President's Cup 2011

[xamilo]

Anybody watching it? (Tiger is on, so there is no excuse as "if Tiger doesn't play golf is boring").
Amazing how the Int. team was winning half of the matches and ended up halving all but one of them....Tiger/Stricker match which was a 7-6 (but could have ended 10-8 easily since they didn't birdie one single hole). Any regrets yet on the "captain's picks"? lol

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

I haven't had a chance to watch any of it yet, but I checked the scores and...wow, TW and Stricker got roasted. I have a lot going on this weekend and probably won't get to watch until Sunday, but looks like it's going to be a battle.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

As far as the US captains pick of Tiger...I have thought all along it was solely for ratings. Just my take on it.

 

[limpalong]

Not watching it... and won't! It's a sham exhibition, anyway, without nearly the excitement of a Ryder Cup. Then, when Couples selected TW, I lost all interest in the match and all respect for Couples. Became pretty obvious it is not about putting together the best team... or even a winning team. It is/was all about making sure Finchem's and TW's egos were stroked.

 

[mddubya]

No matter why Freddy picked Tiger, the US won it, so WTG !!!!!!!! USA.

 

[TheTrueReview]

No matter why Freddy picked Tiger, the US won it, so WTG !!!!!!!! USA.

Kudos USA. Too good.

 

[BigJim13]

Not watching it... and won't! It's a sham exhibition, anyway, without nearly the excitement of a Ryder Cup. Then, when Couples selected TW, I lost all interest in the match and all respect for Couples. Became pretty obvious it is not about putting together the best team... or even a winning team. It is/was all about making sure Finchem's and TW's egos were stroked.

Woke up this morning to an alert on my phone saying that Tiger's vicotry clinched the cup for us. Did you really think TW wouldnt be on the team? One of the best players of all time? Would you be saying the same thing if it was Jack? I dont think so.

All that said, I didnt watch one second of it. Forgot it was on then was busy with work and other things around the house. To be honest though, I'm not into they Presidents or Ryder cups all that much. Glad the USA won though.

 

[xamilo]

Woke up this morning to an alert on my phone saying that Tiger's vicotry clinched the cup for us. Did you really think TW wouldnt be on the team? One of the best players of all time? Would you be saying the same thing if it was Jack? I dont think so.

Here we have the best example of how the media can make things look the way they want to. Tiger won the match yesterday, and won one point for the U.S. which "clinched" the win just because they had added enough point before hand (and even if he had lost, Stricker would have clinched the win ten minutes afterwards). Tiger played an awful tournament and finished 2-3 for the record. He did play decently yesterday, but again, he was paired against one of the worst International player (lower 4). He ended up with 0-2 in the four-balls, so, really, Tiger was definitely the wrong pick.

Its funny, because both captain's made the worst possible decitions as their "captain's pics". Allenby went out in ZERO, and between the two U.S. pics (Tiger and Haas) and Baddeley, they added up as many points as Furyk did alone.

It was an interesting tournament, matchplay and fourball are always cool modalities to watch. The international team seemed incredibly weak to start with, but ended up doing a far better job than I expected (I though it was going to end something like 18-5).

It would be fun to have a "three team championship", something like a combination of Ryder and Presidents, having an international team, an European and a U.S. team playing at the same time. It would be a fun modality actually.

 

[BigJim13]

Here we have the best example of how the media can make things look the way they want to. Tiger won the match yesterday, and won one point for the U.S. which "clinched" the win just because they had added enough point before hand (and even if he had lost, Stricker would have clinched the win ten minutes afterwards). Tiger played an awful tournament and finished 2-3 for the record. He did play decently yesterday, but again, he was paired against one of the worst International player (lower 4). He ended up with 0-2 in the four-balls, so, really, Tiger was definitely the wrong pick.

Its funny, because both captain's made the worst possible decitions as their "captain's pics". Allenby went out in ZERO, and between the two U.S. pics (Tiger and Haas) and Baddeley, they added up as many points as Furyk did alone.

It was an interesting tournament, matchplay and fourball are always cool modalities to watch. The international team seemed incredibly weak to start with, but ended up doing a far better job than I expected (I though it was going to end something like 18-5).

It would be fun to have a "three team championship", something like a combination of Ryder and Presidents, having an international team, an European and a U.S. team playing at the same time. It would be a fun modality actually.

I absolutely agree that the media can make things look rosy and I am sure that Tiger played awful. Couples really didnt have much choice though, if he didnt take Tiger and the US lost he would have been crucified for not taking him. I actually like the pick, much like I liked Norman picking Adam Scott a few years ago. The guy is one of the top 3 players of all time, you cant leave him off the roster.

 

[limpalong]

The guy is one of the top 3 players of all time, you cant leave him off the roster.

Why? Shouldn't they have put Tom Watson on the team, then? If Jack or Arnie were in their 60s, and not retired, should they have been put on the team? The idea isn't to make the Cup a complete and total sham by picking "names"... the idea is to use the best players. The idea is to use players who have played themselves onto the team. Captain's picks should be players who are on a current hot streak and would be most apt to gain points for the team.

I do not believe Couples would have been "crucified" had he not picked TW and the U.S. lost the Cup. Certainly, there would have been the "cultists" who would have shed tears that their hero wasn't picked. Most would have seen the justification in picking someone who was playing well at the time rather than a "distraction of an attraction".

If TW comes back and is a force to reckon with, he will earn his way onto future Ryder and President Cup teams. If he continues to finish in the pack, play an abbreviated schedule, and still has trouble finding his game will he be an automatic Captain's pick for the next Ryder Cup? Is TW "owed" a place on the Ryder Cup and President's Cup teams from now until he retires? I'm sure there are those who believe the obligation is there to include TW in any future team events.

 

[BigJim13]

You may not believe that but really? I think you let your ire for Tiger blind your thought process.

 

[TheTrueReview]

Day 4 recap.

[video=youtube;R9X06ht5rOA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R9X06ht5rOA[/video]