s what they bring to the team room” because Mickelson pretty much smashed up the team room at Gleneagles.

With

[McLaren]

Is anyone else starting to doubt the DJ/Koepka fight story?  Different versions have its location in the Europe team room, at the after party or on the US flight home.

The flight home theory doesn't make sense because Koepka is playing he Dunhill and at the moment Koepka and his manager have denied that anything happened.

Essentially we have an anonymous source and DJ's wife deleting photots on instagram.  

I guess the only hope of finding out whether it happened and any other juicy gossip from the week is to get Reed talking more.

[Roller_Coaster]

It was allegedly the flight to the ryder cup, not from. And I thought a further one at the party. European team room would be a very odd place for 2 Americans to end up having a fight.

I doubt anything happened. I doubt DJ notices anything, let alone rises to it.

[kwinigolfer]

Mac,
DJ doesn't have a wife - well, he may, but not one that was anywhere near the RC.

I think there were multiple witnesses from the Euros' Team Room - "co-mingling" of teams after the event is common.

There were separate, uncorroborated as far as I can see, reports of heated arguments on the Team Bus and flight to Paris - which allegedly required Skipper Jim's intervention.

[McLaren]

So DJ and Paulina aren't married?


If the skirmish happened on the way to Paris then they must have made up pretty quickly because they played the Saturday foursomes together.  But I still have the feeling that even if they did have some disagreement it wasn't the bust up the media would like it to have been.

[super_realist]

Funny how the Yanks behave like children when beaten, a bit the revolting Serena Williams did the other week, they just can't take losing.

When Europe got pumped by the US in America in 2016, there was nothing like this level of petulance and indignation. There might have been a few noses out of joint, and there might have been a collective disappointment but you win as a team, and you lose as a team. The US are showing no class at all here. Just admit you got outplayed and out thought and move on to the next one.

This just stinks of the US being bad losers, they were soundly beaten, partly because of their lack of preparation, and partly some laughable picks like Woods and Mickelson being picked on name and for media/commercial reasons,  but if you can't accept losing as a team responsibility, how can you move on?

How could you not play the course before and still expect to win? I presume that the European Captain will ensure that all the players will get over to Whistling Straits and get a few rounds under their belt well before Ryder Cup week next time.

We all know how much you dislike Woods but you can’t call him a laughable pick this time round. He’d trended significantly upward in the rankings all year. Contended in at least a couple of the Majors and quickly justified his pick by winning the TC. Yes in the end he was dross but was there anyway the Capt was going to know at what point he was going to run out of gas? Mickelson on the other hand...wtf?? Had I been Shuffler or Kisner I’d have been extremely hacked off. He just had no form. You can’t even put Mickelson in the Sergio/Poulter bracket of “It’s what they bring to the team room” because Mickelson pretty much smashed up the team room at Gleneagles.

With

I absolutely can call him a laughable pick. He's got a history of being dreadful in the Ryder Cup, and in most of his Ryder Cup years, he's been in rude form ahead of that, so his form this time was a complete irrelevance. He clearly doesn't fit in well with a team, his record is appalling for a player of his standard and this is not the first time he's played in the event and looked completely disinterested, also bearing in mind that it was obvious that this was a course which rewarded accuracy, and not one for one of  the least accurate drivers on tour, I would have thought that Bishop Zach Johnson would have been a much more prudent pick. There's nothing about Woods game which suited that course.

Bear in mind also that Sergio was in wretched form going into the event, but became the highest points scorer in Ryder Cup history despite that shows that Bjorn knows WHY to pick someone, whereas Furyk picked on sentiment and irrelevancies. America constantly pick square pegs for round holes and this was just another example. They'd be mad to pick him again, but of course they will.

[beninho]

How can Tiger Woods not fit in well with a team when ye has a 60% plus win ratio in presidents cup. All the talk of woods record in the rc but jim furyks is even worse. Maybe just unlucky to be in an era of poor teams.

[super_realist]

OK, first of all we could say he doesn't fit into Ryder Cup if you want to be a pedant, furthermore the Presidents Cup is about as important as the Seve Trophy, and no one cares about that either, not to mention how second rate the ROW team usually is and because of the geographical spread, they're even less united than the US Ryder Cup team is, so much so they probably have to introduce themselves on the first tee to their playing partner.

[McLaren]

You do have to wonder where the RC fits into the priorities of the players from Europe compared to the USA.

For the European players RC qualification is likely to form part of their main career goals and something they actively plan to achieve.  For the USA players I wouldn't mind betting that winning on the PGAT and winning majors is a higher priority.  Another way to look at it might be that EU's (Rory aside) would see major success as a bonus or side effect of playing well enough to get on the RC whereas many of the USA team see the RC as a bonus for playing well on the PGAT or in majors.

Spieth, Thomas, Tiger, Phil, Reed, Koepka etc would not accept RC success as a substitute for lack of major success when their careers wind up. But over the years the likes of Westwood, Poulter, DC (I know), MAJ, Bjorn, Garcia (again I know, but if he hadn't) etc seem to have got genuine career satisfaction from their RC experiences.  Tiger wouldn't trade even a WGC for a few extra RC points over his career.

If we accept this difference in perspective towards the RC between the two sides it makes sense that the Euro players are more together and have better cohesion come the event because they all share winning the RC as a key career goal.  If the RC isn't your main priority do you bother to bond with teammates over the season or put petty differences aside come the hour if you have not been focused on it outside the week of the event?

[kwinigolfer]

You do have to wonder where the RC fits into the priorities of the players from Europe compared to the USA.

For the European players RC qualification is likely to form part of their main career goals and something they actively plan to achieve.  For the USA players I wouldn't mind betting that winning on the PGAT and winning majors is a higher priority.  Another way to look at it might be that EU's (Rory aside) would see major success as a bonus or side effect of playing well enough to get on the RC whereas many of the USA team see the RC as a bonus for playing well on the PGAT or in majors.

Spieth, Thomas, Tiger, Phil, Reed, Koepka etc would not accept RC success as a substitute for lack of major success when their careers wind up. But over the years the likes of Westwood, Poulter, DC (I know), MAJ, Bjorn, Garcia (again I know, but if he hadn't) etc seem to have got genuine career satisfaction from their RC experiences.  Tiger wouldn't trade even a WGC for a few extra RC points over his career.

If we accept this difference in perspective towards the RC between the two sides it makes sense that the Euro players are more together and have better cohesion come the event because they all share winning the RC as a key career goal.  If the RC isn't your main priority do you bother to bond with teammates over the season or put petty differences aside come the hour if you have not been focused on it outside the week of the event?

Mac,
I think you're very close to the truth here; NBC asked Feherty for his perspective and his take was that the Europeans have two Majors, The Open and the Ryder Cup, whereas the US pros have wider objectives, whether the other Majors, WGC's, FedEx, whatever.

My take would be that both sets of pros have similar goals as far as making the RC (and PC) Teams, but the Europeans see making the Team as a stepping stone to winning the damn thing - see the Torrance video.
After all, Justin Thomas was the only player to make the effort to contest the Open De France, and was seemingly the most invested in winning - he certainly played that way.
Certainly I would say the FedEx Cup is less important to most Europeans than it is to the US pros - hence neither Phil nor Tiger, the two who have complained most about exhaustion, taking a Play-Off week off, only to turn up in Paris knackered. Even though as one-time Vice Captains you'd've thought they'd accept some leadership responsibility. Obviously not, as DeChambeau, for instance, discovered to his chagrin.

[Diggers]

You do have to wonder where the RC fits into the priorities of the players from Europe compared to the USA.

For the European players RC qualification is likely to form part of their main career goals and something they actively plan to achieve.  For the USA players I wouldn't mind betting that winning on the PGAT and winning majors is a higher priority.  Another way to look at it might be that EU's (Rory aside) would see major success as a bonus or side effect of playing well enough to get on the RC whereas many of the USA team see the RC as a bonus for playing well on the PGAT or in majors.

Spieth, Thomas, Tiger, Phil, Reed, Koepka etc would not accept RC success as a substitute for lack of major success when their careers wind up. But over the years the likes of Westwood, Poulter, DC (I know), MAJ, Bjorn, Garcia (again I know, but if he hadn't) etc seem to have got genuine career satisfaction from their RC experiences.  Tiger wouldn't trade even a WGC for a few extra RC points over his career.

If we accept this difference in perspective towards the RC between the two sides it makes sense that the Euro players are more together and have better cohesion come the event because they all share winning the RC as a key career goal.  If the RC isn't your main priority do you bother to bond with teammates over the season or put petty differences aside come the hour if you have not been focused on it outside the week of the event?

Mac,
I think you're very close to the truth here; NBC asked Feherty for his perspective and his take was that the Europeans have two Majors, The Open and the Ryder Cup, whereas the US pros have wider objectives, whether the other Majors, WGC's, FedEx, whatever.

My take would be that both sets of pros have similar goals as far as making the RC (and PC) Teams, but the Europeans see making the Team as a stepping stone to winning the damn thing - see the Torrance video.
After all, Justin Thomas was the only player to make the effort to contest the Open De France, and was seemingly the most invested in winning - he certainly played that way.
Certainly I would say the FedEx Cup is less important to most Europeans than it is to the US pros - hence neither Phil nor Tiger, the two who have complained most about exhaustion, taking a Play-Off week off, only to turn up in Paris knackered. Even though as one-time Vice Captains you'd've thought they'd accept some leadership responsibility. Obviously not, as DeChambeau, for instance, discovered to his chagrin.

Then again, if the US win big next time maybe you'd have to think a lot of it is down to home advantage.

[kwinigolfer]

But then again, Europe has split the last eight on US soil . . . . . .

[Diggers]

True enough. I guess it's whether the last 2 are a new trend or just a blip. You'd certainly want away wins (on both sides really), otherwise it would all become a bit predictable.

[super_realist]

You do have to wonder where the RC fits into the priorities of the players from Europe compared to the USA.

For the European players RC qualification is likely to form part of their main career goals and something they actively plan to achieve.  For the USA players I wouldn't mind betting that winning on the PGAT and winning majors is a higher priority.  Another way to look at it might be that EU's (Rory aside) would see major success as a bonus or side effect of playing well enough to get on the RC whereas many of the USA team see the RC as a bonus for playing well on the PGAT or in majors.

Spieth, Thomas, Tiger, Phil, Reed, Koepka etc would not accept RC success as a substitute for lack of major success when their careers wind up. But over the years the likes of Westwood, Poulter, DC (I know), MAJ, Bjorn, Garcia (again I know, but if he hadn't) etc seem to have got genuine career satisfaction from their RC experiences.  Tiger wouldn't trade even a WGC for a few extra RC points over his career.

If we accept this difference in perspective towards the RC between the two sides it makes sense that the Euro players are more together and have better cohesion come the event because they all share winning the RC as a key career goal.  If the RC isn't your main priority do you bother to bond with teammates over the season or put petty differences aside come the hour if you have not been focused on it outside the week of the event?

If the Americans don't care about winning don't care very much for the event, why do players with lamentable records like Mickelson and Woods bother humiliating themselves every two years? Why is there big bust ups and rage against Captains? You don't do that if you don't care about something. Do they care less? Possibly a little bit yes, but on the other hand perhaps not, remember Hunter Mahan bawling his eyes out?

Nobody is suggesting any player would forego personal major hauls to win the Ryder Cup, but to suggest that they don't care about it, or care less about it is pretty wide of the mark. Just because Burnley don't win the Premier League, doesn't mean they don't care about it less than Man City do.

It's not a case of bothering to put "petty differences" aside, that's just something you do if you have a winning attitude and understand what teams are about. Woods has only ever won ONE Ryder Cup, I bet he'd love to trade a WGC to win another (at least it's a more tasteful trophy for a start than those hideous clay pots that belong on a geriatrics sideboard)

You might have a point that 9C doesn't care much for the event, given his body language, self love and lack of team ethic, but I see the others as something they are really keen to win, and I'm sure there would have been wild celebrations on the USA side had it been them winning at the weekend, just as they did in 2016 when they finally did win again.

[super_realist]

Jesus Christ, I'm just watching an instruction golf programme on Sky from Woburn (presumably a couple of years old) and Di Stewart looks awful. She used to be a normal looking, almost Danish, sweet, girl next door type, now she looks like Cruella De Ville with a bad facelift and a kilo of botox.

Why do these women do it to themselves?

[beninho]

Woman looks different 3 years later after having second child shock.

I doubt she has had a facelift.

[super_realist]

Nothing to do with having a second child, plenty of people look just fine, she looks so thin in the face.
She used to look so natural, now she is anything but. Of course people lose looks as they get older, but she looks a completely different person, at least in that programme, which went back to Westwood's British Masters hosting, so I think that was pre-2nd baby, but she looked like scheisse.

[raycastleunited]

Jesus Christ, I'm just watching an instruction golf programme on Sky from Woburn (presumably a couple of years old) and Di Stewart looks awful. She used to be a normal looking, almost Danish, sweet, girl next door type, now she looks like Cruella De Ville with a bad facelift and a kilo of botox.

Why do these women do it to themselves?

Did you see the Apprentice on Wednesday? The women looked like extras from a horror show, they probably had to transport the botox in a tanker.

[McLaren]

What a minger

Spoiler:

[super_realist]

What a minger

Spoiler:

Mac, as usual, you've missed the point. I was talking about a SPECIFIC appearance on a show. She simply looked bizarre, not like herself at all. All angular, unnatural, botox and looked like she'd had a lot of work. I've never seen her look as terrible as that before, or since.

[pedro]

Seriously??
https://mobile.twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1049702373591986176

[pedro]

Consensus that Harrington will be the next RC captain. Personally I don’t think it’d be a wise choice.

[super_realist]

Nor do I, he's a nincompoop.

[raycastleunited]

Consensus that Harrington will be the next RC captain. Personally I don’t think it’d be a wise choice.

He'll be better than Darren Clarke

[I'm never wrong]

Well Pedro has been proven correct. Should have put money on it.

[pedro]

Congrats USA! 17-11.

[Collapse2005]

Fair play to Coláiste Éanna in Rathfarnham producing two Ryder cup captains in the last 10 years. Impressive for such a small school.

Good luck to Harrington, no better man for the job.

[raycastleunited]

Will Harrington be a good captain? Unconventional maybe. But is the back room now filled with so many VC's and advisors that one individual has little impact?

Will Stricker be a good captain?

[Collapse2005]

In what way do you expect him to be unconventional?

[Roller_Coaster]

Fair play to Coláiste Éanna in Rathfarnham producing two Ryder cup captains in the last 10 years. Impressive for such a small school.

Good luck to Harrington, no better man for the job.

I've played at Rathfarnham. Won a golf glove for nearest the pin. Ball was about 6 inches away. I'm now holding my thumb and forefinger about an inch apart to indicate "six inches" while stifling a ridiculously childish giggle.

Didn't go to the school. Or Captain the Ryder Cup side.

[JAS]

I think it’s a fair shout, hope he does well, to be fair Europe seem to have a tried and trusted format which seems to work, most of the time. He’s got plenty of experience of successful previous Captains to call on.

Each time a Captain is announced there are always naysayers that help keep the rest of us getting carried away. I remember a LOT of negativity about McGinley (silly stuff like he was a mere journeyman Pro blah blah blah) and yet look how that turned out!!

[Collapse2005]

There are at least 5 courses in Rathfarnham, all almost beside each other. Not surprising therefore that there are good golfers in the area. Think Harrington's course was Stackstown.

[McLaren]

Will Harrington be a good captain? Unconventional maybe. But is the back room now filled with so many VC's and advisors that one individual has little impact?

Will Stricker be a good captain?

He will be in full paddy mode for the next two years. It will be unbearable.

[super_realist]

Will Harrington be a good captain? Unconventional maybe. But is the back room now filled with so many VC's and advisors that one individual has little impact?

Will Stricker be a good captain?

He will be in full paddy mode for the next two years.  It will be unbearable.

ehhhhhhhhm you got to focus on yer ehhhhhhhhmmmm focus

[pedro]

Wonder if he’ll play Seeeeeehgio

[pedro]

Player reactions:
https://mobile.twitter.com/GolfChannel/status/1082708635472592898

[Be_the_ball]

Player reactions:
https://mobile.twitter.com/GolfChannel/status/1082708635472592898

Whoever runs this account is classic...
https://twitter.com/Darth_Monty/status/1082760777575137286?s=19

[pedro]

The selection of Adare Manor is a bit dodgy. No doubt it’s a lovely place but you can’t help think the ET are now going the UEFA/FIFA way of selecting oligarch sponsored remote locations. I’m sure they could have found more accessible places elsewhere.

[JAS]

The selection of Adare Manor is a bit dodgy. No doubt it’s a lovely place but you can’t help think the ET are now going the UEFA/FIFA way of selecting oligarch sponsored remote locations. I’m sure they could have found more accessible places elsewhere.

Couldn’t help thinking the same when I saw it. Probably an idea cultivated on the fairways at the Dunhill. Still The previous edition in Ireland was a roaring success and while it might not be the centre of the universe it ain’t a backwater like Qatar or Baku.

[Collapse2005]

The selection of Adare Manor is a bit dodgy. No doubt it’s a lovely place but you can’t help think the ET are now going the UEFA/FIFA way of selecting oligarch sponsored remote locations. I’m sure they could have found more accessible places elsewhere.

Oligarch? Remote?

Adare manor is close to Shannon airport. Very easy to fly to. Lots of planes coming from the US to Shannon all year round and then a 2 hour drive to Adare.

JP McManus is a wealthy man but not exactly an oligarch athough Lionel Richie and Billy Joel did perform at his daughters wedding.

Access was one of the big arguements against Portrush 10 years ago. Turned out to be a bit of a red herring albeit in this case I think they will need to get the planned bypass completed.

[pedro]

Surely JP is ponying up a few quid to cater his own ego and oil the ET execs. Not entirely unheard of in the world of oligarch and sheikhs.

And Shannon not remote? Yes there might be a few summer flights to the US, but hardly any to Europe. It’s a big middle finger to non-Irish golf fans.

PS: This is not The Open.

[Collapse2005]

JP probably is "ponying up a few quid" to be fair but no Adare isn't remote. Portrush would be more remote in my view.

Shannon is a decent airport so international access from the US is good but its also only a 2.5 hour drive from Dublin airport to Adare. Two big international airports within 2.5 hours drive is hardly inaccessible.

There are some flights to and from the UK to Kerry, Cork, Knock and Waterford airports which are also all close enough (within 2 hours). Cork also flies to quite a few destinations in Europe including France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Think you are over egging the access issues a tad.

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