With only two days left until the Ryder Cup begins in Chicago, excitement has reached fever pitch amongst golf fans.
The biennial event is always one of the sporting highlights of the year and this contest promises to be another thrilling and close encounter.
Europe are of course the holders after edging out USA 14.5-13.5 in 2010 at Celtic Manor.
Home advantage probably just makes the Americans slight favourites to win the trophy back this weekend, but my gut feeling is that Jose Maria Olazabal's side will be bringing home the trophy on the plane come Monday morning.
Here's the five reasons why.
1) Jose Maria Olazabal will be a Fantastic Captain
The Spaniard competed in seven Ryder Cups winning on four occasions. Perhaps not a record that jumps out as outstanding, but he was one of the most passionate players ever to participate for Team Europe.
He formed a formidable partnership with his fellow countryman and mentor Seve Ballesteros in both the foursomes and fourballs between 1987-1993. In foursomes he only lost one match out of ten.
The spirit of Seve will be evident with his image set to adorn the European players bags over the three days.
Olazabal will use his late friend's memory to inspire his players out on Medinah and that will give the European team an edge over their American counterparts.
2) There are More 'obvious' European Pairings
The key word here is 'obvious'. By that I mean that Jose Maria Olazabal won't have to overly think about who he is going to pair up over the first two days.
The most obvious pairing is the Northern Ireland duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell. They are two great players who will complement each other and are crucially great friends as well.
And what about the four Englishmen in the team in the shape of Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.
As they are listed above, those pairings will be extremely formidable. Poulter will be one of Europe's key men due to his passion and his ability to conjure up constant brilliant shots.
Rose is bang in form having finished second at the Tour Championship and is one of the most under-rated golfers in the last few years.
And what about Donald and Westwood, both who have been ranked World Number One in the world. Donald has never been on the losing side in a Ryder Cup and has tremendous experience of American courses.
And as for Westwood, he must be hot favourite to hit the first shot on Friday for Team Europe. He will be the talisman for Olazabal and his experience and great friendship with Donald will surely deliver points on Friday and Saturday.
3) The Ryder Cup Means More to Team Europe
A bold claim, but one that has been seen so many times over the years no matter where the Ryder Cup has been played.
Picture the scene. A player has a 10ft to go one up with a few holes to play in a fourball match on Saturday evening. It drops, firm in the back of the cup. The player then roars with delight and high fives his playing partner.
I'm convinced that 99% of you are now thinking of a European player making that putt and celebrating on the greens of Medinah.
Europe have won four of the last five Ryder Cups and that is because they come together as a team, while America fall into the trap of playing for themselves.
As the competition intensifies, that attitude could well be prevalent in the American team again.
4) There is Only one Rookie on Team Europe
America may have the home advantage, but their 12 man team features four players that will be playing in their first Ryder Cup.
Now, there's no doubting these players (Webb Simpson, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker) are top golfers, but they know very little about the atmosphere and the pressure that comes with the Ryder Cup.
Contrast the four rookies to Europe's single one Nicolas Colsaerts. Experience cannot be understated at all in a Ryder Cup.
The four afore mentioned American golfers will obviously be backed to the hilt by the home fans but I feel they may well wilt when faced with the likes of Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell who love big crowds and will be pumped up.
5) European Players are Bang In Form
Brandt Snedeker may have walked off with a cool $10m after winning the Fed Ex Cup series on Sunday, but the European players competing this weekend are showing great signs of form as well.
Rory McIlroy has been in blistering form in the last six weeks which started with an eight shot win at the PGA Championship. He followed that up with wins at the Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship in successive weeks at the start of September to win two events in the Fed Ex Cup series.
Despite a poor 74 on Sunday at the Tour Championship, there is no hotter golfer in the world right now than McIlroy.
Justin Rose finished second at the Tour Championship so will be full of confidence in Medinah having also finished tied third at the PGA Championship.
Outwith McIlroy, Luke Donald is the most consistent player on tour right now and had another top three finish this week. His putting will be key to racking up the points for Europe in Chicago.
And then you have Paul Lawrie who has had a fantastic comeback in 2012 and recently won the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last in.
Factor in Sergio Garcia's win at the Wyndham Championship in August on the PGA Tour as well as Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter having three top tens in the Majors this year, then you have a European team bursting to get going.
With all 24 golfers playing in Chicago in the top 35 of the World Rankings, this Ryder Cup could see the greatest golf ever seen in the competition's history.
The three days will be full of fierce contests, fist pumps and magnificent teamwork.
But Olazabal's men will just edge it 14.5-13.5 to keep the trophy.
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Wednesday 5 September 2012
Sharing the Love: Profiling the US Ryder Cup Team
Yesterday Davis Love III named his four captains picks for the US Ryder Cup team.
The four men lucky enough to get the call were Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker.
The 12 men making up the American team are a mix of rookies and experienced heads but will it be enough to wrestle the Ryder Cup away from Europe?
Having profiled Jose Maria Olazabal's team last week who are hoping to retain the trophy (http://www.ewansworldofsport.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/a-winning-team-profiling-european-ryder.html), I will now take a look at the American team.
Tiger Woods: The most famous golfer of all time has certainly shown major signs of returning to form in 2012.
He has three wins on the PGA Tour this season (Arnold Palmer, The Memorial and the AT+T National) and finished third at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday.
Despite not winning a major this year, he does seem closer than he was the last couple of years finishing in a tie for third at the Open in July.
His Ryder Cup record is very mixed though and he has never seemed to 'feel' the occasion.
But he could well be inspired by the course at Medinah- a place where he won two PGA championships in 1999 and 2006.
Webb Simpson: The US Open champion is one of four rookies in the American team compared to just the one (Nicolas Colsaerts) in the European team.
However, he showed great mettle when winning the US Open in June, shooting a pair of superb 68's over the weekend.
His recent form though has been extremely poor. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship and the first event of the FedEx Cup series before only finishing in a tie for 18th at the Deutsche Bank championship.
Jason Dufner: Another rookie on the US team, but one that is ranked 7th in both the World Rankings and the FedEx cup standings.
He might show little emotion on the course but Dufner loves to win. He has won twice this season on the PGA Tour (Zurich Classic and the Byron Nelson Championship) and during a superb spell around May and June, he also finished in a tie for fourth at the US Open.
The course should suit him and I believe he could be one of the US's top points scorers.
Bubba Watson: This years Masters champion is one of golf's great characters with his huge drives and bubbly personality.
Due to his swing, he can be very wild off the tee and he could be a liability for Love over the three days. He only managed one win from four last time around and his recent form has been poor and infact Watson has only managed two top tens since his win at Augusta.
Keegan Bradley: The winner of last years PGA Championship- on his Major debut nonetheless is my tip to be America's best player.
It may be the 26 year-olds debut in the Ryder Cup but he absolutely thrives on the big occasion.
A fantastic ball striker who will be key in the foursomes in particular, Bradley will come to Medinah in great form.
Last month he won the Bridgestone Invitational before finishing in a tie for third at the PGA Championship.
Expect him to be a regular player over the first two days.
Matt Kuchar: Kuchar is another American player who will be lining up in the foursomes matches due to his great iron play.
He has been in top form this season, most notably in May when he won the Players Championship.
That followed an impressive tied for third at the Masters and he has also had top tens in big events such as The Open and the Bridgestone Invitational.
However, he recently shot a horrendous 82 at the PGA Championship and Love will hope that's long gone from his mind by the time the competition starts in a few weeks.
Zach Johnson: The 2007 Masters champion will be playing in his third Ryder Cup and will be desperate to get a first win in the event.
The course doesn't suit has natural game but Steve Stricker aside, he is the best putter on the American team and he has always seemed to enjoy playing in the Ryder Cup.
Despite not challenging at the top end of any Major this year (his best has been a tie for 9th at The Open), he does have two wins this season so goes into the competition in confident mood.
Phil Mickelson: Much like Martin Kaymer on the European team, it sounds crazy to say someone of 'Lefty's' talents will be a weak link to his side, but he has been in very poor form.
After a tremendous start to the year when he won the AT+T at Pebble Beach and followed that up with a second place at the Northern Trust Open and a tie for third at the Masters, his form went out the window.
His summer slump saw him fail to challenge at the US Open and the PGA Championship as well as missing the cut at The Open.
However, on Monday came a glimmer of hope. Mickelson managed to finish tied fourth at the Deutsche Bank championship shooting four rounds in the 60s.
Love will hope it's that Mickelson that shows up in Chicago.
Steve Stricker: The first of the four picks selected by Davis Love is the oldest player on either side at 45 years old.
His experience was the main reason for his selection as well as the fact he is the only person that can easily partner Tiger Woods.
His putting is also a superb weapon for the US to have and he comes into the event in good form with top seven finishes at the Bridgestone and the PGA Championship last month.
Dustin Johnson: I was so confident that Johnson would get a pick from Love, I considered lumping my life savings on it for a pitiful return.
The Medinah course suits his long driving game down to a tee and it would have been a crazy decision if Love didn't pick him.
A natural talent who is surely due to win a Major soon, he came into form at the perfect time ahead of Love's selections finishing in the top five at both of the opening two events of the FedEX Cup series.
He'll be keen to improve on his record of one win last time out.
Brandt Snedeker: The final rookie on the American side was like Dustin Johnson in timing his run of form to perfection.
He finished second at The Barclays two weeks ago before ending up in a tie for sixth at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday.
Snedeker also led The Open at the halfway stage after superb rounds of 66 and 64, before finishing in a tie for third.
Blessed with a wonderful putting stroke, Snedeker deserves his chance at trying to win the Ryder Cup.
Jim Furyk: Completing the US Ryder Cup team is the 2003 US Open champion Furyk.
Perhaps the most controversial of Love's picks, Furyk will need to deliver big time if he isn't to get a slaughtering by the US media.
He has lost a staggering 15 matches out of 27 at the Ryder Cup and this year has blown chances to win the US Open and the Bridgestone Invitational.
Love will hope that Furyk thrives on the criticism and that home advantage can carry him on.
Love's 12 men that have been given the task of winning the Ryder Cup back undoubtedly have world class talent in abundance between them with a great mix of youngsters and experience.
But can the rookies handle the pressure or will they collapse in the heat of Chicago?
It's going to be extremely close as I said last week. Right now I can't even call a winner.
The four men lucky enough to get the call were Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker.
The 12 men making up the American team are a mix of rookies and experienced heads but will it be enough to wrestle the Ryder Cup away from Europe?
Having profiled Jose Maria Olazabal's team last week who are hoping to retain the trophy (http://www.ewansworldofsport.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/a-winning-team-profiling-european-ryder.html), I will now take a look at the American team.
Tiger Woods: The most famous golfer of all time has certainly shown major signs of returning to form in 2012.
He has three wins on the PGA Tour this season (Arnold Palmer, The Memorial and the AT+T National) and finished third at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday.
Despite not winning a major this year, he does seem closer than he was the last couple of years finishing in a tie for third at the Open in July.
His Ryder Cup record is very mixed though and he has never seemed to 'feel' the occasion.
But he could well be inspired by the course at Medinah- a place where he won two PGA championships in 1999 and 2006.
Webb Simpson: The US Open champion is one of four rookies in the American team compared to just the one (Nicolas Colsaerts) in the European team.
However, he showed great mettle when winning the US Open in June, shooting a pair of superb 68's over the weekend.
His recent form though has been extremely poor. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship and the first event of the FedEx Cup series before only finishing in a tie for 18th at the Deutsche Bank championship.
Jason Dufner: Another rookie on the US team, but one that is ranked 7th in both the World Rankings and the FedEx cup standings.
He might show little emotion on the course but Dufner loves to win. He has won twice this season on the PGA Tour (Zurich Classic and the Byron Nelson Championship) and during a superb spell around May and June, he also finished in a tie for fourth at the US Open.
The course should suit him and I believe he could be one of the US's top points scorers.
Bubba Watson: This years Masters champion is one of golf's great characters with his huge drives and bubbly personality.
Due to his swing, he can be very wild off the tee and he could be a liability for Love over the three days. He only managed one win from four last time around and his recent form has been poor and infact Watson has only managed two top tens since his win at Augusta.
Keegan Bradley: The winner of last years PGA Championship- on his Major debut nonetheless is my tip to be America's best player.
It may be the 26 year-olds debut in the Ryder Cup but he absolutely thrives on the big occasion.
A fantastic ball striker who will be key in the foursomes in particular, Bradley will come to Medinah in great form.
Last month he won the Bridgestone Invitational before finishing in a tie for third at the PGA Championship.
Expect him to be a regular player over the first two days.
Matt Kuchar: Kuchar is another American player who will be lining up in the foursomes matches due to his great iron play.
He has been in top form this season, most notably in May when he won the Players Championship.
That followed an impressive tied for third at the Masters and he has also had top tens in big events such as The Open and the Bridgestone Invitational.
However, he recently shot a horrendous 82 at the PGA Championship and Love will hope that's long gone from his mind by the time the competition starts in a few weeks.
Zach Johnson: The 2007 Masters champion will be playing in his third Ryder Cup and will be desperate to get a first win in the event.
The course doesn't suit has natural game but Steve Stricker aside, he is the best putter on the American team and he has always seemed to enjoy playing in the Ryder Cup.
Despite not challenging at the top end of any Major this year (his best has been a tie for 9th at The Open), he does have two wins this season so goes into the competition in confident mood.
Phil Mickelson: Much like Martin Kaymer on the European team, it sounds crazy to say someone of 'Lefty's' talents will be a weak link to his side, but he has been in very poor form.
After a tremendous start to the year when he won the AT+T at Pebble Beach and followed that up with a second place at the Northern Trust Open and a tie for third at the Masters, his form went out the window.
His summer slump saw him fail to challenge at the US Open and the PGA Championship as well as missing the cut at The Open.
However, on Monday came a glimmer of hope. Mickelson managed to finish tied fourth at the Deutsche Bank championship shooting four rounds in the 60s.
Love will hope it's that Mickelson that shows up in Chicago.
Steve Stricker: The first of the four picks selected by Davis Love is the oldest player on either side at 45 years old.
His experience was the main reason for his selection as well as the fact he is the only person that can easily partner Tiger Woods.
His putting is also a superb weapon for the US to have and he comes into the event in good form with top seven finishes at the Bridgestone and the PGA Championship last month.
Dustin Johnson: I was so confident that Johnson would get a pick from Love, I considered lumping my life savings on it for a pitiful return.
The Medinah course suits his long driving game down to a tee and it would have been a crazy decision if Love didn't pick him.
A natural talent who is surely due to win a Major soon, he came into form at the perfect time ahead of Love's selections finishing in the top five at both of the opening two events of the FedEX Cup series.
He'll be keen to improve on his record of one win last time out.
Brandt Snedeker: The final rookie on the American side was like Dustin Johnson in timing his run of form to perfection.
He finished second at The Barclays two weeks ago before ending up in a tie for sixth at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday.
Snedeker also led The Open at the halfway stage after superb rounds of 66 and 64, before finishing in a tie for third.
Blessed with a wonderful putting stroke, Snedeker deserves his chance at trying to win the Ryder Cup.
Jim Furyk: Completing the US Ryder Cup team is the 2003 US Open champion Furyk.
Perhaps the most controversial of Love's picks, Furyk will need to deliver big time if he isn't to get a slaughtering by the US media.
He has lost a staggering 15 matches out of 27 at the Ryder Cup and this year has blown chances to win the US Open and the Bridgestone Invitational.
Love will hope that Furyk thrives on the criticism and that home advantage can carry him on.
Love's 12 men that have been given the task of winning the Ryder Cup back undoubtedly have world class talent in abundance between them with a great mix of youngsters and experience.
But can the rookies handle the pressure or will they collapse in the heat of Chicago?
It's going to be extremely close as I said last week. Right now I can't even call a winner.
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