COMMUNITY

Keegan is to the US now as Sergio was to Europe a few years back. Guy is strange, but I absolutely love his energy as a team player. A breath of fresh air and excitement to Team USA.

I sense that, too. But I can't put a finger on what it is. Kinda of like the goofy kid in middle school who hit a growth spurt and become quasi-athletic and thus kinda popular, yet retained 100% of his goofiness. Not bad...just weird.

Just tuned in to see Phil pull off another fantastic shot. When he's on, there's none better. "He's hell when he's well but can sometimes stay sick for a while."

I'll say this much, if the USA holds onto the win, Davis Love will arguably win the award for worst winning captaincy since all of Europe was invited to the Ryder Cup. It's bad enough that he played Woods and Stricker on Friday afternoon after a dreadful morning, then me made it worse by refusing to separate them on Saturday, and let's just go ahead and trounce all of that by benching Mickelson and Bradley who have just been unstoppable. He seems afraid to change a decision. He said before the matches started that he didn't want anyone playing all 5 matches, WELL WHEN 2 GUYS ARE WINNING 7&6, 4&3, and 2&1, YOU DON'T BENCH THEM. And when 2 guys are getting throttled each time they play, YOU SHOULD BENCH THEM. For those who have not noticed, no American player played with 2 different players during the fourballs or foursomes. If Davis puts Tiger and Stricker with different guys, or sits them altogether, it's conceivable that the US could be leading this 12-4 heading into Sunday. Nonetheless, Love should be thanking his lucky stars that his players have made so many putts and the opposing side has lipped so many out. He's afraid to change the game plan and it's reducing to this point has been a trouncing of the Europeans.

Nice CO. I too agree. The pairing of Tiger/Stricker has lost its mystique. They are not playing well together anymore. Phil stated he wanted to sit. Keegan on the otherhand could have ran the table. Tiger played fairly well second session first day. Sit Stricker on his behind with a cup of coffee in the club house and tell him to enjoy the day. Pair Keegan with Tiger or another player. Stricker couldn't even seal the deal for a 1/2 point on 18 today with a short putt. Why Love III kept them together is beyond understanding. USA could easily be locked at 12-4 like you state. Sometimes as a coach or captain you have to break from the comfort zone. There is no question in my mind though, Tiger is just another golfer to these guys. Tiger gets hot, Colsaerts fires shot after shot and putt after putt out dueling him. Tiger throws a dart on 17, and Luke Donald throws a shot inside of him. Sergio and Luke walk away laughing. Lets see what tomorrow brings. I see it 7-5 USA the way it has gone thus far. 17-11. I seriously thought Europe would win handily. USA has played great golf and should win easily.

You guys made good points on this. The mystique is gone. They couldn't really get themselves invested in any of the matches; they looked flat. They weren't talking to each other down the fairway and in the end, they weren't helping each other with putts.

Tiger was indifferent this whole time. He either flat out stunk, or ran into a buzz saw in Coelsarts. That match was neither of their fault, and Tiger layed well on the back 9. Yesterday, they both were a bit out of synch and Strick has just not gotten the flat stick going.

Amazing how Bubba/Webb and Phil/Keegan have fed off of everything.

TW probably should've played with someone else. Or sat. It's hard to say ... once he stopped hitting driver all over the yard, he seemed to play better.

Stricker should've been watching from home, I think. I hate saying that because I love Stricker; he's among my favorite golfers, and whatever good a team can get from having particular guys on the team in terms of off-course intangibles, I have to believe Stricker gives the team that.

And I don't blame DLIII for picking Stricker. Hell, Stricker was 10th on the points list, and by my no-captains'-picks theory, he'd have made the team. Well ... he wouldn't have because I'd have taken 13-24 on the list, but whatever. *Maybe* Bo Van Pelt would've played better this week ... or Fowler or Mahan or Garrigus or whoever. It's too late for worrying over, and Stricker can still get the team a point, a *big* point at this stage.

As for sitting hot players, I love the idea of NOBODY playing five matches. Azinger said history shows it helps players in the end. He never quoted statistics to back it up, but he generally doesn't spill out B.S. Sit everybody one session and give them a chance to cool their heels, rest, ease back just a bit, so they can be that much fresher for the rest of the event. Look at the energy most of these guys are spending ... not even the old crow-hopping-into-fist-pumping TW or Sergio running up every fairway and jumping to see his ball uses this much energy over multiple days during the regular season. And whether Keegan realizes it or not, he's tired. He *has* to be. The guy's been a one-man red-white-and-blue wrecking ball, and he deserved a session off. Hopefully, he got some sleep Saturday night.

Plus, what if your super hot 3-0 team/player loses Saturday afternoon? Sure, you figure they're so hot they'll automatically win, but do you expect the dirty euro to just let them win? You saw what Colsaerts did Friday and Poulter did Saturday. That could happen even to the great Keegan Bradley, and if it does, what then? Just throwing him and Phil out there again doesn't guarantee a thing, certainly not a 12-4 lead, and one big side benefit of resting a hot team is they get to sit on their hotness, so to speak -- all of their positive vibe and energy is in tact, unblemished, and when they take the course Sunday, they will take it knowing they're undefeated and that the dirty euro hasn't got them yet.

So far I love what DLIII's done. It's got us to 10-6, two full points better than the 9-7 I was hoping for, and I have a feeling he set his singles lineup just right, with lots of winners up front to help stop the dirty euro from making a Sunday charge.

Don't get me wrong on this but I think Stricker should have continued playing and Tiger on the bench. That first round it was Stricker that was constantly put in the position of getting them out of trouble that Tiger had gotten them into, that will throw anyone's game off. I am not saying Stricker was at his best, being one of the best putters out there he did not do well putting but I can't help but think that Tigers problems got to him after a while and threw his game off kilter. And now Tiger is losing against Molanari?

I do agree with everyone that Love should have kept Lefty/Bradley going, they were simply amazing and fed off each others games and energy. They are the perfect match. Besides it would have been nice to see Phil in the extremely limited ranks of those who won 5 during a Ryder Cup.

They didn't and Keegan was a freaking moron to hit the driver on the driveable par 4. I am so mad I can't say anymore other than to say Furyk is done...first his crumble in the US Open and now this!

LL, so much agree. I am pissed at Phil as well for being such a kiss a&& in battle to Rose on the last few holes. Europe was Serious and we crumbled. What a complete joke. Stricker should never step foot on Ryder Cup venue again. Tiger? If he can't find a partner, go play with your kids and be a good dad. Your days are seriously numbered!