Tuesday, September 2, 2014

T Minus Fifteen Minutes

It seems highly unlikely that this post will be published before that hard deadline, but Golf Channel is on in the background as I hunt and peck.

The most interesting golf of the weekend came on Sunday morning from Italy, as Stephen Gallacher made quite the charge towards a Ryder Cup berth.  Starting the day six off the lead and four out of second place, Gallacher threw up a tight little outgoing 30.  Here's how Ed Osmond of Reuters put it:
European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley faces a tricky wildcard selection dilemma following Stephen Gallacher's brilliant final round in the Italian Open on Sunday. 
Gallacher carded a sparkling 65 to finish third in Turin, one place short of securing the ninth and final automatic qualifying spot for this month's match against the United States.
True that, but it still buries the lede.  The reason Gallacher came up short is that David Howell, seen more recently on milk cartons, shot 63 to keep the Scot one shot shy.

My guess, and it's no more than that, is that the hometown fave gets himself picked.  With Poulter as the mortal lock of all time, that leaves McGinley to choose between grizzled veterans/underperforming Brits Lee Westwood and Luke Donald.  Me, I always take the putter in such circumstances, though that's less clarifying than I'd like it to be.  Donald is the better putter for 103 out of 104 weeks, but once every two years Lee Westwood morphs into Bobby Locke.

So Mr. McGinley, do you feel lucky?  Of course you do...you're Irish.

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