If the Ryder Cup started today

[Schwartzy61]

USA almost always has the best players and is always the favorite on paper. Now that hasn't worked out real well like you mention, so perhaps this new system will put some youth and energy in the team and actually make it a better team. But in the end the European squad has certainly found a way to win the more recent cups no matter who gets run out there.

[ligastar]

[ QUOTE ]
The teams would be:

US
Woods, Mickleson, Furyk, Chad Campbell, David Toms, DiMarco, JJ Henry, Zach Johnson, Brett Wetterich and John Rollins. Possible captain's picks: Love, Couples, Cink, Verplank and Lucas Glover.

Euros
Monty, David Howell, Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Robert Karlesson, Sergio Garcia, Padrig Harrington and Paul McGinley. Possible captain's picks: Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clake, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Lee Westwood.

WTF US? If these are the teams we will get completely spanked this year. Where is all of our young talent? John Rollins, Brett Wetterich and JJ Henry? OMFG. Great job by the PGA of America on their new selection criteria. What a joke. There is no way we should be the favorites this year.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can scratch DLIII off your possible captain's picks. His game is broke and isn't coming back.

[shemp]

JJ Henry has actually won since May 1st -- unlike Phil, Campbell, Toms, Johnson, and DiMarco. Rollins and probably Wetterich, too, needs points. I think/hope your Captain's candidates are wrong, and that Love, Couples, Cink, and Verplank need to finish 11th get selected.

I also contest the "best on paper", in that world rankings aren't so precise, probably biased towards the US tour, and don't necessarily reflect how someone has been playing the last two months. -- and, finally, the Europeans prepare much better, as if it were a major event, while the US more just kind of shows up. That the US was favoured before the last one was kind of silly, in my opinion, and I said it at the time.

[HDPM]

Agree w/ some of your points, but to the extent the world rankings are biased to the PGA Tour there is some justification for it. The US Tour is the strongest tour and is pretty international now. Top players from Europe, Australia and Asia are there and more are coming. It has caused some Ryder Cup points problems when lets say the second American in a strong tournament finishes 11 and gets no points but the guy who finishes 9th at the John Deere does. The European Tour is cool and a good tour, but it is weaker. One area where the world rankings are flawed from what I understand of them (admittedly little) is that the strength of field is somewhat self-weighting in that the top plyers essentially bring the field with them. It is kind of hard to argue anyway when Tiger plays events with strong fields anyway, but any tournament he shows up in gets more points. So a second on the European tour if Tiger plays is worth more than when he is back in the states I think, and Tiger gets more points because he is there.

But hey, it could be the women's ranking where Michelle is still ahead of Karrie Webb. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ligastar]

[ QUOTE ]
-- and, finally, the Europeans prepare much better, as if it were a major event, while the US more just kind of shows up.

[/ QUOTE ]

The top U.S. players have to deal with this type of tournament every year (RC then PC then RC then PC, etc.). This has become an issue in that it is difficult for the U.S. to get hyped every year for a team competition. The PC started in 1994 and the U.S. record in the RC since the inception of the PC is 1 win, 4 losses. The recent European success has less to do with anything European players are doing and more to do with the U.S. being stretched thin by having to "get up" every year for a team competition instead of every two years. It is not any more complicated than this. The top players still are Americans / non-Euros.

[shemp]

The US had won 2 and lost 3 in the five RCs previous to 1994, and only lost 1 PC since 1994. Only 3 Americans are in the World top 10 -- which is biased towards the US tour. So I think it is more complicated.

[ligastar]

[ QUOTE ]
The US had won 2 and lost 3 in the five RCs previous to 1994, and only lost 1 PC since 1994. Only 3 Americans are in the World top 10 -- which is biased towards the US tour. So I think it is more complicated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Suffice it to say that the U.S. dominated the RC and then Europe won 4 of 5. What happened during this time frame? The U.S. was introduced into another team competition.

The solution: have the Euros play the ROtW in a team competition every 1/3 year so you have: RC one year, next year PC, and then next year Euros vs ROtW. Rinse and repeat.

Lastly, you don't want to get into a discussion of Americans lacking in talent. The U.S. is the world's best golfing nation in terms of pro talent. Period. End of story. The Euros haven't even won a major this decade. C'mon man...don't waste my time with this non-sense.

[shemp]

"Suffice it to say that the U.S. dominated the RC and then Europe won 4 of 5."

I'm saying this is wrong. US domination already ended.

I've never said the US lacked in talent.

[tuq]

ligastar,

Normally I love the cut of your jib but in this case I think you're wrong. Saying the US was introduced to another competition is of course correct, but it in no way should impact a player's performance in each calendar year. It's not like DiMarco is standing there thinking "meh, it's all good, if I miss this putt I'll just get 'em next year at the President's Cup!"

I honestly have no answer for the Americans' heinous performance in recent RC history, but I do tend to point towards the nature of man-on-man action. In a vacuum over the long-term, the US players will beat their opponent. But seriously, there is a negligible difference between them and Europe in an individual match.

[ligastar]

[ QUOTE ]
ligastar,

Normally I love the cut of your jib but in this case I think you're wrong. Saying the US was introduced to another competition is of course correct, but it in no way should impact a player's performance in each calendar year. It's not like DiMarco is standing there thinking "meh, it's all good, if I miss this putt I'll just get 'em next year at the President's Cup!"

I honestly have no answer for the Americans' heinous performance in recent RC history, but I do tend to point towards the nature of man-on-man action. In a vacuum over the long-term, the US players will beat their opponent. But seriously, there is a negligible difference between them and Europe in an individual match.

[/ QUOTE ]

Individual U.S. RC/PC team members have commented on the topic of playing a team event every year. They have said it negatively effects their performance in these events. Take it for what its worth.

I would really like to see a Euro vs ROtW event thrown into the mix. Especially since the ROtW team on paper is very strong.