Captain Watson Inspires The Lads

(Tom Watson enters the private dining room where the American team is gathered to deep silence. He smiles and stands at the head of the table. )

Okay, boys, listen up.  I have the starting lineup for tomorrow, and I want you to know where we stand right now.

We have the Euros right where we want them.  That’s right.  Go back to Medinah, as painful a memory as that is .  Who was up 10-6 after two days?  We were.  What happened? We lost.  That is exactly what’s going to happen to the Euros tomorrow. 

Phil, you are going to get us started.  I rested you, now I need you to come out of the gate roaring tomorrow.  You are the man.  Start us on our road to victory.

Keegan, same for you, you are tanned rested and ready, buddy.  Take it to them.

Now we’re up 2-0.

Jordan and Patrick. Shame on me for not playing you yesterday afternoon.  Be pissed off at me tomorrow and make the Euros pay.  Now were even, 10-10.

Zach and Matt, I need you like you’ve never been needed before.  You’ll be shoring up the middle of the pack.  Webb and Hunter, you were my captain’s picks.  Make me proud tomorrow.

Down the stretch we’ll come with Bubba leading our cleanup hitters.  Bubba, be strong for us tomorrow.  Jim, you’ll be up next.  You have played great so far, keep it up. 

Jimmy, I know you are tired, but your country needs you.  You rookies have been outstanding, keep it up. 

Rickie, you too are the man.  You will have greatness thrust upon you tomorrow.  I am confident you have the game and mental ability to seize the moment and anchor our squad as we pull out an amazing victory.

Gentlemen, I have won 8 major golf championships, including 5 Open championships, four of them here in Scotland.  I have played in 15 Ryder cup matches and lost just four.  I was on the team that lost the Ryder Cup for the first time on American soil.  I captained the last American team to won the Ryder Cup on British soil.  I know what it means to win on the world’s biggest stage, and what it’s like to lose.  I can tell you with absolute certainty that it will be the biggest thrill of my golfing career when I am able to hoist the Ryder Cup over my head tomorrow and pass it to each and every one of you.  Enjoy your dinner, and get a good night’s sleep.  And dream of victory.

(Captain Watson turns and leaves the room to a standing ovation and cheers.)

                                                                  AMDG

Peerless Prognostications For Ryder Cup 2014

A few peerless prognostications for Ryder Cup 2014:

Gleneagles, after buying its way into the Ryder Cup Rota in Scotland will prove to be a disappointing venue to host the Cup.

Rory will rue the day he changed drivers. He will be back to the old driver by the time the singles competition starts on Sunday.  What,  350 yard drives right down the middle aren't good enough?  Come on,  Boy Wonder.  Think of Phil in 2004.  Think of you two years ago when you switched to Nike and became mired in a slump with the new clubs.  Go with what got you there, lad. 

Millions of Americans will take advantage of live coverage from Europe to stay up all night and report to work drowsy on Thursday and Friday as golf’s television ratings skyrocket in America.  Work production plummets as the weekend approaches.  

The Vegas over/under on ‘What If Tiger Were Here’ stories is approximately 1,000. Gimme the over.

The Americans have not won the cup on British soil since 1993 at the Belfry.  That’s 21 years ago!  As the French say, Plus ca meme chose.

True to form, Phil Mickelson will not have a winning record in his matches in the 2014 Ryder Cup.  In fact, no American golfer will win more than two matches in the 2014 Ryder Cup.

The Americans will lose the single matches 8 to 4 on Sunday.  

The Euros will win the first day, tie the Yanks the second day and pull away in the singles matches.   

The Euros will retain the Cup with a 16-12 victory.

More haggis and single malt scotch will be consumed in Scotland over the next three days than in any three days in Scottish history.  Slainte!

Go Yanks!

The Important Scottish Vote

As you all should know by now, an historic vote took place in Scotland last week.  The ramifications were enormous,  potentially changing centuries of history in Scotland, perhaps altering the world order, and more importantly, possibly affecting the peaceful completion of the impending Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.   Yes, that's right the venerable Royal and Ancient Golf Club, presiding over the world’s oldest golf course and the home of golf,  voted to allow women to become members in its organization .  Just like that, the 260-year-old institution joined the 21st century and changed the course of golf in Scotland and perhaps the world.

Joining The 21st Century

The R&A became less ancient and more royal in one fell swoop.  Pass the haggis, the single malt,  and now let's enjoy the Ryder Cup. 

AMDG^TM

© 2012-14 R.E. Kelly

Fed(ex) Up!

The oft-maligned Fedex Cup playoff series turned out to be pretty good this year.  Rory continued to dominate, when one might have (reasonably) thought he would mail it in after an incredible run this summer and also getting his mindset ready for the upcoming Ryder Cup.  Then, a new American star emerged.  Billy Horschel, having missed 7 cuts in 24 events during the 2013-14 PGA season coming into the Fedex Cup Series, , including the Barclay’s the week before the Fedex Cup playoffs started, and never having finished higher than T-6 the entire year in 2014, finished 2-1-1 and won the Fedex Cup and the $10 Million bonus that comes with the championship

Looking forward, the red-hot Billy Horschel should give a great boost to the American team at  Gleneagles and help the Americans recapture the Ryder Cup.  Oh, wait a minute,  he's not on the team after finishing second first and first during the last three tournaments. What?   Oh,  and captain’s picks Keegan Bradley and Buster Mahan finished a collective 13 over par in the FedEx final.  Oh boy.

After watching th results of this past FedEx cup playoff season, the Ryder Cup selection system has to be changed.  America's hottest folder is staying home and Chris Kirk’ another American golfer currently on fire,  is not playing for USA in Scotland either. Maybe it won’t matter, as the Euros are loaded and playing on their home field, but there has to a be a better way to include American golfers with the hot hand to participate in the Cup and give the Americans their best chance to win.

AMDG^TM

© 2012-14 R.E. Kelly

Fantasy Thoughts Over Coca-Cola

My fantasy golf season  has been picking up as of late.  Thanks to an improved  performance during the Fedex Cup playoffs, I have moved out of the basement for the Summer segment of the competition and am currently ranked fourth out of five teams in my league in Yahoo Sports! Fantasy Golf for the Summer segment. 

My prospects this week look good in the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in (where else) Atlanta, Georgia, the last leg in the Fedex Cup playoffs.  I started Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Jordan Spieth and Sergio Garcia.  While Watson is great in the Masters, and not so much elsewhere (see The Golf Album earlier post comparing Watson’s career to that of ESPN golf analyst Andy North here), his past performance in this tournament was stellar.  It looks like a good pick so far, but it’s early. 

Fantasy Golf Goes Better...

Furyk and Garcia also started well.  Furyk, with an extremely hot hand of late, is tied for third with Watson, while Sergio lurks one stroke back.  Spieth was a bit off the pace with his one over par 71, so he’s been replaced with Jason Day, one of my backups.  Hopefully these gentlemen will do better than my pick in the Stillers-Ravens game last night.  I had the Stillers in my pick-em pool, no spread, just the winner, baby.  They lost 26-6 in the Rice Bowl.  Ugh.  (The Washington Post this morning featured pictures of female fans at the Ravens game wearing Rice jerseys allegedly in support of the now-free agent running back.  What??  Hopefully that gesture was in support of Janay.)  

 Go, Golf Album Bloggers!

                                                                                          

AMDG^TM

© 2012-14 R.E. Kelly