I doubt any of them are thinking man I dont want to let tom watson (or others previously) down. So I would agree its not a big factor. But, it sure does seem like the euros show more team unity. I guess 12/16 helps build that. Lol!
Watson is a fucking retard. Silly old man.
The whole us team is a mess. Most of them talk in tournaments all the time about ‘putting myself in position to win’. Then they finish 5th, and get $240,000, get a pat on the back and some world ranking points. Do that ten times a year and you’re laughing. Unfortunately it breeds a bunch of great golfers who don’t know how to step on the other guys throat
Only 2 guys in 20 years have stood up and said ‘I’m here to win.’. Tiger, and to a lesser extent, Phil. The rest are professional top 5 finishers.
In Europe they have bred a history of winners. They have to win in Europe, otherwise they make no money. It’s a battle for first all the time. The money has historically been 1/5th of the US tour.
I love Phil. Seeing him sit out all fucking day in what is likely his last Ryder Cup as a player was hard to watch. Tom Watson is a retard and I’m glad he is being raked. NBC must want to stab Watson. Ratings were bad enough without tiger. Then you take Phil and keep him off TV all day???
Sak - funny thing about your post here is that my Dad and I were having this exact same conversation last night about why the US has had a generally poor record at the Ryder Cup. His argument was that there is just too much money in the sport nowadays, and so the US guys just lack the “heart” to win match-play blah blah blah…
I dismissed him out of hand by countering, of course, that the more money in the game the better. Without Tiger, for example, there would have been far less golf courses built, far less interest in the game, and necessarily a decrease in the supply of talented golfers. So more money floating around should, theoretically, produce higher caliber players that are capable of dominating Ryder Cups.
But I guess what I failed to account for was the fact that these admittedly great players can just kind of coast along every year, without winning a tournament (let alone major) and still have wildly successful careers.
But like you say, what about that experience gives them any preparation or instinct to stomp on opponents’ throats when necessary?
In any event, good insight as always from you (+karma). I need to rethink my previous position and possibly concede that my Dad may have been onto something…
Charles Howell is the best example
Came out in 2001 as a young gun
Has won twice in 15 seasons (Michelob which is dead… He won the last one) and the LA open like 6 years ago. Nothing else. 2 paltry wins
But he has something like 30 million in tour earnings and another 20 million in endorsements over those 15 years. Wildly successful life. Can’t win for shit at the top level.
The US team usually has 5 or 6 of those guys. Good guys, great to tens, not many wins in big events if at all. Lots of blown leads at majors… Lots of 5ths.
This year that’s :
kuchar
furyk
Spieth
Mahan
Walker
The throat stomper killer instinct guys are:
Mickelson
Bradley
Reed
Watson (bubba)
Simpson
Johnson (he’s like a chihuahua trying to kill you… Doesn’t have any weapons, but he has that killer instinct)
Unfortunately Mickelson wasn’t allowed to play… Bradley, Simpson, Watson came in playing shit.
Just no chance. Your throat stoppers are on the sidelines. Or are playing shit. Your boring cheque cashers …they’re busy 'getting in position to win the match… But not actually winning. They’re all blowing big leads and losing matches.
How are you going to compete with
Rory, Westwood, Sergio, Donaldson, poulter, McDowell, Rose- all guys who are playing amazing, and can’t wait to hate/kill Americans.
Dubuisson has the killer instinct too.
Stenson is crazy but not the right crazy. I think he is a cheque casher.
Bjorn is just old and outmatched.
But the heart of Europe’s guys are all about murdering America at golf, and that’s the difference.
Here’s my theory on team USA golf. In all USA sports, the big money and prestige is in the domestic sphere. There is no higher achievement in the NFL than the super bowl, the world series for baseball etc etc. For ice hockey, the Olympics only come round once every 4 years and even then only with the blessing of the NHL do the best players appear.
Europe on the other hand is in a perpetual cycle on international sport, even though the renumeration is not so hot. There’s an international football tournament every 2 years with qualifying in between. The rugby teams play an annual championship.
I think it’s more in European culture to be able to cobble together a team for an event like the Ryder Cup.
might be bango. But once you have the team all that matters is what are they out there to do… Win and kill their opponents? Or play well a d get a pat on the back for ‘giving yourself a chance to win’.
GO FUCKING WIN!
Wow lots of drama from the the US loss. Pretty awkward press conference with Phil basically trashing Watson’s management and leadership. Doesn’t reflect well on Team USA.
That said, I’m skeptical how influential captains really are in the Ryder Cup. It’s still basically an individual game. What do you guys think?
I doubt any of them are thinking man I dont want to let tom watson (or others previously) down. So I would agree its not a big factor. But, it sure does seem like the euros show more team unity. I guess 12/16 helps build that. Lol!
Speaking of international events, the 2016 Olympics will be very interesting. Wonder what format they’ll use.
Watson is a fucking retard. Silly old man.
The whole us team is a mess. Most of them talk in tournaments all the time about ‘putting myself in position to win’. Then they finish 5th, and get $240,000, get a pat on the back and some world ranking points. Do that ten times a year and you’re laughing. Unfortunately it breeds a bunch of great golfers who don’t know how to step on the other guys throat
Only 2 guys in 20 years have stood up and said ‘I’m here to win.’. Tiger, and to a lesser extent, Phil. The rest are professional top 5 finishers.
In Europe they have bred a history of winners. They have to win in Europe, otherwise they make no money. It’s a battle for first all the time. The money has historically been 1/5th of the US tour.
I love Phil. Seeing him sit out all fucking day in what is likely his last Ryder Cup as a player was hard to watch. Tom Watson is a retard and I’m glad he is being raked. NBC must want to stab Watson. Ratings were bad enough without tiger. Then you take Phil and keep him off TV all day???
Sak - funny thing about your post here is that my Dad and I were having this exact same conversation last night about why the US has had a generally poor record at the Ryder Cup. His argument was that there is just too much money in the sport nowadays, and so the US guys just lack the “heart” to win match-play blah blah blah…
I dismissed him out of hand by countering, of course, that the more money in the game the better. Without Tiger, for example, there would have been far less golf courses built, far less interest in the game, and necessarily a decrease in the supply of talented golfers. So more money floating around should, theoretically, produce higher caliber players that are capable of dominating Ryder Cups.
But I guess what I failed to account for was the fact that these admittedly great players can just kind of coast along every year, without winning a tournament (let alone major) and still have wildly successful careers.
But like you say, what about that experience gives them any preparation or instinct to stomp on opponents’ throats when necessary?
In any event, good insight as always from you (+karma). I need to rethink my previous position and possibly concede that my Dad may have been onto something…
Charles Howell is the best example
Came out in 2001 as a young gun
Has won twice in 15 seasons (Michelob which is dead… He won the last one) and the LA open like 6 years ago. Nothing else. 2 paltry wins
But he has something like 30 million in tour earnings and another 20 million in endorsements over those 15 years. Wildly successful life. Can’t win for shit at the top level.
The US team usually has 5 or 6 of those guys. Good guys, great to tens, not many wins in big events if at all. Lots of blown leads at majors… Lots of 5ths.
This year that’s :
kuchar
furyk
Spieth
Mahan
Walker
The throat stomper killer instinct guys are:
Mickelson
Bradley
Reed
Watson (bubba)
Simpson
Johnson (he’s like a chihuahua trying to kill you… Doesn’t have any weapons, but he has that killer instinct)
Unfortunately Mickelson wasn’t allowed to play… Bradley, Simpson, Watson came in playing shit.
Just no chance. Your throat stoppers are on the sidelines. Or are playing shit. Your boring cheque cashers …they’re busy 'getting in position to win the match… But not actually winning. They’re all blowing big leads and losing matches.
How are you going to compete with
Rory, Westwood, Sergio, Donaldson, poulter, McDowell, Rose- all guys who are playing amazing, and can’t wait to hate/kill Americans.
Dubuisson has the killer instinct too.
Stenson is crazy but not the right crazy. I think he is a cheque casher.
Bjorn is just old and outmatched.
But the heart of Europe’s guys are all about murdering America at golf, and that’s the difference.
Here’s my theory on team USA golf. In all USA sports, the big money and prestige is in the domestic sphere. There is no higher achievement in the NFL than the super bowl, the world series for baseball etc etc. For ice hockey, the Olympics only come round once every 4 years and even then only with the blessing of the NHL do the best players appear.
Europe on the other hand is in a perpetual cycle on international sport, even though the renumeration is not so hot. There’s an international football tournament every 2 years with qualifying in between. The rugby teams play an annual championship.
I think it’s more in European culture to be able to cobble together a team for an event like the Ryder Cup.
might be bango. But once you have the team all that matters is what are they out there to do… Win and kill their opponents? Or play well a d get a pat on the back for ‘giving yourself a chance to win’.
GO FUCKING WIN!
Speaking of international events, the 2016 Olympics will be very interesting. Wonder what format they’ll use.
The format is already out.
The format is already out.
Funny shit!