Tiger on the 18th Green

This might seem a silly question but why would Tiger give Mollinari the putt to tie upthe final game on the 18th to give Europe the win? I know that we had retained the trophy.

It is just that I would of thought from a USA point of view a tie would of looked better compared to yet another loss, even my wife who is an American do not understand his reasons.

Anyway Well Done Team Europe

I didnt get that either.

Would have thought they should have just halved the hole rather than trying to putt out those 2 short putts with all the noise.

I thought at the time it was very sporting of Tiger to give the putt. Then later I bet Molinari would like to have won it on merit. Dave CAC handed Geordie.

I was surprised it wasn't good good after Kaymer putted in - I think that would have been a real sporting end - Woods / Mollinari were barely a sideshow as they approached the 18th.

There is a big difference between 'Retained The Cup 14-14' and winning it again. I think it would have been better for Golf if the match had ended level.

All day putts were being asked to be holed, that in years gone by were conceeded. I think Tiger was annoyed with himself and wanted away rather than thinking it 'right' to conceed Molinari's putt.

I still can't believe Westwood was made to putt his last 2 footer!

"Never conceed a putt for a win". Unless it is just a Tap-In.

Too true Lyth however it was sporting of Tiger.

I am not sure it was a sporting gesture from Tiger. I think he was throwing his toys out of the pram.

"You come here as a team and you win or lose as a team, and it's pointless to even finish. So 18 was just, hey, get this over with".

Tiger's words show his state of mind. I can't imagine any European team member taking that attitude to the last hole when there was a point left to be won for the draw rather than defeat.

Westwood's putting has seriously let down his wonderful ball striking around the rest of course for some considerable time now. In which case I think it understandable that he was asked to make his winning putt. Full credit to him for slotting it!

If theres any doubt of a miss for a win or half, make em putt it. It also gets their back up. Which isnt a bad thing. Dave CAC handed Geordie.

He would have nailed it anyway.

I thought it was almost as long as the one Tiger had just missed. Cant see it as a sporting gesture, more I think so that Tiger can tell himself that Molinari only drew because he gave it to him. If anything it was selfish as I'm sure his team mates would have prefered a chance at the draw rather than onother loss.

Interesting thought Jim. Tiger has never shone as a team player and I think you may well be right in his reasoning for giving the putt. I think Molinari would have made it but we will never know. Tigers team mates played hard and fair and should have had the chance to finish level. He denied them the chance of that.

Jim, I feel that you are not being truly objective in your personal assessment of the 18th hole in question. Everyone will see it differently, but Tigers chip, don't forget, hit the hole and spun out, so he was trying to close the match. His putt was longer than Molinari's and was acrpo0ss the borrow slightly. I feel quite sure in my mind that he had given Molinari his putt because it was straight up the hill and a lot closer. Once he missed his putt he knew that he had lost the hole and magnanimously gave him his putt, which was very sporting in my mind.

The Americans played very well and the result could have been much different but for a for a couple of instances which helped the European team. There were many putts conceded during the three day event and blaming the result on one that was given at the end smacks of sour grapes to me.

To me it was a great days golf to watch and the credit must go to both teams for the effort they put into it.

I have to agree with John here. I think that Tiger gets a lot of stick, but in this instance I would say that his motives were sporting rather than a need to just get off the course.

I certainly agree that both teams played exceptionally well over the 3 days, and there were so many instances where a lip-out dropping could have changed the overall score completely. Rose's putt at 17 was traveling when it fell in, and had it missed then that hole and the match could easy have gone to Mickelson, and we'd now all be talking about a brave effort by Europe instead of the victory.

JP is bang on Tiger should have never missed that putt, and he knew Mollinari's was even easier so it was pretty much a given it was going in. I suppose he could have made him putt it out and then evryone would have been saying why on eath did he make him putt that tiddler, Tiger just can't win whatever he does.

It wasn't a tiddler, Tigers putt was a at least a six footer and Molinaris would have been only a foot or so less. I would have preferred to see it putted out and think it only around 70% likely that Molinari, not the best of putters and under a lot of pressure may have holed it.

My view of the putt John, not that it is possible to judge with any degree of accuracy by looking at it on a TV screen is that it was of course uphill and that both putts would have had a touch of right to left (Tiger missed his on the low side) and also bearing in mind that previous putts on that green had been read and putted to the other side of the hole.

Despite others opinions about Tigers motives for conceeding the putt I reserve the right to disagree and think he sulked off in a huff.

As you say John there were many putts conceeded over the three days but this was at least 3 times as long as any of them!

I do of course agree that it was a smashing competition with some amazing golf played by both teams and can honestly not remember the last time I enjoyed an evenings entertainment as much as I did on sunday. For me it was right up there with Michael Thomas's injury time winner at Anfield to clinch the league for Arsenal in 1989! High praise indeed!!

Tiger missed the putt on the high side and if that putt was 6ft I'm 9ft2. The putt broke right to left as you said and mollinari was 3 foot right of tiger meaning by your own observation and the laws of physics his putt was about 3.5ft uphill. A gimme in anyone's book.

Oh and what pressure best come back ever already complete trophy in the bag it wasn't Westwood stood over the put so it was in!!

Yes the putt was uphill but it still was not a totally straight putt. Some hills also slope a little sideways or is that not possible according to the laws of Physics? Tiger did actually miss his putt on the low side.

Even at your conservative estimate of 3.5 foot would you have given it to one of your opponents if there had been a tenner on it? I certainly wouldn't.

Whilst of course the putt wasn't really important as we had already retained the cup, nevertheless it would have been an opportunity to actually win rather than draw, how many times in a golfers career would he get a putt that important? Not a putt I think that anyone would want to miss. Surely that would be some pressure.

Gary you must be using custom built clubs! In fact what the hell am I doing arguing with someone of your size? I must be mad.

I'm not arguing, more debating. everyone is entitled to an opinion mine is no more correct than yours (in your opinion!!). I'm just confused as to missing it on the low side?I think were seeing this different ways, I think the putt broke from Tiger's left to right, the way I see it he missed it on the high side. I thought you were saying it broke right to left from the viewers perspective.

If it broke from Tigers left to right it would mean mollinarii's was un uphill put, if you see it breaking the other way then mollinari would be putting down hill, which I all think we are in agreement that it wasn't. aren't we? Even more confused!!!!

To be honest I think the difficulty of the put is inconsequential for me he did the right thing, you obviously think he did it in a sulk and I can't discount that he may have done that he can be a stroppy bugger. I just thuink if he hadn't give it then just as many people would have moaned about him making him put it, my point was either way he just can't win?

Since this has turned into a 'putting thread' rather than the original 'why did he do it' I have to say that Europe were only in that position on the last day due to the vast amount of putts the Americans got on the Sat. because, lets face it, if most have those hadn't have dropped (and we wouldn't have batted an eyelid if they hadn't) the ensuing results for Sat would have been a lot different and put Europe in a more do able (at that time) position. As it was, it made for the best matchplay anyone could have hoped for. For a great advert for the game. If only those fans would tone it down...no shut the f*** up altogether.

Gary, my understanding of the slopes on that green based on where I saw other people putt towards was that the main slope in the area of the hole was going uphill from the front of the green towards the back. However based on where other players putted towards, looking again from the front of the green there would also have been a general trend of right to left for the whole green making both Tiger and Molinari's putts uphill and slightly right to left with Tiger missing on the low side.

What you say that people would have moaned if he hadn't given it is quite true, there have even been people moaning about Molinari not conceeding Tiger's putt.

A win is a win so its not really important and what our guys acheived is fantastic either way but I still think it would feel just a tiny bit better to have won outright rather than to have been given it, even though as most people say he probably wouldn't have missed.

Tigers motives for not making Molinari putt acording to him were simply that it was over and it didn't matter any more. Probably mattered to quite a few people who had a bet on the draw though.