04/24/24
September 15, 2008
USA-halla?: "I don't want anybody feeling handcuffed well, I mean, I don't care if Europe feels handcuffed, but yeah, I don't want our guys to feel handcuffed," Azinger says.
I guess drastic measures are necessary if the U.S. wants to compete these days.
These are hardly drastic measures. The captain of the home team having an active role in the layout of the course has been pretty routine in recent memory. Woosnam openly talked about his tinkering of the course for the 06 Ryder Cup, to take away the US advantage of distance off the tee.
The part of the article that discusses what Zinger is actually doing to the course is interesting. But, it's mildly sensationalistic in how it comes across that what he's doing is so maverick. And, I don't think the changes are all that "far out".
Not sure I like , regardless of which team is doing it. But, I'm not sure there is a solution to it. Guess it's part of home-field advantage - at least that inherently alternates each time.
posted by littleLebowski at 02:55 PM on September 16, 2008
This is as bad as when Michael Schumacher got to design corners at the redesigned Nurburgring to suit himself.
You can't compete on a level playing field, don't cheat.
See, shit like this is why the world hates America.
posted by Drood at 12:56 AM on September 17, 2008
This is as bad as when Michael Schumacher got to design corners at the redesigned Nurburgring to suit himself.
You can't compete on a level playing field, don't cheat.
See, shit like this is why the world hates America.
posted by Drood at 12:56 AM on September 17, 2008
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't read on this before that rant. But, here are a couple tidbits from published sources that might've relieved you of your angst.
"European captain Sam Torrance did last month (Sep 2002, set up the course to favor his team) at The Belfry - narrowing the fairways in the long driving zone, slowing the greens and moving the tee on the short par 4 10th hole to discourage players from trying to drive the green."
"But when they teed it up at The K Club, the U.S. team found that European captain Ian Woosnam had tinkered with the course setup. The greens were slow, and the fairways looked like bowling lanes in the spots where Woods and the long knockers normally hit their tee shots. The fairways were 8 yards wide on many holes. 'I spent a great deal of time trying to set it up what we felt was best for our team,' Woosnam said."
Do you still consider it cheating when the captain publicly announces in advance the course set-up changes he is making, in accord with what is common in the Ryder cup preparation for both teams? Do you and/or the world hate all of the countries that the Europeans hail from because the captains of their teams routinely do this same thing?
posted by littleLebowski at 08:41 AM on September 17, 2008
Drood hates everything. He's the most miserable person on the site. You get used to it.
As far as the moral outrage and the anti-Americanism, that's just knee-jerk stupidity. Read the article, and you'll find it's fairly common practice across the pond, too.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 10:57 AM on September 17, 2008
This is all just part of the pre-game fun, as was the whole 'sandwich incident' today.
posted by etagloh at 02:54 AM on September 18, 2008
I guess drastic measures are necessary if the U.S. wants to compete these days.