Go Time

We're barely 30 minutes from kickoff balls in the air, so just a few thoughts....

No doubt you've seen the morning foursomes pairings:

How great is that first match?  Of course, it's not that the others suck....

As for the Euros, the question was whether they had the luxury of recreating their power pairings (Henrik & Rose being the best of those).  As I suspected ina conversation yesterday, Darren came up with a midway strategy....  I'd think in fourball you'll see an experience hand with each of the rookies....

Alex Myers had five oddities about these, and let's just agree that some are odder than others.  Of greatest import I think is this note:

2. Phil Mickelson is playing in foursomes: Much has been made about Mickelson's poor Ryder Cup record, but he's played his worst (4-6-4) in this format (Think about his tee shot that put teammate Tiger Woods up against a fence in 2004). That shouldn't come as a surprise considering his reputation as an erratic driver throughout his career. A reputation that only appears shakier after switching to a longer-shafted driver before last week's Tour Championship, where he hit just one of 14 fairways on Day 1. Then again, it probably would have even more odd had Mickelson, the most accomplished -- and outspoken -- player on the team, hadn't been a part of the opening session. "Phil always has a plan; that's where he likes," captain Davis Love III said. "Everybody kind of weighed in where they felt they would be most comfortable and where they would like to be." Somewhere, Tom Watson sighed.

Unforced error that can be laid at the foot of that task force...  When Phil speaks of player input, the English translation is that Phil wants what Phil wants.

He has no business being out there in this format, but since he got Davis his mulligan captaincy....  No doubt he will take tomorrow morning off, but if you want to win, this doesn't further that objective.

A brief segue to the great Jaime Diaz, who points his finger directly at Phil:

This Ryder Cup is Phil Mickelson's to win or lose

All Ryder Cups have contentious pre-tournament narratives. But never in the history of the Ryder Cup has one player -– or even a captain -- been on the spot as much as Phil Mickelson is this year at Hazeltine. 

The closest was probably the “play-for-pay” controversy involving the suggestions of Mark O’Meara, David Duval and Tiger Woods before the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline. Everyone was mollified after the U.S. pulled out a miracle win, although the taint on those players hasn’t totally disappeared. Losing, however, would have made them the scapegoats. 

This year will be a referendum on the Ryder Cup Task Force. But it’s not really the ideas being enacted by the group that have given offense. They are fairly benign, and frankly, not all that revolutionary – mostly involving giving the players more of a voice and encourage a collaborative culture, and starting a succession of vice captains who will become captains. 

What was jarring was the way the Task Force rose out of the ruthless words of Mickelson, who opportunistically undercut captain Tom Watson in the raw immediate aftermath of the U.S. loss at Gleneagles in 2014. Mickelson hasn’t let up in seizing de facto authority in the new direction. 

Mickelson is the Task Force, in all its contentiousness. The only end that will justify the means will be victory. Anything else and Mickelson gets roasted.

Bingo!

Just a couple more quick excerpts... first this:

So where are we? Well, when it comes to the Ryder Cup and the Task Force, Mickelson has gotten everything he wants. He has tried to create a safety net with the idea that the results are not as important as building the right patterns going forward. But if everything was so wrong before, and now it’s so right, how can victory not be the logical result? Otherwise, the human cost of blowing up the old structure wasn’t worth it.

It was worth it to Phil, because none of that "human cost" was his...  He's settled scores with two of his captains, and remains the golden boy.

"I've had to be accountable for that decision of which I was not part of,” said Mickelson of the way he was led by Sutton in 2004. “That's a very frustrating thing. I don't know if you can imagine how frustrating it would be to care so much about something like I do about the Ryder Cup and be accountable for many of the decisions that have taken place when you're not a part of those decisions, and that's what I'm talking about, ownership.” 

Yes, that’s the word. This year, Mickelson has been given control. Now he has to own the result.

Ownership.  Let's keep that word in mind... 

I also agree with this one from Alex:

4. Zach Johnson over Ryan Moore?: It's been two months since ZJ -- the last of eight players to make the U.S. team on points -- finished in the top 30 of a golf tournament. Meanwhile, Moore has spent those two months living on leader boards, including his win at the John Deere and his playoff runner-up to Rory McIlroy at the Tour Championship last week. Love used his late captain's pick on the red-hot Moore, but opted against playing the hottest American golfer on Day 1. It's the kind of move that will be lauded if it pans out -- and ripped apart if it doesn't.

Zach is one of your grizzled veterans, but he hasn't shown much lately.....  Strike that, he hasn't shown anything lately.  

Before we move on from the pairings, Shane Ryan gives the edge to Darren Clarke here.  I agree with most of his thoughts with one important caveat, that he doesn't really address the the three-day long game.  The format change in the 1970's allows the Euros to hide their inferior depth, and we've yet to see the full plan for Clarke to work in his rookies.

Did you catch those opening ceremonies?  Ick!

Shack was restrained in his review you'll agree:

Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin saved The Ryder Cup. Again. 

Fifty years after The Concession, the two greats took the stage to relive a seminal

moment in match play history and to honor their friend, the late Arnold Palmer. The appearance provided a level of dignity for those unaware of their sportsmanship-defining Ryder Cup moment, followed by a stunning video tribute to the late Palmer that dared to interrupt the Ryder Cup opening’s traditional over-the-top drudgery. 

Hosts Dan Hicks and Michelle Tafoya were backed in the entertainment department by a flood of pre-recorded horns, singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc (nice get!) and Minnesota’s own Sounds of Blackness. The real stars in this biennial display of excess — the dashing wives, girlfriends, partners, significant others — were daringly asked to enter the proceedings prior to the Golf Channel start time, ending the tradition of their grand entrance. 

Sporting grey shawls that will double as Snuggies long after these matches, their fleece blankets were easily the least excessive bit of WAG fashion in the modern era. Task force success!

The Tony and Jack show was forced and incredibly awkward, it's just that one can't help shine when the comparison is Michelle Tafoya.  But Sounds of Blackness?  I'm sorry, but I believe that all sounds matter....

Of course they're lovely chaps and the moment couldn't pass without a tribute to Arnie, but still....

And fair-use standards be damned, here's another long excerpt:

Of course the actual focus of the ceremony should be on the players and in a peculiar tradition, the attention turned to their often-tragic eyewear choices. 

Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods sported white-framed shades that appeared to be plucked off gas station NASCAR rack, Phil Mickelson channeled his inner Jon Baker from CHiPs, while J.B. Holmes drew comparisons to a scruffier, Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano player-era Elton John. 

There were introductions -- “Alphabetical order is an amazing thing,” Love said when Woods was his fifth and final Vice Captain to be named — mentions of “goosebumps where you never thought you’d feel goosebumps,” excessive sweat-induced calorie burning and of course, a totally over-the-top national anthem rendition drowned out by a slightly-early arrival of the inevitable F-16 flyover. 

Just like that -- well after a grating song and music number by the reigning American Idol winner that had fans running for the exits—the ceremony was over. Mercifully, the only searing images were provided by those legends remembering a happier time when putts were conceded, Arnold Palmer was king and no one knew what sunglasses looked like.

I'll recommend this Josh Sens piece on Ryder Cup controversies past as yet another mandatory history lesson,  He comes up with at least three controversies in 1999 alone, but since Jack's 1969 concession is now viewed as part of the Era of Good Feelings, you might enjoy a bit of alt-history:

THE CONCESSION: ROYAL BIRKDALE IN 1969

History has been kind to Jack Nicklaus for conceding Tony Jacklin a two-footer on the 18th hole to ensure a tie in their decisive singles match. But at the time, not everyone felt the warm-and-fuzzies over Jack’s gesture. “We worked so hard to get where we were, and then for that to be the finalization of the Ryder Cup,” Billy Casper said. "It was quite a sensation for everyone concerned there." U.S. captain Sam Snead was less forgiving: "When it happened, all the boys thought it was ridiculous to give that putt. We went over there to win, not to be good ol’ boys."

Yeah, and the other point that folks forget is that it was Jack's first Ryder Cup, despite the fact that he had been stomping on his peers since 1962.

Before I settle into the mancave for the marathon, I'll just link you to this fun video (h/t Maggot) of the Euros challenging a heckler to make a putt, complete with cash on the green.  Obviously Rory and crew didn't get the memo from Phil that we don't talk about the money we play for....Anyone remember that story?

Enjoy!