Ryder Cup 2008

[Shaggy]

If we do **** up it'll serve Faldo right for developing a cringeworthy transatlantic accent.

[bobbyfallon]

nobody has really mentioned casey not being a team player....

not sure which captain it was (LANGER) recently but anyways. the team were brought into their team room and asked to write down the names of people they would feel comfortable playing with - fourball, foursomes etc... the reason for this was so practice rounds could be played accordingly to see how they performed with each other...

of the whole team nobody had casey as a prefered partner !!!!! this is a fact

seems he is not well liked on the tour - faldo would have known this.

although in my opinion he deserves to be there to be fair so we will wait and see.

i predict a home win for this one

[Elvoz]

nobody has really mentioned casey not being a team player....

not sure which captain it was recently but anyways. the team were brought into their team room and asked to write down the names of people they would feel comfortable playing with - fourball, foursomes etc... the reason for this was so practice rounds could be played accordingly to see how they performed with each other...

of the whole team nobody had casey as a prefered partner !!!!! this is a fact

seems he is not well liked on the tour - faldo would have known this.

although in my opinion he deserves to be there to be fair so we will wait and see.

i predict a home win for this one

faldo imo see,s a little bit of what he was in poulter and casey

[bobbyfallon]

faldo imo see,s a little bit of what he was in poulter and casey

faldo was one of the best players ever to play the game a perfectionist and in general humble enough to go with it. over the years he has grown bitter as he couldnt compete anymore as he hits the ball nowhere off the tee and couldnt keep up with the new monster courses.

casey and poulter will never mirror his achievements and poulter more so than casey is just a cocky ****er and a prick to go along with it (remember tigers comments, "i thought poulter was the best in the world" or words to that effect)- faldo was never cocky like that and his talent always done the talking on the course

i met poulter and faldo when they stayed where im currently working nuremore hotel and country club - official hotel of the irish open when it was on in baltray. courtesy helicopter or car to baltray golf club provided

faldo checked out 15 mins after arrival because he didnt like his room. now its no belfry but highly regarded as one of the top hotels in the country.

poulter checked out later that evening after his trousers were not properly pressed - went into town and had them re-done... what a tit !!


so im sorry elvos - i cant see how you can compare faldo to casey or poulter. i think the one thing they have in common decided his decision.

obviously in my opinion


:hides:

[Elvoz]

i didnt mean in play

i meant in attitude

no one likes me/us- **** em type of attitude

[bobbyfallon]

i didnt mean in play

i meant in attitude

no one likes me/us- **** em type of attitude

this is fine for singles - not for a team though. this is my point.

the two of them will play together in 4ball 4somes... watch this space

[Elvoz]

this is fine for singles - not for a team though. this is my point.

the two of them will play together in 4ball 4somes... watch this space

****in hell mate they said as much last week

still i may visit your hotel soon

dizzie for a pal i assume

[bobbyfallon]

****in hell mate they said as much last week

still i may visit your hotel soon

dizzie for a pal i assume

aye for a pal

if your anything like poulter - press your own ****in trousers !!

[Elvoz]

aye for a pal

if your anything like poulter - press your own ****in trousers !!

if all goes well i wont need them pressed

[washDCRed]

Cant wait, thought i was away for this but ill be back from measuring rocks by then.

Think we will retain the cup.

Seve Ballesteros wants us to lose though to make it more interesting, could you imagine an American saying that if they were dominant?

Jack Nicklaus did - after the 1977 Cup. The event had become so one-sided that they changed the format to include players from continental Europe.

http://www.rydercup.com/2006/europe/history/results/1977.html

I think the US takes this one - these aren't the same US players who have been getting beat over the last several cups. Kim, Curtis, Weekly, Holmes and Mahan don't have the bad memories and add new life to an already strong team.

And all of them have something to prove with Mr. Woods out of the picture.

[bobbyfallon]

just left from the airport there now. good luck lads


anyone care to predict who plays with who first day??

harrington + jiminez
stenson + karlson
westwood + garcia
casey + mc dowell

^^^
boss recons

il go for...
harrington mc dowell
stenson and karlson
garcia and jimenez
casey and westwood





shocking predictions

FAIL

[Elvoz]

just left from the airport there now. good luck lads


anyone care to predict who plays with who first day??

harrington + jiminez
stenson + karlson
westwood + garcia
casey + mc dowell

^^^
boss recons

il go for...
harrington mc dowell
stenson and karlson
garcia and jimenez
casey and westwood

garcia and casey

[Sarb]

Is it worth watching? Europe will win again I'm sure. America can't play as a team. May as well not turn up for the first couple days and try and rescue it in the singles on the final day

[Shaggy]

Is it worth watching?!?!?

The first days I suppose could be passed on, but the last day - the singles - is always a must-watch.

[Shaggy]

European captain Nick Faldo teamed his players in pairings with a national flavour on the second practice day at the Ryder Cup in Valhalla, Kentucky.

Double Open champion Padraig Harrington was with fellow Irishman Graeme McDowell, while Paul Casey paired up with English rookie Oliver Wilson.

The two Swedes, Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson, went out together.

Spanish duo Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez were coupled, and so were Justin Rose and Ian Poulter.

The single exception to the "national" rule saw Englishman Lee Westwood team up with Dane Soren Hansen.

Thursday will be a truncated practice day, before the three-day contest begins on Friday.

After Faldo had kept everyone guessing by opting for groups of three on Tuesday, Wednesday's pairings gave a clearer indication of his planning for the foursomes and fourballs that take up the first two days of the Ryder Cup.

But the six-time major winner may pull the odd rabbit out of the hat on Thursday, and there has been some speculation Casey will ultimately team up with Harrington.

In another entertaining press conference, Faldo played down suggestions that cameras had honed in on a piece of paper he was holding, reportedly containing his list of pairings by insisting: "It was the lunch list, sandwich requests. I was finding out who wants the tuna."

The real answer was that the paper had pairings on it - Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, then Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson. Underneath them were the initials of Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Paul Casey, then on the next line Oliver Wilson, Soren Hansen and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Stenson's name was missing.

"He's on the other side of the piece of paper," Faldo said, when pressed. "The Swedes do it the other way around. "No, it's tomorrow's pairings. Okay, I've been caught - I learned a lesson. You know the pairings and we are going to play foursomes on the front nine."

Meanwhile, Casey said: "I would love to play with Padraig and I think it would be a good pairing, but I would play with any of the guys.

"I know guys have been sort of batting around ideas, but any time you can play with a double major champion from one year that would be very, very nice."

McDowell said the players were warming to Faldo's leadership.

"He was one of my heroes and he's got a lot to give." said the 29-year-old rookie, ranked number 32 in the world.

"He's got a lot of stuff in his head and he's been thinking about it long and hard and has had a lot of time to digest this golf course and think about his pairings, think about his team.

"He's really involving everyone - caddies, wives, partners - everyone is a part of this whole experience and he's very open to any feedback."

American captain Paul Azinger was in relaxed mood as regards his choices for Friday's opening matches.

"Yeah, there's a pattern developing," he said. "I mean, common sense would tell you that. "To tell you the truth I honestly wrote down pairings before I even picked my four players. I already had an idea how I wanted to fill out my team. "I've got the first day's pairings down, but they're subject to change."

Rookie Ben Curtis has been getting to grips with the foursomes format, which will open the three-day contest on Friday.

The 2003 Open champion had never played the alternate shot system before and was given a taste when captain Paul Azinger paired him with Steve Stricker against Chad Campbell and Stewart Cink in practice.

"We played nine holes on the front nine," Curtis said.

"I think it's hard to get into a rhythm. I could see where that could be an issue, just because you hit one drive and then you may not hit until the second shot on the next hole.

"So it could be you could go a half hour without swinging a golf club."

Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson
Rookie Kim was shown the way by Mickelson in Wednesday's practice
Curtis, 31, also believes there is potential for trouble on the greens.

"You could go 10 holes without having a meaningful putt really, and then all of a sudden you've got a 15-footer to win or tie a hole," he said.

"It's something everybody has to deal with - not just us, but the Europeans do as well."

Azinger stayed with the same playing groups for the second day of practice.

He sent out Jim Furyk and Boo Weekley with Kentucky favourites Kenny Perry and JB Holmes once again.

The second group out saw Stewart Cink paired with Steve Stricker while Ben Curtis played with Chad Campbell, Cink having partnered Campbell 24 hours earlier alongside Curtis and Stricker.

The final group also saw the same quartet together, albeit mixed up from Tuesday, with world number two Phil Mickelson switching from a pairing with Justin Leonard to accompany rookie Anthony Kim and Leonard partnering another first-timer - Hunter Mahan.