2012 'Shocking' Ryder Cup Review

Wow! What a great a great Ryder Cup and an amazing Sunday of golf. A truly stunning result and certainly one of my top five most memorable golf broadcasts. I wanted to share of few of my impressions from the week. Here goes:

• Ian Poulter: I have always enjoyed Ian's 'confidence' - some might call it arrogance, but I've never seen it that way and I have also thought him to be a top player and competitor. Everything I believed about Ian James Poulter has now been tripled! He, (virtually) single-handedly, won the cup for Europe with his five closing birdies on Saturday. Those five holes and that win for Europe allowed them to hang on to a glimmer of hope for Sunday and without that glimmer they don't get the job done. He now owns the best all time Ryder Cup record for players who have played in at least 15 matches - that says something about IJP.
• Phil Mickelson: While I have never been a fan of Phil, this weekend I finally packed up my things and climbed on his bandwagon. One of the coolest things I witnessed all week was Phil clapping for Justin Rose when he hit a good shot or holed a long putt. He played with fire, he played beautifully, and above all else he was a true gentleman.
• Keegan Bradley: This guy is for real. He has tremendous heart and just like Poulter, has the make up to be a fantastic competitor for many years to come in the Ryder Cup. I did not get the benefit to the sideways look at putts and the twitchy, start stop pre-shot routine has got to go. I was glad I had the golf recorded so I could fast forward while he got ready to hit a shot....
• Jose Maria Olazabal: It was great for Ollie to get the win and it was obvious on his face how often he thought of his friend and mentor Seve Ballesteros. Seve truly was the 13th amn and I believe his influence played a laregr than appreciated role in the European victory. I enjoyed JMO's post victory quote: "All men die, but not all men live. Today you made me feel alive again!"
• Should Davis Love III get the blame? Completely ridiculous! If one putt or chip goes in for the US squad on Sunday the result is completely flipped and he's a hero.
• Bubba on the 1st tee: Perhaps one of my favorite moments of the event! I got chills the first time I saw it and I hope (believe) he has started a trend in the matches that will continue for a long time. You saw him do it first! Great stuff.

• Giving putts and conceding matches: Francesco Molinari was instructed in the 18th fairway to win the hole by Ollie. In my view there is a difference in retaining the Cup and winning the Cup. Same celebration and 'same' outcome, but winning is always better. I honestly don't think I would have given TW his putt either....
• Spirit of the matches: This Ryder Cup was contended by two excellent teams where many of the players seemed to be in form. The matches were great theater and the players conducted themselves in a classy fashion. I did not see anything that I thought to be underhanded.
• Sour grapes: The European team is sour when they lose and their fans claim gamesmanship and unsporting conduct when they lose (see Brookline '99). The US team and their fans are no different (see Medinah '12). Nobody enjoys losing - it's human nature and I'm okay with that.
• Top players on each team: For the Euro squad it must be Poulter who also gets Man of the Ryder Cup in my books. On Saturday afternoon he loaded up the whole event on his back and said watch this...A nod must also go to Rory McIlroy who played some incredible golf and carried the 'World No. 1' flag beautifully. For the Americans there were a few superstars: Jason Dufner, who just continues to get better; Keegan Bradley who fired up Phil and played liked a man possessed; and Phil, who not only played with passion again, but owned the 'classy moment' of the week. Dustin Johnson also quietly went 3-0.
• Duds: For the Euro team G-Mac and Westwood performed below expectations and for the US it can only be TW and Stricker who earned a measly half point out of 8 opportunities.
• Was this a 'miracle' comeback? No, not really. If you run the odds on a team coming back from a 10-6 deficit going in to Sunday you come out with a 19% chance. Even though it's only happened once before, not a miracle at all.
• Don't count your chickens: Here's an interesting piece written by ESPN's Gene Wojchiechowski on Saturday evening. Gene has been taking a beating for this one.....

In total I absolutely loved the event and it once again proves that the game of golf is in good shape. There are more than enough great players and characters to carry the game without Tiger being what he once was.

Masters Week 2010 Edition

The week that every golfer anticipates from all the way back in November is finally here - Masters Week 2010! I would like this to be a one-stop shop for all things pertaining to Augusta National and the Masters and as a result I have tracked any and all pertinent information down and linked it to the site. Enjoy!

• Tournament Tee Times  All the best to KJ Choi and Matt Kuchar who drew the short stick - and Tiger!
• Masters.com  The Official Site - for the latest news and some great photography
• Live online coverage - here
• Official Course Tour
• Golf.com Masters Coverage
• Golf.com has some excellent and unusual aerial shots of the course

• Read some interesting first accounts of Tiger's Press Conference on Monday

• Golf Digest Masters Coverage
• The Golf Channel's Coverage
• TV Times and Schedule
• Updated Masters Odds  England finally seems to have a solid chance again in Poulter, Casey, Donald, Rose and Westwood.

• Augusta National just over 7 weeks ago! You have never seen the course looking like this....
• The course is closed during the summer. Here is what it looks like in the winter.....

This week also happens to mark the one year anniversary of andrewricegolf.com! In our first year we have had almost 40,000 visitors and continue to grow. Thanks so much for your support and readership and I can promise another year of even better and more insightful content.

BTW - my picks for this week are Phil and the Goose! Yours?

Enjoy the tournament.

Open Championship Notes

Wow!  After watching the happenings at Turnberry yesterday I can emphatically state that the Open Championship (and not the 'British Open' as we Americans prefer to call it!) is the greatest golf event in the world!  At what other championship would a 16 year old, an almost 60 year old and a champion all be involved in the awards ceremony?  From the history, to the ever changing weather, to the golf courses, to the true international 'openness' of the event I love everything about it. Stewart Cink:

• All the other contenders (Watson, Westwood, Wood and Els) bogeyed the final hole while Stewart made birdie.  A great recipe for winning major champioships - get in contention and then birdie the last!
• While I felt bad for Old Tom, Stewart played beautifully in the playoff;  getting it up and down from a pot bunker from 35 yards; parring a par three that played all of 230 yards; and making simple birdies on the final two holes.  Flawless!
• Did you notice how far short of the hole he landed his ball on the 72nd green?  It looked like 35 yards and finished beautifully.  The other contenders who bogeyed all landed their shots in the 15-20 yards range short and we know where they ended up.
• Did Cink have anything to do with his handsome young sons? They look like exact, albeit male, replicas of their mom.
• I am sure the Cink family will enjoy their vacation in Montana over the next two weeks.  Hopefully Dad's cell phone will not have service as he might be getting a few calls!

Old Tom Watson: (and I call him that with admiration!)

• What an amazing performance! Perhaps the greatest tournament ever played by a golfer over fifty? This Open week will always be remembered as the year of Tom Watson.
• I spent a few hours with Mr. Watson on a charter plane a few years ago and was amazed at the toughness I sensed in the man.  Toughness in a positive way.  That toughness came out this week in his play on the back nine and even in his final swing in regulation.  In his press conference he indicated that he struck an 8 iron to the 72nd green and said, "I like it!" when the ball was in the air.  If only it was a nine iron!
• What a gentleman!  Tom Watson should be applauded not only for his stellar play, but also for his self control, lack of emotional outburst and sportsmanship. Young golfers can learn so much from Tom Watson and his demeanour on the course this week. In fact all golfers, Tiger Woods included, can learn from him.
• I never once saw him speak to his ball in flight or grimace at a poor strike or result.  Sergio, I hope you were watching and learning!
• I love the way Tom gets into a shot - two waggles of the club and bang!  Every time!  He is a good one to emulate when it comes to a pre-shot routine.

The Golf Course:

• Why can modern golf course designers not build golf courses like Turnberry today?  I cannot understand why not.  The course is simple without any trickery or  manufactured hazards. 
• I love links golf as it incorporates the two greatest hazards of all - wind and undulation!  All a golf course needs is a little exposure to wind, firm turf and a few well thought out humps and hollows and you have a gem.
• While Turnberry looked green due to all the rain they have had this year, the course is not irrigated.  What is wrong with a little browning in a fairway?  It makes for firm ground conditions, allows the ball to roll and ultimately plays a whole lot better than the always fashionable plush green fairways.

As you can tell I like old school.  I like old school championships, golfers, courtesy and courses!  What do you like?