⛳ The Ryder Cup 2025 - 1st tee time 7:10 ET

[TerryP]

Ryder Cup

Find the latest news and updates for The Ryder Cup

www.rydercup.com

 

[TerryP]

This weekend ...

In 1999 I was living in Tuscaloosa but working out of my house in Charleston. The first weekend of September I hit the Vandy game in Nashville, then onto Charleston for the next two games: Houston and La Tech. As you probably remember Alabama lost the La Tech game that season. Arkansas was up next and, like it had been, the Arkansas game usually served as the benchmark for how the season would end.

Arkansas was the fourth game, annually, at the time. That weekend was also Ryder Cup weekend. I went back and forth thinking "go to the ball game" or stay in Charleston and continue working on the house, etc.

Well, to say the least the golf thing didn't go well Friday for the USA team. By late afternoon I was throwing things in a back pack and telling the old lady to do the same: we're going to the football game.

That was a good ball game against a pretty good Arkansas team. Seeing the team win that weekend and guys like Samuels and Shaun take control was something I don't regret seeing live.

BUT. That Sunday drive back to Charleston.

The USA team with their dramatic comeback while I'm somewhere between Augusta and Columbia.

Caught one. Missed the other.

NOW ...

Fourth game of the year.
Questions and a loss like '99.
And, the Ryder Cup.

...and a Prince song comes to mind.

 

[TerryP]

The coverage sucks.

 

[PurlJam]

Getting that ass skull drug.

 

[BamaFan334]

Utter ass whooping. Terrible pairings by Keegan. I'm not seeing very complimentary golf. USA always rather bitch about everything where Europe just goes about their business and whips our ass. Can tell a lot by our mental prep compared to theirs.

 

[TerryP]

Several years ago POTUS was in town flying on AF1. That afternoon when he left I was 11-12 miles from the airport. Stuck, sort of, the entire I was shut down that afternoon and it was a mess.

My point being ... that many miles away and we could hear AF1 LONG before we saw it fly over head. We may have heard it from the airport, I don't know. I do know it was LOUD.

So, I can only imagine this was as well.

 

[TerryP]

All around, yesterday was just bad.

I don't know how a "sports channel" could broadcast such a poor quality production of an event like this.

I used to get pissed off when watching golf and they spent so much of the air time on Tiger. There could be a half of a dozen players in contention, some shooting, and we didn't see much of their round. BUT, we saw a hell of a lot more different shots then than I saw yesterday. With eight freakin' players! Sometimes, four damn shots/balls and you'd miss the shot.

There were periods you could see the shots but couldn't hear a thing because their audio was fouled up.

I heard the commercials. There were a ton! And frequent.

As far as the golf ...

​

 

[Bammerboy321]

I wish JT ended up with Scheffler. I dont think he meshes well with Bryce

 

[Bammerboy321]

Rory just had a chip lip out.

 

[BamaFan334]

Keegan Bradley did a terrible job, terrible. What an embarrassing showing by the United States.

 

[TerryP]

Keegan Bradley did a terrible job, terrible. What an embarrassing showing by the United States.

I have a hard time blaming the captain for his players playing team golf poorly. I see it as far different than coaching a team in another sport..

 

[TerryP]

@BamaFan334 One thought of mine.

If you are playing on the DP Tour you see quite a bit of creeping bentgrass on greens. It often has a mix of Poa annua.

On the PGA you'll see the players run into something akin when they are on the West coast swing in the spring. Upper California areas; not your hot, humid, and dry climates.

I'm watching but paying more attention to the two football games. I see struggles putting.

BethPage Black...Poa Annua greens with creeping bent.

 

[BamaFan334]

I have a hard time blaming the captain for his players playing team golf poorly. I see it as far different than coaching a team in another sport..

I blame his choices. Henley, English, and Morikawa were terrible choices. Thomas wasn't even a good choice, but I understand just because of his fire.

His pairings are terrible too, because a number of these guys don't compliment one another well at all.

I agree though that Scheffler has sucked ass. No one else outside of Young has made a shot when it mattered and they all look bad.

Zero comradery with the Americans from what I'm seeing. Look like square pegs in a round hole board, whereas Europe looks like a perfect fit, as they usually do. Means more to them these last number of years.

 

[BamaFan334]

I'm amazed at how the best putter on tour is putting the absolute worst of anyone for the weekend. I am very unsure of how to even apply that.

 

[TerryP]

Zero comradery with the Americans from what I'm seeing.

That's a bi-annual tradition.

If you look at the strokes they are playing pretty well. It's not stroke play. In a regular tournament the leader board would look quite different with strokes gained factored. It's not stroke play.

 

[TerryP]

I'm amazed at how the best putter on tour is putting the absolute worst of anyone for the weekend. I am very unsure of how to even apply that.

how often do you play bentgrass?

 

[BamaFan334]

how often do you play bentgrass?

No clue. Uncertain of what that means to a pro. Everyone playing the same course and in the same conditions. That's why I said I don't know what to make of it, because we aren't hitting shots, but they are.

 

[TerryP]

No clue. Uncertain of what that means to a pro. Everyone playing the same course and in the same conditions. That's why I said I don't know what to make of it, because we aren't hitting shots, but they are.

There is a HUGE difference playing on bent greens versus what the PGA guys normally see with a hybrid Bermuda. Huge difference.

In a sense it's "members bounce" kind of thing. The best putters in the world can putt like crap going from one to another.

It's a thought that came to mind. You wouldn't think the majority of the lot would be putting badly.

If you haven't played a course with bentgrass greens put it on your bucket list. They are few and far between on the SC and GA coasts: too hard to maintain. Santee National used to have them. I played that course every Tuesday for several years in a row.

 

[BamaFan334]

There is a HUGE difference playing on bent greens versus what the PGA guys normally see with a hybrid Bermuda. Huge difference.

In a sense it's "members bounce" kind of thing. The best putters in the world can putt like crap going from one to another.

It's a thought that came to mind. You wouldn't think the majority of the lot would be putting badly.

If you haven't played a course with bentgrass greens put it on your bucket list. They are few and far between on the SC and GA coasts: too hard to maintain. Santee National used to have them. I played that course every Tuesday for several years in a row.

But like I said, everyone else is playing the same course. First is last, it doesn't compute.

 

[TerryP]

But like I said, everyone else is playing the same course. First is last, it doesn't compute.

If I'm putting bentgrass more than you and we are of the same talent level, I'll have a better day, every day. I'm suggesting they are more accustomed to the putting surfaces as one possible reason.