The Ryder Cup

[NorfolkWhite]

Yep, at that stage where matches can turn really quickly. Europe up in 5, USA 2.

[NorfolkWhite]

Poults doing his thing again

[Chilli D]

McIlroy v Thomas is hell of a game

[John in Louisiana]

Congratulations to the European team.

The superior side in every way.

[Chilli D]

Congratulations to the European team.

The superior side in every way.

Except world rankings John.
But they count for nothing in the Ryder Cup.
The world number one, Dustin Johnson, was beaten in a hell of a match by world number 37, Ian Poulter.
It looked dodgy for a while as the USA fought back strongly but ultimately the better team won.
What a great EUROPE team Bjorn captained

[John in Louisiana]

Except world rankings John.
But they count for nothing in the Ryder Cup.
The world number one, Dustin Johnson, was beaten in a hell of a match by world number 37, Ian Poulter.
It looked dodgy for a while as the USA fought back strongly but ultimately the better team won.
What a great EUROPE team Bjorn captained

Then I would say the people creating the world rankings need to do a little soul searching.

[NorfolkWhite]

Except world rankings John.
But they count for nothing in the Ryder Cup.
The world number one, Dustin Johnson, was beaten in a hell of a match by world number 37, Ian Poulter.
It looked dodgy for a while as the USA fought back strongly but ultimately the better team won.
What a great EUROPE team Bjorn captained

The USA did indeed come back strongly and there was real momentum with them for a period as they started to make some putts. Ultimately that 4 point lead was just too much to overhaul and the result looks like a spanking in the end, but could have been much tighter.

I think credit needs to go to the likes of Olesen who closed out Spieth so emphatically and gave the USA no hope of turn round the latter matches.

Great result for Europe!

[NorfolkWhite]

Then I would say the people creating the world rankings need to do a little soul searching.

They are done on points from tournament finishes so in theory should be a good indicator, virtually no matchplay tornaments though so doesn't represent who does well in this format.

I think however one of the biggest factors this week was the course. The Americans just don't play courses that are so penal, US public want players hitting it 350 yards and shooting 20 under. When you have to hack out of the rough like you did this weekend it's totally alien to them. Much akin to home advantage in a test match - guarantee there will be no rough to speak of in 2 years time back is the US

[Chilli D]

They are done on points from tournament finishes so in theory should be a good indicator, virtually no matchplay tornaments though so doesn't represent who does well in this format.

I think however one of the biggest factors this week was the course. The Americans just don't play courses that are so penal, US public want players hitting it 350 yards and shooting 20 under. When you have to hack out of the rough like you did this weekend it's totally alien to them. Much akin to home advantage in a test match - guarantee there will be no rough to speak of in 2 years time back is the US

The Ryder Cup in 2020 is at Whistling Straits which is a coastal links course so it should be interesting to see how they set it up.
Being a links course, by it's very nature it will have rough so I expect it will be cut right back to favour the 350 yard 'bombers'
It also has lots and lots of bunkers and if the wind gets up it will be a real test.
I wonder who will be the next Europe captain? My money's on Harrington.

[NorfolkWhite]

Yep rough will be chopped back and the bunkers at Whistling Straits are not really linksy pot bunkers on the whole they are giant swathes of sand meandering round the fairways, - think that's the one where DJ was penalised as he didn't even realise he was in a bunker isn't it, cost him the PGA?

[Gandalf]

Mrs G had planned my day until 4pm when the football started, but she didn't know about the Ryder Cup, so I had to get my skates on and managed to watch the last 2 hours. Enthralling entertainment (especially compared to the turgid Cardiff v Burnley game). Being old school, I don't like the football like atmosphere at the Ryder Cup - the Thunderclap ffs, but the golf made up for it. Well done to Europe, who won it really in the fourballs and foursomes, although I was expecting more of a US surge in the singles.

[whiteswan]

Your handicap is the number of shots that the course "par" is adjusted by for you. So the standard for a golf course is par 72 so your "par" becomes 83 if you play off 11. Each of the holes is ranked in terms of difficulty on a golf course (stroke index) from 1 (hardest) to 18 (easiest) - if your handicap is 11 you get your "extra" shots for your handicap on holes with a stroke index of 1 - 11.

Really good amateur golfers have a "+" handicap which means that you have to be under the course par to play to your own par.....there has been some rough research done that suggests to make a living playing tour golf you need a handicap of +6 / +7

Thanks Norfolk, I've now had a couple of days to get my head round that, makes sense now

[NorfolkWhite]

Thanks Norfolk, I've now had a couple of days to get my head round that, makes sense now

Wasn’t sure it would make any sense when I typed it

[John in Louisiana]

They are done on points from tournament finishes so in theory should be a good indicator, virtually no matchplay tornaments though so doesn't represent who does well in this format.

I think however one of the biggest factors this week was the course. The Americans just don't play courses that are so penal, US public want players hitting it 350 yards and shooting 20 under. When you have to hack out of the rough like you did this weekend it's totally alien to them. Much akin to home advantage in a test match - guarantee there will be no rough to speak of in 2 years time back is the US

Certainly the course was a major factor, but not enough to account for such a wide margin.

Le Golf National measured just under 7,200 yards and Whistling Straits isn't significantly longer. I imagine the fairways will be wider and the greens much faster in two years.

But I have always suspected the Europeans are just tougher mentally. When things started going badly, the Americans, for the most part, folded up. They've spent the last 24 hours venting frustration with one another and pointing the finger of blame. That does not bode well for 2020.

[NorfolkWhite]

Certainly the course was a major factor, but not enough to account for such a wide margin.

Le Golf National measured just under 7,200 yards and Whistling Straits isn't significantly longer. I imagine the fairways will be wider and the greens much faster in two years.

But I have always suspected the Europeans are just tougher mentally. When things started going badly, the Americans, for the most part, folded up. They've spent the last 24 hours venting frustration with one another and pointing the finger of blame. That does not bode well for 2020.

It was certainly a return to the bad old days of team dynamic for the Americans, heard Furyk say that he will gather his thoughts and heave a debrief with the USPGA, sure that aspect of the weekend will be high on the agenda.