Easy Ryder

The King has cast a pall over the proceedings, and perhaps that's not the worst thing in the world... Much time to fill between now and Friday morning.

So, we won't keep you long....

Moore Is Less - Davis went out on a bit of a limb to take Ryan Moore, so let's see how it's playing among the chattering classes.  First, the Tour Confidentialistas:

VAN SICKLE: Waiting until Sunday night after East Lake backed Love into a corner. If

Moore or Chappell had won, would you really pass them up? And if so, why wait? I think it’s a mistake to wait until after the Tour Championship. Just pick all four after BMW. I like Moore and the pick because he is the best putter among the other candidates, by a mile, and the Ryder Cup is a putting contest. 

RITTER: Exactly, Gary. If Love didn’t pick Moore, what was the point of waiting until after the Tour Championship? Moore was such an obvious pick, to go any other direction would’ve created an early-week distraction for the team. 

GODICH: This was a no-brainer. Moore has been among the hottest Americans of late, and you can’t overlook his history of success in match play. Speaking of which, I had him beating Rory 2 and 1 on Sunday. Early point for the red, white and blue?

Well, that match play success was quite a few years ago, and we keep hearing that Hazeltine is going to play very long.  I do agree with Van Cynical's comment, though, and I'm more of the "take the best available athlete" mindset in this regard.

I think that Shipnuck guy captures it with this lede:

In the end, the Task Force was a victim of its own hubris. 

The American Ryder Cup selection process has turned into a weird kind of Mean Girls sleepover party, in which fitting into the right clique appears to be the most important criteria. That’s the how the No. 7 player in the world and two-time Masters champ Bubba Watson found himself banished; there’s no room for social awkwardness at Hazeltine. No doubt the in-crowd wanted Justin Thomas as the 12th and final pick. He is tight with Task Forcer Rickie Fowler and one of the U.S. alphas, Jordan Spieth. He even dresses like his would-be captain, Davis Love.

It is a tad inbred, no?  And it's really the Fowler pick that deserves scrutiny, as Bubba earned a place on the team in my view.

But Alan also has this admission against interest:

On Tour, Moore is known as a lone wolf, and he reinforced this rep by skipping the buddies trip last week to Hazeltine. All the other captain’s pick hopefuls made the trip to brownnose Love, even Watson, in what was an endearingly hopeless gesture. Moore blew off the male bonding to spend time with his family and prepare for the Tour Championship.

So we're looking for the right kind of oddballs?   Brian Wacker has data in support of the pick:

With the U.S. saving its final pick until after the Tour Championship in order to be able to select the “hot hand,” Love certainly gets that in Moore. Since the PGA Championship, Moore ranks first on tour in score in relation to par, first in birdies and eagles and first in rounds in the 60s. His total of 57 under since the PGA is also seven strokes better than any other player. 

Though he has never played in a Ryder Cup, Moore boasts an impressive match play resume, having won an NCAA individual title, the U.S. Amateur Public Links, the U.S. Amateur and finished fifth at this year’s WGC-Match Play.

OK, but if you're providing a stat line for the guy, don't you think it relevant that all except the last bit happened in 2004?  I'm OK with the guy, I just think there's a little over-selling involved.

Wither Bubba - It's not quite a happy ending, but offer accepted:

CHASKA, MINNESOTA (Sept. 26, 2016) – United States Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III today appointed Bubba Watson his fifth and final Vice Captain for the 2016 Ryder Cup, which will take place Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

You have to like that fifth and final bit.... Here's how you know it's official:

They didn't really need the surname in this case....  Shack has a brief primer on his responsibilities:

I'm just hoping Watson has time to study how he's going to get Erin Walker to the 16th tee from the clubhouse in under five minutes!

Oh, and Bubba, Ryan Moore like his water room temperature Bubba, with no moisture on the outside please. 

Here's your cart Bubba! Leave the one with heated seats, lumbar support and Tiger's name on it for the Big Cat!

I'd suggest that we have Tom Lehman attend to Ryan Moore's needs, as it may still be too soon for Bubba.

Phil Being Phil - By all means, let's keep overthinking things:

"I'm going to point something out,'' Mickelson said, unprompted. "This is a great

example of the disconnect that we have on the U.S. side because the [PGA] Tour doesn't own the Ryder Cup, or doesn't work in conjunction with the PGA of America.'' 

The Ryder Cup is administered by the PGA of America in the U.S. and the European Tour in Europe. 

"The European Tour would never have the setup be so different the week before the Ryder Cup,'' Mickelson said. "If we were in Europe and they were going to set up the course a certain way, the week before they would set it up a certain way. We're not going to have rough like that.

So, are we worried that the guy we picked because he's hot won't maintain his form because the course set-ups are so different?  And I forgot, who won that event?  Oh yeah, that McIlroy guy......so you want to same set-up so that he can be prepared?  

How about you just play better, Phil?