2014 Ryder Cup - Official Thread

This is the official thread. Since we are lacking any active European members, the following people will be considered European for the next few weeks until the conclusion of the Ryder Cup. At which point, you'll be allowed to once again shower regularly.

Zo
Kiwiplayer
New Nifty
FON

With Old Tom Morris leading the way for the US side, I am envisioning a beat down in all aspects of the game, especially style. Frumpy pleated Dockers, saddle shoes and blue blazers will be out in full force for the US team. How the hell can we be expected to win with that getup?

Yesterday morning I visited the website of the Philadelphia newspapers as part of my regular routine. I no longer live there but get my Philadelphia NFL news there. I saw an article about the 50th anniversary of the Beattles' first concert in Philly which was 50 years ago yesterday. I was there. So you can put me down as another Euro if you please.

I know that I have been negligent in scoffing at golf-specific attire for years. Now I realize how important it is for maximizing playing performance both physically and mentally. Years ago I had a neighbor who was also heavily into golf. We lived on a dead end street and on the other side of the street from our houses was the athletci field for a public elementary school. It had nicely maintained grass and about 220 yard's of depth so naturally we used it as our practice range. We played some golf together, too. Now I would wear old beat up khakis and polo shirts with cigarette burn holes in them to go play the munis we played. He, however, always wore golf specific togs and one day showed up in the most hideously ugly golf shirt I ever saw. It was checked with little figures of golfers in the checks with browns, tans and blacks being the predominate colors. Turns out it was the offical U.S. Ryder Cup Team shirt from maybe the Brookline C.C. event? Man it sucked and boy was he proud of it.

Hopefully the weather will be so shitty that the offical clothes will be rain gear.

Mongrel wrote:Yesterday morning I visited the website of the Philadelphia newspapers as part of my regular routine. I no longer live there but get my Philadelphia NFL news there. I saw an article about the 50th anniversary of the Beattles' first concert in Philly which was 50 years ago yesterday. I was there. So you can put me down as another Euro if you please.

I know that I have been negligent in scoffing at golf-specific attire for years. Now I realize how important it is for maximizing playing performance both physically and mentally. Years ago I had a neighbor who was also heavily into golf. We lived on a dead end street and on the other side of the street from our houses was the athletci field for a public elementary school. It had nicely maintained grass and about 220 yard's of depth so naturally we used it as our practice range. We played some golf together, too. Now I would wear old beat up khakis and polo shirts with cigarette burn holes in them to go play the munis we played. He, however, always wore golf specific togs and one day showed up in the most hideously ugly golf shirt I ever saw. It was checked with little figures of golfers in the checks with browns, tans and blacks being the predominate colors. Turns out it was the offical U.S. Ryder Cup Team shirt from maybe the Brookline C.C. event? Man it sucked and boy was he proud of it.

Hopefully the weather will be so shitty that the offical clothes will be rain gear.

No mongrel, you may not defect to the Euro side. I can't have it be just me versus the rest of the board. Zo has a tendency to get whipped up into a frenzy during Ryder Cups and will likely need my full attention.
That Brookline event had the single worst shirts in the history of the Ryder Cup. The Sunday singles matches shirts were the ones with the portraits of golfers at all kinds of angles. Dark maroon, I believe. Actually that may be the shirt you are talking about. Since that was such an epic comeback, those shirts get more airplay than they ever would deserve. What a fantastic day that was. The Lehman and Duval awkward fist pumps truly made it special. Then Euro-whining was just icing on the cake. I've never been more proud to be an American.

Maybe you're right. Since Luke Donald did not make the team, it is not nearly as attractive to me. I even stopped playing my Mizuno irons this summer. Recently I replaced the Mizuno wedges in my bag with Vokeys. I do still have an old Mizuno Fli Hi hybrid in the bag but the newly acquired Adams Super Hybrid gets more at bats recently. That's a tip of the cap to our Captain Tom Watson. If one of our Young Guns happens to step into a hedgehog burrow entrance and twist his ankle over there at Gleneagles, I have no doubt that Captain Watson would have the ability to substitute himself and acquit our Team and Nation admirably. Carry on.

I watched the 2012 Ryder Cup in Vegas and I will be in the UK for this one. Looking forward to it. My Dad will also be in the UK and he is very keen so we will be keeping a close eye on the play. Gotta favour the Euros playing at Gleneagles but hopefully the Yanks can summon up some pride and try and make a fight of it after their embarrassing, humiliating chokefest in 2012. I fear that their fragile psyches suffered irreparable damage that day and they are about to suffer an even more humiliating manshaming that will send them scuttling back across the Atlantic with their tails well and truly between their legs.

I wonder if the Ryder Cup will draw Edgey out of hiding? I could try and hook up for a GR International match whilst I'm in London?

Edgey, Edgey, wherefore art thou Edgey?

Kiwigolfer wrote:I watched the 2012 Ryder Cup in Vegas and I will be in the UK for this one. Looking forward to it. My Dad will also be in the UK and he is very keen so we will be keeping a close eye on the play. Gotta favour the Euros playing at Gleneagles but hopefully the Yanks can summon up some pride and try and make a fight of it after their embarrassing,  humiliating chokefest in 2012. I fear that their fragile psyches suffered irreparable damage that day and they are about to suffer an even more humiliating manshaming that will send them scuttling back across the Atlantic with their tails well and truly between their legs.

I wonder if the Ryder Cup will draw Edgey out of hiding? I could try and hook up for a GR International match whilst I'm in London?

Edgey, Edgey, wherefore art thou Edgey?

Whoa, I didn't realize you were going to go all out in your Euro rooting. The board is missing both edgey and Omen2 for the Ryder Cup.
The US is going to get smashed. Bubba Watson hates to travel and has special disdain for Europe. He has already mentally checked out. Furyk is such an unbelievable choker. I'm actually ashamed someone that weird/slow/chokey is representing my country.

If Europe gives the US the beating we all anticipate, I propose some rule changes for the 2016 edition. The US captain should get to jettison (Zo, tm) 2 picks to the Euro squad. How many fukcing Ole's would Furyk get while losing 16, 17, and 18?

Plus, the US side should get to pick from all of North, South, and Central America. I don't actually know if that would help, but it might force Canadians to share a rooting interest with the US, which should frost those igloo dwellers quite nicely.

Having the President Cup every other year has cheapened the Ryder Cup and proved to be an extra burden on the U.S.A. team players since its teams of virtually the same guys. Maybe there should be a rule that if you play on the President Cup team in one year that you cannot be on the Ryder Cup team the next year. That would get more of our guys into the teams competition. Or since the P-Cup Internationals have such weak teams, maybe the U.S. team should be limited to guys playing the Web Dot Com Tour. Don't you think it would be fun to watch a singles match between a star like Jason Gore and Adam Scott?

I say the Pres. Cup gets scrapped. The Ryder Cup becomes a 3 team round robin between US, Europe and RoW.

I would agree except that there are some worthy players I like to see who are not from US/UK/Euroland. Of course the Euros could always include all of the UK colonies save the USA so that the Aussies, South Africans and New Zealanders could be eligible. Or do it by continents. Golf in the upcoming Olympics could be interesting. I wonder if ISIS will have statehood by then and field some Olympic Teams? I guess Beheading wouldn't be too popular a competition in most of the civilised world but they could field a golf team. Although they'd probably just shorten the process considerably by kidnapping some Euro Tour players at their next stops in Cutter or Qusar or whatever its called and Dubai. Faldo and Stenson's former caddy Fanny would be a good one for them but they'd probably make her wear a burqa, hijab or whatever that shit is called.

Watching the US degenerate into decadence and squalor I'll have one hand over my eyes during the Ryder Cup. The beating the US team will take will only epitomize what's happening to it on all fronts.

It's not just that its citizenry is mystified by something as simple as the metric system and can't even handle one language while the rest of the world knows at least several, it's not only the food, stupid television, stupid reality television, corporate greed, Christian fundamentalists, sellout politicians, lame brain dishonest police officers, fatness, laziness, stupidity.... I'd keep going but I have someplace to be later this afternoon.

On the one hand I hate kicking an entire useless country when it's down but then perhaps the total shellacking the Ryder Cup team will receive might serve as a wake up call of sorts for slob Americans at large.

Probably not.

Lorenzzo wrote:Watching the US degenerate into decadence and squalor I'll have one hand over my eyes during the Ryder Cup. The beating the US team will take will only epitomize what's happening to it on all fronts.

It's not just that its citizenry is mystified by something as simple as the metric system and can't even handle one language while the rest of the world knows at least several, it's not only the food, stupid television, stupid reality television, corporate greed, Christian fundamentalists, sellout politicians, lame brain dishonest police officers, fatness, laziness, stupidity.... I'd keep going but I have someplace to be later this afternoon.

On the one hand I hate kicking an entire useless country when it's down but then perhaps the total shellacking the Ryder Cup team will receive might serve as a wake up call of sorts for slob Americans at large.

Probably not.

Some of your best work ever. I can only stand in awe and wonder.

Seems to be lacking fanfare on this side of the Atlantic. Kiwi, what is the mood like in the UK?

Currently in Malta and the crowd I'm hanging with aren't interested in golf but it's getting plenty of coverage in the UK papers and TV sports media. Europe are overwhelming favourites but that just puts pressure on them to win. I'm looking forward to it. Should be good. All the talk from the Yanks is/was about targetting McIlroy so we'll see how that works out for them.

Kiwi, is it true the Malted Miilkshake was created in Malta? Malted Milk Balls? Please while you're there ask around. Better yet sample the various Malted Milk fare if it's what they're known for and report back. After all...when in Rome....

I was feeling awfully confident about the Euros stomping American ass, until I noticed there was a Frenchman on the team. Why would you put a Frenchman on the team if you want to win? This smacks of overconfidence....

Kiwigolfer wrote:Currently in Malta and the crowd I'm hanging with aren't interested in golf but it's getting plenty of coverage in the UK papers and TV sports media. Europe are overwhelming favourites but that just puts pressure on them to win. I'm looking forward to it. Should be good. All the talk from the Yanks is/was about targetting McIlroy so we'll see how that works out for them.  

Interesting. Why would they want to target McIlroy? He's clearly the best player in the world, and how can you even "target" anyone in the Ryder Cup? The captains don't commiserate so there's no way to know when he's playing or who he's playing with. Old Tom Watson is going to need to nap in between the matches.

I wish the US team had Billy Horshel and could kick out Furyk. That guy should be banned from all team competitions. Just out of respect for the game, he should at least remove himself from consideration.

Fukc it, I'm going all in on the Ryder Cup. USA USA USA USA!!! The US has a better record when Tiger isn't playing, so there is that.
Although I don't think I'm going to get to watch very much of it with the TV schedule in the states.

Lorenzzo wrote:Kiwi, is it true the Malted Miilkshake was created in Malta?  Malted Milk Balls?  Please while you're there ask around.  Better yet sample the various Malted Milk fare if it's what they're known for and report back.  After all...when in Rome....

I was feeling awfully confident about the Euros stomping American ass, until I noticed there was a Frenchman on the team.  Why would you put a Frenchman on the team if you want to win?  This smacks of overconfidence....

Wasn't Europe forced to take Van de velde one year? I believe he sat out the entire time until he was forced to play in the singles. Then again, I'm pretty sure they won that Ryder Cup too. I wouldn't worry about your team, Zo. They could drag a couple Scots out the crowd and still win handily. Looking forward to Poulter and Sergio whooping it up out there.
My favorite Ryder Cup moment was when Anthony Kim humiliated Sergio in 2008. What ever happened to that guy?

Oh come on… We all know how one would target McElroy.  The same way you'd target any man… With strange. What a low blow by the pathetic Yanks.

Jesus Christ we willingly took both Sergio and a Frenchman on the team. I would hope a sporting gesture like that would be returned in kind.

How typically American to begin with a cutthroat move…

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:Kiwi, is it true the Malted Miilkshake was created in Malta?  Malted Milk Balls?  Please while you're there ask around.  Better yet sample the various Malted Milk fare if it's what they're known for and report back.  After all...when in Rome....

I was feeling awfully confident about the Euros stomping American ass, until I noticed there was a Frenchman on the team.  Why would you put a Frenchman on the team if you want to win?  This smacks of overconfidence....

Wasn't Europe forced to take Van de velde one year?  I believe he sat out the entire time until he was forced to play in the singles.  Then again, I'm pretty sure they won that Ryder Cup too.  I wouldn't worry about your team, Zo.  They could drag a couple Scots out the crowd and still win handily.  Looking forward to Poulter and Sergio whooping it up out there.  
My favorite Ryder Cup moment was when Anthony Kim humiliated Sergio in 2008.  What ever happened to that guy?

Kim became famous in Southern California for his partying exploits. And I mean partying. That's all it takes…

Lorenzzo wrote:

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:Kiwi, is it true the Malted Miilkshake was created in Malta?  Malted Milk Balls?  Please while you're there ask around.  Better yet sample the various Malted Milk fare if it's what they're known for and report back.  After all...when in Rome....

I was feeling awfully confident about the Euros stomping American ass, until I noticed there was a Frenchman on the team.  Why would you put a Frenchman on the team if you want to win?  This smacks of overconfidence....

Wasn't Europe forced to take Van de velde one year?  I believe he sat out the entire time until he was forced to play in the singles.  Then again, I'm pretty sure they won that Ryder Cup too.  I wouldn't worry about your team, Zo.  They could drag a couple Scots out the crowd and still win handily.  Looking forward to Poulter and Sergio whooping it up out there.  
My favorite Ryder Cup moment was when Anthony Kim humiliated Sergio in 2008.  What ever happened to that guy?

Kim became famous in Southern California for his partying exploits. And I mean partying. That's all it takes…

So did he get kicked off the tour or just lose his skills? I heard something about an injury but I don't trust the tour to tell the truth if he got booted for drugs.

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:Kiwi, is it true the Malted Miilkshake was created in Malta?  Malted Milk Balls?  Please while you're there ask around.  Better yet sample the various Malted Milk fare if it's what they're known for and report back.  After all...when in Rome....

I was feeling awfully confident about the Euros stomping American ass, until I noticed there was a Frenchman on the team.  Why would you put a Frenchman on the team if you want to win?  This smacks of overconfidence....

Wasn't Europe forced to take Van de velde one year?  I believe he sat out the entire time until he was forced to play in the singles.  Then again, I'm pretty sure they won that Ryder Cup too.  I wouldn't worry about your team, Zo.  They could drag a couple Scots out the crowd and still win handily.  Looking forward to Poulter and Sergio whooping it up out there.  
My favorite Ryder Cup moment was when Anthony Kim humiliated Sergio in 2008.  What ever happened to that guy?

Kim became famous in Southern California for his partying exploits. And I mean partying. That's all it takes…

So did he get kicked off the tour or just lose his skills?  I heard something about an injury but I don't trust the tour to tell the truth if he got booted for drugs.  

It's only been recently that The Tour has made public statements about drug suspensions not already public knowledge so one can only speculate. He did have I think Achilles surgery a few years ago and since then there have been no reports of his making his way back on to a golf course, according to those in the SoCal golf community in the know...

Lorenzzo wrote:

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:Kiwi, is it true the Malted Miilkshake was created in Malta?  Malted Milk Balls?  Please while you're there ask around.  Better yet sample the various Malted Milk fare if it's what they're known for and report back.  After all...when in Rome....

I was feeling awfully confident about the Euros stomping American ass, until I noticed there was a Frenchman on the team.  Why would you put a Frenchman on the team if you want to win?  This smacks of overconfidence....

Wasn't Europe forced to take Van de velde one year?  I believe he sat out the entire time until he was forced to play in the singles.  Then again, I'm pretty sure they won that Ryder Cup too.  I wouldn't worry about your team, Zo.  They could drag a couple Scots out the crowd and still win handily.  Looking forward to Poulter and Sergio whooping it up out there.  
My favorite Ryder Cup moment was when Anthony Kim humiliated Sergio in 2008.  What ever happened to that guy?

Kim became famous in Southern California for his partying exploits. And I mean partying. That's all it takes…

So did he get kicked off the tour or just lose his skills?  I heard something about an injury but I don't trust the tour to tell the truth if he got booted for drugs.  

It's only been recently that The Tour has made public statements about drug suspensions not already public knowledge so one can only speculate.  He did have I think Achilles surgery a few years ago and since then there have been no reports of his making his way back on to a golf course, according to those in the SoCal golf community in the know...

Did a little research and it looks like he will surrender a $10,000,000 insurance policy if he plays professional golf again. Pretty weak if that's the reason he's not on tour. I'd imagine he could get that in endorsements per year if he could manage to keep his card.

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:Kiwi, is it true the Malted Miilkshake was created in Malta?  Malted Milk Balls?  Please while you're there ask around.  Better yet sample the various Malted Milk fare if it's what they're known for and report back.  After all...when in Rome....

I was feeling awfully confident about the Euros stomping American ass, until I noticed there was a Frenchman on the team.  Why would you put a Frenchman on the team if you want to win?  This smacks of overconfidence....

Wasn't Europe forced to take Van de velde one year?  I believe he sat out the entire time until he was forced to play in the singles.  Then again, I'm pretty sure they won that Ryder Cup too.  I wouldn't worry about your team, Zo.  They could drag a couple Scots out the crowd and still win handily.  Looking forward to Poulter and Sergio whooping it up out there.  
My favorite Ryder Cup moment was when Anthony Kim humiliated Sergio in 2008.  What ever happened to that guy?

Kim became famous in Southern California for his partying exploits. And I mean partying. That's all it takes…

So did he get kicked off the tour or just lose his skills?  I heard something about an injury but I don't trust the tour to tell the truth if he got booted for drugs.  

It's only been recently that The Tour has made public statements about drug suspensions not already public knowledge so one can only speculate.  He did have I think Achilles surgery a few years ago and since then there have been no reports of his making his way back on to a golf course, according to those in the SoCal golf community in the know...

Did a little research and it looks like he will surrender a $10,000,000 insurance policy if he plays professional golf again.  Pretty weak if that's the reason he's not on tour.  I'd imagine he could get that in endorsements per year if he could manage to keep his card.  

That sort of insurance is generally not taxed as income so he'd have to bring in well over $20M factoring in agents, etc. He's Korean. Under their metric he'd be considered a fool to go back out there. Assuming of course he wouldn't have a big Nike sponsorship kick back in and produce income in that neighborhood.

The way Kim played before his injury, it would take him another twenty years to make the equivalent of ten mil tax-free. Including the minor leagues like web dot com, Asian, etc. Why should he bother? Besides, he's a choker. Choked down on every club at least two inches. Not you current PGA super star role model swing.

Mongrel wrote:The way Kim played before his injury, it would take him another twenty years to make the equivalent of ten mil tax-free. Including the minor leagues like web dot com, Asian, etc. Why should he bother? Besides, he's a choker. Choked down on every club at least two inches. Not you current PGA super star role model swing.

It's too bad really. You Yanks do best with some sort of clown in your ranks whether Bozo, Boo, Bush, Kim (Anthony or Kardashian), Jersey people, Florida people, rappers, crappers, presidential dick suckers or Al Gore.

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:

Horseballs wrote:

Lorenzzo wrote:Kiwi, is it true the Malted Miilkshake was created in Malta?  Malted Milk Balls?  Please while you're there ask around.  Better yet sample the various Malted Milk fare if it's what they're known for and report back.  After all...when in Rome....

I was feeling awfully confident about the Euros stomping American ass, until I noticed there was a Frenchman on the team.  Why would you put a Frenchman on the team if you want to win?  This smacks of overconfidence....

Wasn't Europe forced to take Van de velde one year?  I believe he sat out the entire time until he was forced to play in the singles.  Then again, I'm pretty sure they won that Ryder Cup too.  I wouldn't worry about your team, Zo.  They could drag a couple Scots out the crowd and still win handily.  Looking forward to Poulter and Sergio whooping it up out there.  
My favorite Ryder Cup moment was when Anthony Kim humiliated Sergio in 2008.  What ever happened to that guy?

Kim became famous in Southern California for his partying exploits. And I mean partying. That's all it takes…

So did he get kicked off the tour or just lose his skills?  I heard something about an injury but I don't trust the tour to tell the truth if he got booted for drugs.  

It's only been recently that The Tour has made public statements about drug suspensions not already public knowledge so one can only speculate.  He did have I think Achilles surgery a few years ago and since then there have been no reports of his making his way back on to a golf course, according to those in the SoCal golf community in the know...

Did a little research and it looks like he will surrender a $10,000,000 insurance policy if he plays professional golf again.  Pretty weak if that's the reason he's not on tour.  I'd imagine he could get that in endorsements per year if he could manage to keep his card.  

Come on now...can it really be so bad that you'd try and draft some mediocre even in his prime player who hasn't held a club in years just because he once shellacked Sergio?  Everyone can shellack Sergio.  What's next, a hippo like Stadler so they can ruin the greens by walking on them?  

As for me, I've turned insecure on this.  I just know our best players have succumbed to the strange the Yanks brought and will miss practice today and sleep tonight. Damn you guys.  This could be the most humiliating upset ever....

Well it couldn't match you Yanks in 2012...but second maybe....