Monday 22 September 2008

Bald Eagles win the Ryder Cup

En route to the park with the family yesterday (Swanley park - what a great place?), I tried to find a bookmaker offering the advertsied 11-4 for Europe to win the Ruder Cup. Luckily for me I failed. Tightwads Coombes were only giving 9-4 so my money stayed firmly in my pocket and praise be for that.

Nick Faldo's bold plan to back-load the singles line-up back-fired as the Americans won the middle four matches to secure the Cup. Anthony Kim set the example early on my marching into an unassailable lead against Sergio Garcia in the first head-to-head. He was up for the fight and his shots to the green were remarkable, ball after ball dropping within four feet of the flag. He was quickly three-up and Garcia was struggling with the course and the boisterous crowd. 

Paul Casey was behind in much of the second pairing in his game with Hunter Mahan. His putting again let him down but he did at least manage to stya in touch and fight back for a half-point at the last hole. Robert Karlsson and Justin Rose did the business, beating war horses Justin Leonard and Phil Mickleson respectively. Both controlled their matches and Karlsson's putting was superb as he sank 12-foot putts one after another to halve holes and retain his lead.

The American middle order then delivered the Cup.  Ken "Tucky" Perry beat Henrik Stenson 3&2 but it looked worse than that. Perry's putting was as good as anything we saw during the competition. I don't remember him missing one and he sank them from all over the place. All that and he had treatment on the back nine for shooting pains in his back and arm.

Fans favourite, Boo Weekley (sounds like a Geordie), gave the home crowd a legitmate excuse to "Boo" and the lively Red-neck

 continued his fine Ryder Cup form by beating new-boy Oliver Wilson 4&2.  Wilson actually played pretty well but Weekley was on a high and his putting wasn't far behind Perry's.

Big-hitter JB Holmes beat Soren Hansen 2&1 to put the Americans within a point of victory. Holmes had the edge over Sorenson throughout. He refuses to go by his first name of John out of embarrassment at any possible association with the legendary porn star of the same name. Shame conisdering he's so long off the tee.

That left it to Jim Furyk to win the match at the 17th as Angel Jimenez sportingly conceded the last two foot formality. I was pleased for Furyk because he is real gentleman and the one American you would choose to concede defeat to.

Interesting to see the spirit with which the Europeans took defeat. Surprisingly, Faldo looked as pleased as any of the bald American heroes and there was plenty of back-slapping between competitors. I saw a couple of hung-over Europeans being interviewed this morning and it looked like they all had a good night irrespective of the result.  I suppose that's what it should be like but the Amercians do at least simmer a bit in defeat. 

Surprisingly, given our antecedents, Golf is the only sport that we really compete in with the Amercans and the only one I can think of that unites Europe in a meaningful team.  Maybe that's what helps make the Ryder Cup a special event.


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