Posted on 10/01/2012 5:47:45 PM PDT by Doc Savage
I just returned to Valley Forge having attended the Ryder Cup at Medinah. Wanted to pass along a few impressions. Venue: Medinah is incredibly huge. They actually destroyed two of their three courses just to host this prestigious event.
After fighting your way along the local roads at five in the morning, then boarding your bus (they were excellent), you entered the grounds and had what seemed to be a one mile walk just to get to the clubhouse. From there you had to cross-over one of three bridges to actually get to the course. Try 40 to 50, 000 people on your favorite course at home and you get the idea. It was maddening.
We thought the practice rounds would give us ample opportunity to see all the players up close. We did, but everyone on both sides (with the exception of of Matt Kucher and Tiger Woods who played all 18 holes) quit after nine holes, so there wasn't much to see for your money.
The Euros: The vast majority of Euros were well inebriated by 8:30am. It was rare to see one without a 'Stella' in both hands. I assume it's what they usually have for breakfast. Euro smoking was a must. You would have thought there would be plenty of fresh air on the course, but you would have been wrong.
Facilities: The average length of line for the portable toilets was about 200 men although it ballooned up to twice that at lunch time. There were guys peeing everywhere they could find a bush. Apparently the PGA likes to sell beer but they don't like to dispose of it later on. The food was passable, the prices insane, but then they had you.
Final thoughts: I had a pretty good time, but would never do it again. The crowds are beyond massive. The cost expensive. The amount you actually get to see - minimal. The turning point in the match as I saw it was on Saturday afternoon at the 15th drive-able par 4 when Zach Johnson, for some unknown reason, decided he was going to go for it. As a premier wedge player all he had to do was lay-up and stiff it and let Dufner take a whack at it. They reversed, lost their 2-up lead and the US was never the same. Putting Bubba out first against Luke Donald was a huge mistake and the US paid the price. Absolutely stupid from Davis Love. Playing Stricker (45) in 4 matches was also stupid.
This was not, in my opinion, a great come from behind victory by the Euros (give them their just do.) But rather an historic COLLAPSE by the US. They look tired and frayed on Sunday and they paid for it. When Davis Love said in an interview that he simply allowed everyone to do what ever they wanted, Johnny Miller remarked, "That doesn't seem like leadership." It wasn't.
Hey! That's 3:30 pm local, for us!
Sad. : (
No theory of US collapse can explain why the European team, who couldn’t make a putt for two days, suddenly couldn’t miss.
This is except for Colsaerts on day one, and sure enough on Sunday he couldn’t make a single putt. Everything was reversed.
Thanks for the report. Glad I wasn’t there.
Was Baraq there to encourage his buddy TW?
Only about 30 miles from his old ‘hood.
For a brief moment, I thought Jim “Choke” Furyk was going to enlist a team of geologists, land surveyors, agronomists, and mathematicians to join him on 18 in order to help him calibrate the precise line and pace of the putt that he was going to... someday... have to hit and, unavoidably, miss.
Sad. : (
IMHO, it was both a great comeback for the Euros, AND a monumental choke for the Americans.
Poulter was unreak..if he hadn't pulled out the match late Saturday, Sunday wasn't possible...what did he have..5 birdies in a row..
The guy that beat Mickelson Sunday..I can't recall his name as I write this..that was the Cup.
But the CHOKE award goes to Tiger..I mean..0 fer 3..One sticking point from Woods and the USA wins..
Thank you so much for your excellent report.
We watched it on television and the noise from the crowd was too loud. I realized later that evidently the players all were miked but NBC choice not to allow us to hear it (except on a few occasions).
We really enjoyed watching it, sort of mindless, relaxing television. Yet somehow exciting.
I don’t know about tearing up the golf courses; but changes are always made before the tournaments.
Woods failed to win even one hole on Sunday?
I played there 3 times back in the 70’s. The course didn’t look at all the same as it did then. I know about the renovations in 2002, but it didn’t seem to have all the trees it did back then. We had to have a ball boy with us keeping track of balls going into the trees, to keep the play going.
Woods failed to win even one hole on Sunday?
Acc. to the PGA official statistics, Woods did not halve 18, He lost it. Woods did not win a hole??? Woods won the 4th, 6th, 12th, 13th and 17th holes outright. He lost 2, 3, 10, 14, 18 outright. Halves were at 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15 and 16. The Euros had garanteed themselves a cup win, (as in ‘retained’), before Woods and Molinari even got to the 18th green by virtue of Kaymer defeating Strickland just a bit earlier. Even if Woods had won 18, the cup still went to the Euros.
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