Libertarian Librarian

Once again the U.S. falls behind on the first day of the Ryder Cup, 5 points to 3. This is no longer becoming a habit, it is a well-established trend. And it is the primary reason the U.S. lost the Ryder Cup in 1995 and has been unable to reclaim in the four tries since.

Still, it could have been worse. Trailing 2.5 to 1.5 after the morning matches, the Americans were down in all 4 of the afternoon matches at one point. The team rallied late, and only a disappointing bogey on 18 by Chris DiMarco and Phil Mickelson kept the days' tally from being 4.5 to 3.5.

If the Americans can manage to keep the deficit at 2, or pick up a point or more, tomorrow, they'll have a legitimate shot on Sunday, when the format switches to straight 1 on 1 match play. But if the deficit creeps up to 3 or more... well, then I think Samuel Ryder's Cup will remain with the Europeans.

I hope to catch as much of the action as I can this weekend-- the Ryder Cup matches are some of the most riveting in all of golf because A) It's match play, which is a format that is a lot of fun to watch B) The world's best players are all competing and C) It's not just individual golfers-- it's a team event for national pride. When individual sports-- golf, tennis, some of the Olympic events-- are transformed into team events there is an extra dimension added to that sport. Your clutch putt is no longer just for you to win... it's for your team and your country to win. If you miss, you don't just let yourself and your family down, you let the whole team down AND the whole country. The pressure that puts on those guys is incredible. Easily Major tourney level, probably greater.

Really looking forward to it. Go team USA!

Labels: Sports