11/23/24
October 01, 2012
Ryder Cup 2012: Medinah miracle comes to pass for Europe: Unbelievable collapse by the Americans with, once again, Mr. T. Woods leading the way. From the scoreline: "T Woods: Played 4 Won 0 Lost 3 Halved 1"
posted by billsaysthis to golf at 12:01 PM - 8 comments
To be fair to Tiger, he had nothing to do with the collapse on Sunday
But that doesn't fit the author's (and most of the US sporting press's) narrative that Tiger continues to be the center of the golfing universe. If something good happens, it's because Tiger let it happen. If something bad (from the American perspective) happens, it must be Tiger's fault. Who the fuck is Steve Stricker? Has he played with Tiger?
posted by tahoemoj at 02:09 PM on October 01, 2012
The majority of the team sucked Sunday, and no, I don't put Woods anywhere near the top of that list. Mickelson, Furyk, Stricker. You name 'em. It was exciting to watch, but frustrating for USA fans. Watching them tighten up and gag one after another on 17 and 18 was horrible.
posted by dyams at 04:21 PM on October 01, 2012
I agree with the frustration of watching the implosion on holes 17 and 18. On a related note, I think it's great that Phil can be such a gentleman to his opponent, but at the same time, it didn't look like he was very bothered by seeing it all slip away. You don't have to root against your opponents, but it almost looked like he was rooting for his.
posted by sbacharach at 05:34 PM on October 01, 2012
I agree. Phil is a good sport, but he was at the point in an important match where he needed to get a killer instinct. Instead he goes to the final hole and soars his approach shot over the green. Match over.
posted by dyams at 07:50 PM on October 01, 2012
Sure was exciting. So much had to go right for Europe, while so much had to go wrong for the US. I don't think it was a case of just simple choking by virtually every US player. The fates conspired it would seem.
Not exactly epic golf, but an incredible narrative.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:29 PM on October 01, 2012
What I found equally as interesting was how the commentators were so stunned by the outcome, they were hardly able to adequately describe what they had just witnessed. Throughout the whole day it looked like Europe might start to make a bit of a game of it, but until Rose made the incredible birdie on 17, I don't think anyone actually thought Europe could pull it off.
posted by geneparmesan at 02:03 AM on October 02, 2012
I've watched a lot of sport in my life - and I've watched a lot of golf - but I've never watched better than the final day of that Ryder Cup. There were so many turning points that I lost track, so many moments where an American had a putt that had to miss, or a European had a putt that he had to hole for the dream to live, and every single one of them went our way.
The press in the UK have been as narrative obsessed as yours - they want to talk about Olazabal's brilliance (I maintain that we won it despite him, not because of him), or McIlroy's talent (he underperformed by his own lofty standards) and even when they talk about the guys who actually made it happen (Rose, Garcia, Kaymer), they talk around the subject about hecklers, Seve "looking down", and Langer in '91.
I disagree entirely that Phil did the wrong thing at 17, and it certainly didn't cause him to airmail the last green. The margins are so slim sometimes. That shot he hit into 18 was dead on line and the only thing that took it over the back was adrenaline. If anything, he was too hyped up.
posted by JJ at 09:31 AM on October 03, 2012
Unbelievable collapse by the Americans with, once again, Mr. T. Woods leading the way.
To be fair to Tiger, he had nothing to do with the collapse on Sunday. It was over before his match had any meaning.
The "leader" would be Steve Stricker (0-4-0), including flubbing a 4-foot putt on 17, and then making the worst putt I've ever seen by a PGA professional on 18. That putt was a good 10 feet wide of the hole.