Tuesday, September 25, 2012

SEARCHING FOR CLUES IN RYDER CUP PRACTICE







The first significant clues to Europe's opening Ryder Cup pairings emerged amid today's first practice round at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago.
Captain Jose-Maria Olazabal teamed Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose in the first group.
Northern Irish pair Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell played alongside Paul Lawrie and Sergio Garcia in the second.
"You can pretty much predict our first eight players on Friday morning," said McDowell in his news conference.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how the next three days pan out in practice, but I can tell you that the first four guys are Poulter, Rose, Westwood and Donald, and myself and Rory are in the second group with Lawrie and Garcia. So there's your eight, the first two groups, fairly predictable."
The third European group to go out on Tuesday morning featured Germany's former world number one Martin Kaymer, Italian Francesco Molinari, Belgian rookie Nicolas Colsaerts with Swede Peter Hanson, with the bags of all 12 of Europe's players emblazoned with an image of the late Seve Ballesteros.
Olazabal, however, tried to play down the significance of his initial groups.
"I'm not going to talk about pairings, seriously," said the Spaniard.
"We have quite a lot of players that have done well in the past and then I've tried to mix a little bit of guys I believe can complement each other and who understand each other really well.
"That's why I put Paul Lawrie with the Northern Irish guys and Sergio because Sergio is a guy that gets close to everyone. He can play with anyone."

Ryder Cup explained

  • Foursomes will be played on the Friday and Saturday mornings. Here, the players take alternative shots with just the one ball per pair
  • Fourballs will be played on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Teams send out pairs of players out against each other. There are four balls in play at once - one for each player - with the lowest score winning the hole
  • On Sunday, 12 singles matches are played, with players head-to-head in solo contests
  • One point is awarded for a match victory and half-a-point for a tie with a total of 28 available
On Kaymer, Colsaerts, Hanson and Molinari, he added: "That's where we do have four different nationalities, young guys and we are trying to just figure out certain things still."
The US team also practised in three groups of four with Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson going off first.
They were followed by Jason Dufner, Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson and Zach Johnson with the fourball of Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker bringing up the rear.
The 39th Ryder Cup opens with four alternate-shot foursomes matches on Friday morning, followed by four fourballs in the afternoon.
Donald and Garcia have won all four foursomes they have played together in previous Ryder Cups, but two years ago at Celtic Manor the Donald-Westwood partnership thrashed Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker 6&5 in foursomes to set the tone for the European victory that followed.
McDowell, the man who scored the winning point last time out, clinched one-and-a-half points from a possible three with current world number one McIlroy in Wales, while Poulter and Rose won two-and-a-half points from their three matches at Valhalla four years ago.
McDowell admitted afterwards that the unique pressures of the competition were already being felt in the visitors' camp.
"I went to bed last night and I could barely sleep," he said.
"These are perhaps the best two teams that have ever been assembled at the Ryder Cup - it's going to be a big week and a titanic struggle.
"The big thing I've learned from the last couple of Ryder Cups is that being nervous and anxious is not really worth it.
"When the gun goes off on Friday you've just got to go out there and play aggressively, because if you don't shoot seven under or eight under you're going to lose.
"There's no room for anxiety about bad shots because bogeys and doubles are not going to matter this week - it's going to be the quality of your good shots that matters, holed putts and chip ins.
"Leave the nerves on the first tee. Get charged up - enjoy the atmosphere and enjoy the adrenaline that's going to course through your veins."

Love prepares for 'fiery' Ryder Cup
McDowell dismissed suggestions that the European players would struggle with the partisan, passionate galleries expected around the course this week.
"I think the crowds like the European golfers. They have embraced them as PGA players, and I think the days of hostility are gone," he said.
Seven of Europe's team have the experience of playing in a Ryder Cup match away from home, and with only one debutant in the ranks - Colsaerts - that familiarity could prove critical in the days to follow.
"Putts that drop in front of your home fans are like a bomb going off, and putts that go in this weekend will be like someone's got the silencer on," said McDowell.
"I remember Valhalla. The 14th was a very big natural amphitheatre and one of the most intimidating holes as a European. You knew when somebody birdied - you could hear it reverberating around the course.
"It's going to come down to the putting. You've got 24 great players, and I don't see any real stand-out advantage for either team, so it's going to boil down to who holes the most putts."

EUROPEAN RYDER CUP TEAM'S TRIBUTE TO SEVE

                  IN THE RED CORNER AT MEDINAH - Europe

NEWS RELEASE FROM
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

The memory of Seve Ballesteros will be carried every step of the way by The European Team during The 2012 Ryder Cup with the United States at Medinah Country Club this week.
European Captain José María Olazábal revealed a special tribute to Seve when The European Team emerged for their first practice round today with their official team golf bags emblazoned with the iconic silhouette depicting  Ballesteros’s famous Open Championship triumph at St Andrews in 1984.
Olazábal said: “We felt that this was one way that Seve could be with us every step of the way. This is the first match since he sadly passed away and a fitting tribute to a true champion and a great friend.
“Seve was an important part of The Ryder Cup because of the way he played and conducted himself from his opening match in 1979. This is the first time since then that he has not been present in anyway because in 2010 he was able to talk to everyone via the telephone.
“Seve set a wonderful example to generations of golfers and for me there are many, many memories particularly involving The Ryder Cup. Now the best tribute we can pay to Seve is to go on playing for him and his image will certainly ensure he is alongside us throughout the week.”
That image of Seve’s salute following his win at St Andrews is often referred to as “El Momento” and he described the holing of his winning putt on the 18th green as “the happiest moment of my whole sporting life.”
Ballesteros, who adopted the silhouette as his business logo and had it tattooed on his left forearm, played in eight Ryder Cups. He won 22 ½ points from 37 matches including a record 11 wins and two halves from 15 matches in partnership with Olazábal.
He passed away on May 7, 2011, following a courageous battle against cancer and following an outstanding career in which he won 91 tournaments worldwide including 50 on The European Tour International Schedule, three Open Championships and two Masters Tournaments.

 

JACK'S LAD! SCOTTISH AMATEUR GOLFER OF THE YEAR

     JACK McDONALD ... a superb season


SGU MEDIA RELEASE

Jack McDonald has capped the most wonderful year of his young golfing life by being crowned the Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year for 2012.
The Kilmarnock (Barassie) teenager has enjoyed a superb season, admitting it’s been “storybook stuff”, to come out on top in the annual standings.
McDonald, a maths student at the University of Stirling, follows in the spike marks of previous recipients of the Amateur Golfer of the Year accolade, including Dean Robertson, Steven O’Hara, Richie Ramsay, Callum Macaulay and last year’s winner, Michael Stewart.
Graeme Robertson from Glenbervie also enjoyed a fine season this year, domestically and internationally, to finish runner-up in the standings but it was McDonald who took the spoils as the leading Scot on the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the cut-off point earlier this month.
“I definitely look back on an awesome year,” he said. “I got a lot of experience, not just the amateur events but professional events too. It’s brilliant to now win this award.”
The 19-year-old, a former SGU National Boys’ Squad member, started his season impressively by claiming the British Universities Men’s title before finishing tied third at the Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths Championship at Ladybank in May.
However, it was at the British Amateur Championship at Royal Troon and Gailes Links in June when his year really caught fire. Playing in front of home crowds in Ayrshire, McDonald went on a glory run to the semi-finals, before his hopes were ended by Austrian Matthias Schwab.
McDonald’s still reaped rich reward, rocketing up the world rankings and gaining an invite to the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart on The European Tour. In elite company, McDonald excelled to play all four rounds – brilliantly chipping in on the 18th to make the cut – and played on the final day with Ernie Els, winner at The Open the following week.
McDonald also earned a place in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, before his season ended on a high representing Scotland for the first time in the Home Internationals at Gailes Links. Collecting four-and-a-half points, McDonald was among the heroes as the Scots won the annual four nations battle for the first time in six years.
“It’s been quite a whirlwind,” said the 2009 Scottish Boys Stroke Play champion. “I was playing really well at the beginning of the year and things just kicked on from there, everything clicked.
“I moved up around 360 places in the world rankings on the back of The Amateur, it was crazy. The schedule I had changed completely as well, like getting invited to play in the Scottish Open.
“Castle Stuart was a bit surreal and it topped off the run I was having. Getting drawn with Ernie, then he went on to win the next week – it was kind of storybook stuff. I chipped in as well to make the cut, which doesn’t happen too often.
“Gleneagles was good too as we don’t play a lot of that sort of golf, a long parkland course. We are used to the links, so it was good to learn what I need to improve for that type of golf as well.”
McDonald, who just missed out on selection to represent Scotland at the World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey next month, will pick up his prize at the glittering Scottish Golf Awards in 2013. Already, he is looking to achieve more next year.
“I’ll look to do the same things with Dean Robertson (High Performance Golf Coach) at the University of Stirling and with the SGU. Hopefully I can have an even better season next year,” he added.
Final 2012 Scottish Amateur
 Golfer of the Year Standings

Rank
WAGR
Player
Points average
1
116
969.32
2
120
967.61
3
143
946.43
4
164
930.48
5
165
930.00
6
180
918.03
7
241
878.00
8
314
846.38
9
374
826.56
10
400
819.30
 

Ed Hodge
SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
PR and Media Executive
Direct Line: 01334 466483

Labels:

LANCS, WILTS SET FOR ENGLISH COUNTY FINALS CLASH


Issued 25th September, 2012
Copyright Tom WardLancashire and Wiltshire, the last two champions, will renew their rivalry after winning their way through to the English men’s County Championship Finals at Beau Desert in Staffordshire on 28th – 30th September.
Wiltshire are the defending champions after their victory at Ganton last year, while Lancashire won at Hunstanton in 2010. The other finalists are Suffolk, representing the South East, and Midland champions Worcestershire.
Wiltshire will field a strong line-up including five of their title-winning side from last year in the Loughrey brothers, Ben and Josh, Jordan Smith, Ali James and Tom Burley. But Ben Stow is absent at college in the United States.
Ben Loughrey and Jordan Smith (image copyright Tom Ward), are England internationals while Smith was a semi-finalist in this year’s English Amateur Championship. Garry Slade is the county champion, Robbie Busher finished runner-up, while Tom Burley is the English Mid Amateur champion following his victory in the Logan Trophy at Saunton.
This will be Wiltshire’s fifth appearance in the finals in the past six years. They won the south west qualifier at Cumberwell Park by 25 strokes from Devon, while Ben Loughrey was the individual winner on 139, nine under par.
Lancashire, the north region winners, will be playing in their third successive finals and include three of their 2011 side from Ganton in John Carroll, Paul Howard and Mark Young.
Young is the current Lancashire county champion, who beat Jon Hurst, another member of the team, in a playoff that lasted 11 holes, but he lost on countback for the English County Champions Tournament over the weekend, while Carroll is last year’s county champion.
Boy international Paul Kinnear was not a member of the two previous final teams but will add strength to this year’s line-up which is bidding for its 11th county title.
Suffolk will be competing in their first English Men’s County Finals, having qualified at Crowborough Beacon in Sussex when the event was abandoned after the greens became waterlogged through persistent rain. The result was decided over 12 holes at which stage Suffolk were leading on 280, five ahead of Sussex, and were duly declared the winners.
Their team includes Patrick Spraggs, a past county and Suffolk Open champion, and Nathan Overton, last year’s county champion. Chris Vince is the Suffolk Match Play and Junior champion but the team is missing current county champion Sam Forgan, who is at college in America.
Worcestershire’s participation was also dramatic in that they finished a shot behind Lincolnshire in the qualifier at Belton Park but went forward when their rivals were disqualified, leaving Worcestershire winners by six from Warwickshire.
Their team includes Josh Carpenter, the county champion and runner-up in the Midland Closed Championship, and Henry James, the Welsh Boys champion and runner-up in this year’s British Boys Championship.
Worcestershire has won the title on three occasions, all in the 1930s, and their last appearance in the final was two years ago at Hunstanton. Three of this week’s side, Chris Healey, Richard Sadler and Steven Lane, played on that occasion.
The County Finals are played on a round robin basis over the three days. In the first round of matches, Lancashire play Suffolk and Wiltshire meet Worcestershire.
Teams
Lancashire
John Carroll (Huyton and Prescot)Sean Doherty (Bury)Paul Howard (Southport and Ainsdale)Jon Hurst (Pleasington)Paul Kinnear (Formby)Steven McGlynn (Blackburn)Mark Young (Longridge) 
Suffolk
Jack Cardy (Hintlesham)Josh Cottrell (Ipswich)Nathan Overton (Woodbridge)
Chris Soanes (Rookery Park)
Patrick Spraggs (Stowmarket)Chris Vince (Haverhill)Ben Wallis (Rookery Park)

Wiltshire
Tom Burley (Broome Manor)Robbie Busher (Salisbury and South Wilts)Ali James (Cumberwell Park)Garry Slade (Bowood)Jordan Smith (Bowood)Ben Loughrey (Wrag Barn)Josh Loughrey (Wrag Barn)
Worcestershire
Joshua Carpenter (Cleobury Mortimer)Chris Healey (Moseley)Rudy Hercik (Gaudet Luce)Henry James (Kidderminster)Steven Lane (The Worcestershire)Richard Sadler (Moseley)Matthew Vigurs (Redditch)

Lynne Fraser
Marketing and PR Manager 
England Golf
Email: pr@englandgolf.org
Tel: 01526 354500

Labels:

US CAPTAIN SAYS EUROPE PLAYERS CAN EXPECT FIERY RECEPTION





US captain Davis Love III has warned Europe's players to expect a fiery reception from the packed home galleries as his team battle to win back the Ryder Cup.
Love, veteran of the infamously hostile crowds at Brookline 13 years ago, said: "When we travel over there (Europe), it's tough on us. When they travel over here, it's tough on them.
"Chicago is an incredible sports town and the fans are going to be fired up. The first tee could be the loudest any of these guys have ever seen."
The 48-year-old, who has played in six Ryder Cups and was an assistant captain to Corey Pavin in 2010, added: "I expect a lot of passion. "If we're winning holes, it's going to get pretty loud out there. That's what home-field advantage is all about. We'll try to get the fans going loud in our favour."
Love and European captain Jose-Maria Olazabal arrived at Medinah on Monday, with their players due to begin practice rounds on Tuesday ahead of the start of compeition on Friday morning.
Olazabal had only three of his 12-strong team with him on the flight to Chicago from London, with five more playing the Tour Championship in Atlanta and the remaining four all having houses in the US.
But he denied the fractured nature of the build-up would affect morale and camaraderie within the visitors' ranks.
"I don't see it as a disadvantage," he said. "We have always been a close team and we have been in touch through the phone. They are all going to be there by the time I get to the hotel today.

Previous three Ryder Cups

  • 2010 (Celtic Manor, Wales): Europe 14.5 - 13.5 USA
  • 2008 (Valhalla, Kentucky): USA 16.5 - 11.5 Europe
  • 2006 (K Club, Ireland): Europe 18.5 - 9.5 USA
"It's obviously completely different to 15 years ago. Now they play over here, they are very familiar with the golf courses over here, with their opponents. They feel more comfortable about the whole situation of coming here to play the Ryder Cup.
"They realise that over the years they have been able to compete against the players here. That boosts your confidence, which is a very important thing when you're playing matchplay."
Olazabal, who played in four Ryder Cups in the US, denied that his side's successes over the past decade - the US have won only once since Brookline - made them marginal favourites this time.
"This is a new Ryder Cup," he said. "We're playing here against a very strong team, we're playing away, the crowds will be rooting for the home team really strong so we have to be prepared for that.
"I've said it all along, I think the teams are pretty much even and I think it's going to be a close match. There are no favourites."

Former European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher says:

"People should not expect Rory Mcllroy to win it on his own like Seve Ballesteros did. I think Jose Maria Olazabal will try and take the pressure off him and tell him he can't win it for us, but it is a team effort.
"I think if any Ryder Cup looks like a draw, it is this one. I think the European side is slightly stronger but that will be equalised by the American support and home advantage."
Love came up against Olazabal five times as players in the competition and won just one of those. But he rebuffed suggestions that he has set up the Medinah course to favour his team.
"How do you get an advantage?" he asked. "We have 24 of the best players in the world. They are all pretty good at adapting to conditions.
"One thing I've never liked is rough. But the fans want to see a little excitement. They want to see birdies. We want to let these unbelievable athletes free-wheel it a little bit and just play. Medinah is such a big, long golf course and I don't think we wanted a lot of rough.
"It's still going to be tough. But without the deep rough, it saves us the chip-outs and the grinding-it-out style of golf."
It also seems likely that Olazabal's team will pay tribute to the late Seve Ballesteros by dressing in his trademark navy jumper and trousers and white polo shirt for Sunday's singles matches.
Olazabal refused to confirm the rumour but did admit: "I talked to Davis about that and he was very understanding. Seve is going to be there in our team in some way or form.
"We are going to miss him a lot. It's the first time he is not going to be with us and he was a special man."

BBC Two & BBC HD Channel Ryder Cup schedule

Friday, 28 September (all times BST)
23:59-02:00 - BBC Two and BBC HD channel - Highlights from Day One
Saturday 29 September
11:00-13:00 - BBC Two and BBC HD channel - Repeat of Day One highlights
23:59-02:00 - BBC Two and BBC HD channel - Highlights from Day Two
Sunday 30 September
14:00-16:00 - BBC Two and BBC HD channel - Repeat of Day Two highlights
23:00-01:00 - BBC Two and BBC HD channel - Highlights from Day Three
Monday 1 October
19:00-20:00 - BBC Two and BBC HD channel - Repeat of Day Three highlights

Labels:

LUKE DONALD ONE OF THE LOCALS AT RYDER CUP VENUE

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
Luke Donald grew up in England, but since attending Northwestern University in nearby Evanston he might as well be a Chicagoan.
Donald lives in Northfield, a northwest suburb that is 30 minutes by car on a good day (much more on others) from downtown.
He's a Cubs fan and very in-tune with the Chicago scene when he’s in the Windy City. Donald also has a home in south Florida.
“You become familiar with a place,” said Donald, a 2001 Northwestern graduate. “I had a lot of friends. My coach, Pat (Goss), was probably a big reason, too. I started dating Diane (now his wife, the former Diane Antonopoulos) a couple months before I got my Tour card, but we met when I was in college. 
"I didn't really have any reason to go anywhere else, other than the weather, while I had some friends that lived in Florida, I could go if I needed to. But you always stay where you feel comfortable, and I felt very comfortable in Chicago.
Given Donald's knowledge of Chicago, can he help his fellow Ryder Cup teammates with the Windy City and its fans?
“I don't think I need to give them advice,” Donald said. “I do like Chicago because I think the people are in general pretty friendly. There's a difference between New York and Chicago. New Yorkers can be a little brasher and a little – I don't know what the word is. No filter; they'll say whatever they want. "Chicago is a little more reserved. I don't think there will be a problem in terms of the crowds not respecting Europeans. I don't think I have to give them any advice.”
• • •
PAIRINGS: Love is not sure of his pairings for Friday's first session, the morning foursomes. Other than making his four captain's picks to complete the 12-man roster, Love has spent the most time on pairings. He will give it at least one more day of attention, with input from his players.
“I want them to go practice tomorrow and tell me what they think about the course and who likes alternate shot and who likes best ball and who thinks the course suits them better,” Love said Monday afternoon. 
“So tomorrow (Tuesday) is a feel-it-out day, and we'll get together tomorrow night and start to plan it up a little bit.
Love said he will lean on Fred Couples for advice.
Love and Couples, along with assistant Mike Hulbert, have talked about potential pairings, but Couples has had many of these same players on his victorious Presidents Cup teams in San Francisco and Melbourne.
The significance of the pairings could be pivotal. Captain Hal Sutton arguably lost the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills with his Friday morning pairings, resulting in a 3 1/2-1/2 deficit en route to the Europeans' 18 1/2-9 1/2 rout.
And then there's this fact: Since 1979, the winner of the opening session has won the matches 60 percent of the time.

Labels:

Copyright © Colin Farquharson

If you can't find what you are looking for.... please check the Archive List or search this site with Google