Golf forum

So we lost.  Disappointed, but it was probably best for the cup to keep it interesting.  The Europeans played well, but the Americans played just a bit better.  Congratulations to them and I'm really looking forward to my trip to the USA on Sunday.....

Now I noticed something over the three days that was especially prevalent during yesterday's singles that I believe is one of the key reasons that BooSA (great chant that!) won.  Passion.  Everyone one of their team really, really wanted it.  Every sunk puttt for halve was treated like an open winner and misses brought arms thrown to the heavens in apology and a determination to win the next hole.  There was little or none of this from many of the Europeans.  This 'gallic shrug golf' was summed up perfectly for me by Jimenez on the 14th green. 

He was 3 down with a putt to win the hole.  It goes in and 2 down with 4 to play has Furyk nervous and under pressure.  Miss it and 3 down with 4 to play is almost a guaranteed point for the USA.  He missed by a couple of inches.  Fine, that happens.  But the way he just strolled up and picked up his ball like as if he was the one who was 3 up riled me.  He didn't seem to care. 

Should I be bothered by this?  Is my will to win too great or should someone given an automatic selection as one of the top ten European golfers actually give a toss?  Would it have made a difference?  Thoughts anyone? 

Chris, I don't think Jiminez didn't care, or any of the europeans for that matter, but these guys have to try and treat triumph and adversity the same and keep on an even keel. 

Look at Hunter Mahan as an example of where the USA passion actually made things worse. He hit a great putt on 17th to go one up with one to play and exploded with whooping and jumping around but couldn't control it and promptly put his drive on 18 in the water taking all of the pressure of Casey.  The smart play would be calm down and just keep it in play making Casey force a birdie.

I just think the USA played better golf and that was what won it for them.

So what would you have wanted him to do? Throw a club? Shout & swear? Hit the ground with his club?

Any reaction will play into the hands of your competitor in matchplay.  Didn't you notice how Sergio kept cool even after duffing 2 balls into the water? If that had been aregular tournament he'd have been really going off on one.

Wilson only just stopped himself from burying his 6 iron after putting it right of the green.  And I applaud Garcia for keeping his cool when he obviously was out of it depsite Kim effectively using him as a headcover. 

You're missing my point JP.  I'm not after swearing, club throwing tantrums or doing laps of the green with their shirt over their head when they half the hole.  It would be nice if they would show that it mattered to them.  The Americans really wanted to win and weren't afraid to show it.  It just seemed they 'wanted it more' as they say in football and that can be the difference.  Some of the Europeans came across as if it didn't matter to them.  I don't see how showing a little desire and passion can play into the hands of your opponent unless it is an obvious head drop and showing your opponent how fired up you are can put them on a back foot. 

I didn't deduce, I said APPEARRED.  I'm sure he did give a toss, he just didn't APPEAR to.  And I honestly believe if ALL the Europeans showed the passion of the Americans and a desire to win it would rattle them and not play into their hands.  That's why the Americans whip up the crowd, to rattle the Europeans. 

And I don't think the Europeans played badly.  I heard a commentator say at one point about one player (Wilson I think) after ten holes; "If he'd have played [the same opponent] yesterday with the round he's got now, he'd be four up".  At that point he was three down.  The Americans wanted it more on singles day and stepped up their game to a new level - one of them went out in 29!  Simple as that.

We are all golfers here, and we all know how hard it is to hit the perfect shot, make the perfect putt, etc.  And we all know how irritating it is to play with people who go ballistic when they miss a shot or a putt.  None of that happened with any of these guys on either side.

But my country was taken to task today by some co workers saying that American fans are rude.  Then I remind them that all home teams in every sport has the emotion of playing in front of their fans which is why it's called home field advantage.  I've watched Ryder Cups on both sides of the pond and fans over here are just as supportive on the course as the American fans.  Fans are fans, no matter which country you are from.  That said, those moron's who constantly shout "In the hole" should be escorted off every course in the USA because it's just plain stupid.

And to say that Faldo failed, or that the Euro's choked is just as crazy.  It's golf man.  Passion or not, one still has to hit the ball and both sides hit some unreal shots this weekend.  The USA guys just hit a few more that's all. 

Michael,

I don't recall Westwood or Clarke riding their driver down the 1st hole to get the crowd behind them. Even the US commentators were saying how annoying the BOO-SA chant was.

Boo was even told by his team captain to stop geeing up the crowd in between shots, fair play to him he apologised to Westwood after.

My point is that all players show emotion when they hole a crucial putt or hit it stiff to the flag but he was doing it after every shot.

 I think I saw Poulter have a go at Kim when he started going ballistic after someone had hit a good shot to one of the par 3's & Kim wasn't even playing.

I'm all for home advantage but as Westwood said "these fans don't know the difference between suppoting their own team &  putting the other team down".

John,