2012 Ryder Cup
/In the fist 5 matches the 4 point lead had vanished. Europe going out with 5 straight victories, on this late September Sunday in Chicago, was a buzz saw, but with 3 middle round wins for the USA it still came down to the final two matches. Stricker vs Kaymer and Woods vs Molinari, and Stricker couldn’t get it done.
Tiger has won lots, 101 times in fact, with a mismatched putter. But now with Stricker joining him with a putter with a different manufacture’s name on the grip than the putter brand it has gone cold, very cold. Stricker has always used a golf pride cord with his Odyssey White Hot #2 so I can see what he liked in the new golf pride cord they are putting on the Pings, but I have never liked the Ping grip on Tiger’s prototype Scotty Cameron nor now on his prototype Nike Method 001. I always try to find a brand matched or grip manufacture branded for my flat sticks. Stricker and Woods’ contradicting putters combined for a 1/2 and 7 1/2 record. The mismatched putters may only bother me, but they did not shine this week.
Davis Love III’s picks had more to do with the defeat. Furyk added experience to a young team, but he also added a since of doubt and negativity, if he was replaced with Fowler the optimism and positiveness would’ve added to the team. And Stricker coming off an awful year, by his recent standards, was a pick to make Tiger comfortable in team play. He was awful, losing 4 points on his own. Tiger couldn’t beat two world class players at a time. And then for Love to put the Stricker, the player clearly playing the worst golf, in the next to last match was questionable, he would have gone out 6th for my roster.
This is to take nothing away from the Europeans they were amazing in their steadfastness even in great difficulty. Jose Maria Olazabal never lost hope and they kept Seve Ballesteros’s spirit with them all the way. Ian Poulter was simply unconscious all week and their horses went out and did what they needed on Sunday morning giving the later matches a chance to win the cup.