Tag Archives: Corey Pavin

Quoteable Quotes: 2010 PGA Tour Edition

by Scott

Dude, did he just call you what I think he called you?

“It’s cheating, and I’m appalled Phil has put it in play.” – Scott McCarron, commenting on Phil Mickelson’s decision to use legal (but non-conforming) Ping Wedges earlier this year in a tournament at Torey Pines.

It’s very rare that you hear a tour player openly accuse another tour player of outright cheating. And when he does, he’d better be prepared to stand by his comments or he’s going to look like a back-peddling ass. Of which McCarron did several days later when he apologized to Mickelson for making the comment. Although Mickelson’s motive was crystal clear, he was no less permitted to use the wedges that week. It didn’t help matters that Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem sat idly by and watched the mess unfold right in front of him. But McCarron knew better than to say what he said. That was just an out-and-out shank.

Bobby Jones Got Wood

“The gap was a little bit wide. It wasn’t huge but it was big enough for a ball to fit through.” – Phil Mickelson, describing the thought behind his miraculous 6iron from 207 yards on the 13th hole at Augusta in the final round.

What more to add about the shot of the year… A momentary lapse would lead to a 2-putt birdie from inside of 6 feet, but there weren’t any doubts from anyone watching that at that very moment – Lefty was on his way to a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru in his 3rd Green Jacket.

How to Win Whilst Losing

“I just thought I was on a piece of dirt that the crowd had trampled down. I never thought I was in a sand trap. It never once crossed my mind that I was in a bunker. Obviously I know the rules of golf and I can’t ground my club in a bunker, but that was just one situation I guess. Maybe I should have looked to the rule sheet a little harder.” – Dustin Johnson, after incurring a penalty for grounding his club in a bunker on the final hole of the PGA Championship.

THAT is how you handle yourself during the most frustrating moment of your career, with honesty, sincerity, and understanding. THAT is how you quadruple your fan base in the span of 15 minutes, as people are watching you manage a serious disappointment. And all because you never once thought about feeling sorry for yourself despite being overwhelmed with the heartbreaking news. Well played, DJ.

Tabloid Reporters Gone Wild

“You’re a liar. You’re going down!” - Jim Gray, shouting at Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin in a heated exchange after Pavin denies that he told Gray off the record that Tiger Woods was an automatic captain’s pick.

I’m not sure what’s worse – Pavin giving this guy the time of day, or the Golf Channel putting him on the payroll. If Jim Gray was a manager in the WWF, he would be the guy hitting his wrestler’s downed opponent with a folding chair ringside while the referee is distracted.

Were You Happy or Depressed After the 2010 Ryder Cup?

“I wanted to be able to call them my soldiers, my pilots, my sailors. I have the benefit of living in this country and it is maintained by them… Thomas Jefferson said we need soldiers and teachers, and it is as true now as it was then.” – CBS Golf commentator David Feherty on his love of the American Military, and why he became a US Citizen back in February.

Without going into any great lengths of why I admire David Feherty, I’ll just simply say that he “gets” what it means to be an American citizen. He’d lived in our country (legally, I might add) as an outsider for the better part of 13 years, and while he manned a booth for CBS golf telecasts during that time, he became one of the biggest supporters of our nation’s military as one could possibly be. Wounded Warriors, Troops First, whatever the foundation – he became involved. And in the process he logged more hours on planes bound for Iraq and Afghanistan than a majority of our government’s politicians combined. On Tuesday, February 23rd of this year, David Feherty officially became the American citizen that he’d already been in his heart for the better part of the past decade.

Like Shooting Fish in a Bucket

“Most people try to shoot their age. Today, I shot my height.” - Paul Goydos, who measures 5 feet, 9 inches tall, after becoming only the 4th player to ever shoot 59 in a PGA Tournament.

“I got beat by a 59.” – Jeff Overton, reacting to Stuart Appleby’s putt on the 72nd hole of the Greenbrier Classic to not only win the event, but also becoming the 5th player in tour history to shoot 59 in a PGA Tournament.

Yeah, those softer grooves really made a difference, you USGA schmucks…

Singing the Winnebago Blues

“I’m done. I’m done. I’m done with golf. I can’t compete. I can’t play like I used to. I can’t keep taking spots from guys out here playing this bad. It’s not worth it.” – John Daly, after missing the cut in the first two events of the 2010 season.

He didn’t quit, which oddly enough is probably the first time we’ve been able to say that about Big John in a long time. I could literally fill the bandwidth on my blog saying what I’d really like to say pertaining to Daly, but I’ll just quickly point out 3 things (that came from this season alone!) that prevent me from respecting the guy. (1) The 456-page rap sheet that became public in March:  In 18 years, the tour suspended this guy on 5 separate occasions. He was cited for not giving his best effort on 21 occasions. And he was cited and fined for conduct unbecoming of a professional 11 different times. If your employer needs more than one page to document your lack of professionalism and your dismal work ethic at your job – it’s not just a matter of you getting canned – it’s painfully obvious that you’re unemployable, period. (2) The guy made less than $159,000 in official earnings this season, but he’s above going to Q-School: Now let’s compare Daly to another guy 2 years older than he is, a guy who also won 2 major championships, and a guy who earned nearly a half a million more dollars than he did this year. That guy is Lee Janzen, who also failed to earn enough money to play on the PGA Tour next season. Last week Lee Janzen was busting his balls in the cold weather at Q-School trying to work his way back onto the PGA Tour. Where was John Daly? Who knows. But he sure as hell wasn’t freezing his ass off at Q-School trying to earn a spot next year. This is the same guy that was crying about how he couldn’t keep taking spots from other players on the tour, mind you. (3) The $100 million lawsuit Daly filed earlier this year against the PGA Tour and a Children’s Charity event: Apparently Daly was playing in this Children’s Charity event back in 2007 and (according to him) he injured himself because of some noise from a fan in the gallery that distracted him while swinging at his tee ball. Let’s face it, if this was your brother-in-law, you’d call him a mooch and you’d demand all of the money back that you’ve foolishly lent him over the years. But the golf world continues to feed us these feel-good John Daly stories, when the reality is that there’s nothing there to feel good about anymore.

Absence Doesn’t Make the Putting Grow Stronger

“I need the break. I need to miss the game a little bit.” - Sergio Garcia, commenting about his decision to step away from the game for a while.

Despite his occasional tantrums and bouts of self-pity, Sergio Garcia has probably been on the receiving end of more unwarranted forgiveness than any other touring pro playing the game today. I guess a big part of that is because at some point, regardless of whether you like a player’s personality or not, deep down you want to see someone that you’ve followed for a significant period of time finally get over the hump and get that first big win. Colin Montgomerie is a good example for myself – I’ve never really liked his personality, I think he can be extremely pleasant one minute and arrogant and demeaning the next. But I’ve always respected his golf game. And in the final round of the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot, as Monty found himself with a great chance to finally win that first major, I remember telling my wife, “You know, as bad as I hate to admit it, I’d kinda like to see Monty win this thing. He’s paid his dues, it would be nice to see him do it.” But the difference between guys like Monty or Garcia and guys like Phil Mickelson or Ernie Els – you’ve always rooted for the nice guys, the guys who don’t complain, the guys who stay late to sign autographs, the guys who open themselves up to their fans, the players who don’t forget that the fans are the reason they are where they are. And truthfully the tour is full of players like this, some just don’t get the exposure like the others do. But as it relates to Sergio, there’s still plenty of time left. Whatever he does or doesn’t achieve for the remainder of his career will be proportionate to the changes he does or doesn’t make with his attitude. You can take a year off, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to see the world any differently when you return.

We Got Your Back, Bro…

“If you go up and down the line of the Tour players in Europe and U.S. and asked them if you would like to be the last guy to decide the Ryder Cup, probably less than half would say they would like to be that guy and probably less than 10 percent of them would mean it. Hunter Mahan put himself in that position today. … Hunter Mahan performed like a champ out there today, all right. And I think it’s awesome. Not many players would want to do that.” - Stewart Cink, addressing the media and trying to comfort a distraught Hunter Mahan at Celtic Manor.

No matter which side you cheered for, you couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the warrior who fell on his own sword in front of the world. But if somehow you didn’t, you need to stop raking back 3 footers on the weekends with your buddies and putt ‘em out. Then get back to me.

I was tired of my lady, we’d been together too long….

“There are many people in this room and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today, I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your hearts to one day believe in me again.” – Closing remarks of Tiger Woods’ address at first public appearance after the Thanksgiving 2009 scandal.

People will make what they will of Tiger’s scandal, and there’s no need for me to write a 400 word essay about my own personal opinions on the matter. Opinions are like assholes, and this asshole got sick of hearing about his scandal after the first week (although I will admit that it was fun googling the different women he shagged). Golf not only survived in his brief absence, it thrived.

Perry, Lowery, and Garcia Stumble

by Scott

Does he still miss the game?

Earlier this week Sergio Garcia said that his first goal upon his return to golf was to win the Castello Masters Championship in his homeland of Spain. That’s where the European Tour is playing this week, and interestingly enough – also the very club where his father is employed as the club professional. But Sergio’s expectations proved to be a tad ambitious, as he followed up his opening round of level par on Thursday with a 2-over 73 on Friday to miss the cut in his first event back from his self-imposed layoff.

Tough Day for New Beginnings

Kenny Perry and Steve Lowery made their Champions Tour debuts on Friday at the Administaff Small Business Classic in Texas. Perry, who was hoping that the change of scenery would enable him to once again find his reliable form would struggle mightily in his first over-50 showing with a lethargic 6-over par round of 78. Steve Lowery didn’t find much to talk about after his debut either, posting a 3-over round of 75. It’s worth noting that both would fair slightly better than the tour’s Charles Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer, who was basically a no-show on Friday with a 7-over round of 79. Corey Pavin leads the event heading into the weekend after an opening round of 6-under 66.

Making the Case: Why the Champions Tour Age Criteria Should Change

by Scott

Let me begin my argument by saying that the Champions Tour has come a long way since the “Senior Tour” days. Their product has become very entertaining, particularly with the recent infusion of players who came from a very competitive generation that spanned from the 80′s into the early 90′s on the regular PGA Tour. Guys like Fred Couples, Mark O’Meara, Bernhard Langer, Jay Haas, Fred Funk, Corey Pavin, and Nick Price, just to name a few – have made the Champions Tour very competitive.

But Rocco Mediate’s win last weekend, while impressive, did very little to change my opinion. That opinion: The Champions Tour Execs need to consider lowering the age limit of touring pros who’ve been given no other choice but to take up residence in professional golf’s own version of purgatory – that age between 46-50 – where a majority of those seasoned players no longer have the length to compete with the rest of the tour.

Obviously the stiffest argument will come from the Champions Tour elders still clinging to the belief that they’re not quite finished earning some additional retirement cash in their later years…. players like Hale Irwin, Gil Morgan, Larry Nelson – those types. But it’s worth noting that when you look at the top 20 players in the current Charles Schwab Cup points standings, it’s mainly comprised of recent PGA Tour graduates who finally met the age requirements to begin their second careers.

My question to the guys running the Champions Tour show: Why the wait?

Three guys in particular come to mind: Jeff Maggert, Steve Elkington, and Paul Goydos. Why should these three guys have to continue taking up space for the next 3-4 years on a tour where they’re relying on some miraculous playing, in weak events no less, to earn enough cash to continue living on until they reach the age of 50? There are about a dozen or so more players out there in the same predicament.  Maggert’s last win came nearly 5 years ago, in the St. Jude Classic. Elkington’s last win was over 11 years ago. Goydos’ last win came nearly 4 years ago. Why not give these guys a chance to compete on a more level playing field, while freeing up a few spots for some younger up-and-coming Nationwide Tour players?

Here’s what I’d like to see happen on the Champions Tour: (1) Adjust the age criteria to 46 and up. (2)Keep the non-major events to 3 rounds. I’ve got no problem with that. (3)Let’s implement a cutline. There’s approximately 80 players teeing it up in most Champions Tour events. After 36 holes, the players within 10 strokes of the leader move on to Sunday to finish in the money. The rest of the players go home and play with the grandchildren on Sunday.

You want to increase the competitiveness of the Champions Tour? You lower the age criteria to 46, and you implement the 36-hole cut. And in the process you take some of the dead weight out both tours. And if a guy like Hale Irwin plays well enough to stay within 10 shots of the lead heading into Sunday, then he obviously deserves to be there. Otherwise, see you at the next event, Mr. Irwin.

 

Rain Gear Gate: Sun Mountain CEO Responds to Ryder Cup Criticisms

by Scott

You know, I look at several different angles here. Take waterproof shoes, for instance: if you step into a puddle of water deeper than your ankles, does it really matter if the $200 pair of golf shoes you’re wearing are waterproof? Are those shoes going to keep your feet nice and dry? No!

Several years ago I made a once-in-a-lifetime golf trip to Europe, and the weather was unusually perfect all but 2 days of the 14 day trip. But the one day in Ireland when the weather wasn’t perfect? It didn’t matter that I had a $250 Gore-Tex FootJoy rain suit on. I got absolutely soaked, head-to-toe. So much for waterproofing, period. When it’s raining that hard, you’re most likely not going to stay 100 percent dry!

The other angle: I have no beef with Sun Mountain. I’ve worn their clothing, I enjoy their golf bags, and they make great pushcarts. I have never had an issue with any item I’ve ever purchased from them. But if I did have an issue, I would certainly let them know. Just as the American Team LET THEIR CAPTAIN KNOW WELL IN ADVANCE, YET DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.

I’m not saying that Sun Mountain shouldn’t address the issue, but so to should Captain Pavin. He and his wife ordered the damned things, for crying out loud.

INTERVIEW

Jim Furyk Quick to Defend American Ryder Cup Pride, Passion

by Scott

It’s hard for me, from where I sit, to question the sincerity of other people’s feelings and emotions. But I do it nevertheless.

On more than one occasion in the past I have questioned Tiger Woods’ genuine desire to play in the Ryder Cup, as (to me) he appeared to treat the event with an air of indifference, as that of an obligation moreso than a privilege. He went a long way in dispelling my belief of that this season, as a guy who endured an enormous amount of disgrace and humiliation outside of the ropes was suddenly brought down to the same human level inside the ropes. His game in shambles, lacking confidence unlike any other point in his career, he humbly asked to be considered to represent his country in what has always been one of the most patriotic events in all of team sports. So maybe, just maybe, I was wrong.

Jim Furyk didn’t just go toe-to-toe with a reporter and respond to a claim that the American fans “finally” sense that there might be some passion after all on the US side. To some extent, he also fired a shot directly at yours’ truly, who held this perception that sometimes the American teams’ desires just don’t live up to what I personally believed they should, as they seemed to show less passion and spirit than that of their European counterparts in this event.

But a part of the American comeback on Monday also went a long way to dispel that myth, or should have anyway, that the US just really doesn’t care that much about whether or not they win. As I listened to the interviews after each match in the final session, I detected a tremendous amount of pride and disappointment, proud of the fact that their team had fought back so courageously, but also disappointed that they had fallen just short of the goal. As I said in an earlier blog article, and it’s becoming a common theme – the way this all played out in the end this time just felt different.  And maybe that has more to do with how my own perception of things has changed than anything else.

Maybe Jim Furyk is correct. Maybe there has always been a tremendous amount of passion in the Ryder Cup from the American players’ perspectives, and it simply took a heartbreaking loss in the midst of a valiant effort to fully notice it.

In either event, I think that the excitement of the final day of this year’s Ryder Cup was incredible, and I’m proud of the overall effort by everyone involved. Even Corey Pavin… he obviously communicated something to his players Sunday night that resonated with them, giving them the motivation to come out and leave everything on the course the final day. Maybe the only thing that has changed since Monday is me….

FURYK’S FIERCE DEFENSE

Monday Finish Awaits Ryder Cup

by Scott

The Europeans did everything that was expected of them on Sunday, as the Americans dug their hole even deeper. Things were so bad for the Americans that the only bright spot on the day was a halved match between Cink/Kuchar and the Molinari brothers. And even that match was bittersweet, as Francesco Molinari’s birdie on the par5 18th won the hole and zapped the chances of a single American point being put on the board for the day.

Captain Corey Pavin didn’t seem overly bothered by things, however. In fact, Pavin hasn’t seemed overly concerned with anything this week, not even the faulty rain gear that was brought to his attention a few days prior to the start of the event.  Well, except the fact that he’s proud that his team has honored the Twitter ban, of which has obviously made an enormous difference the past three days.

The Americans go into Sunday needing a “Brookline” miracle of sorts, as the Euros need only 5 points to reclaim the Cup. After not winning a single match on Sunday, team USA finds themselves 3 full points down to the Europeans, 6-1/2 to 9-1/2.

The Monday Pairings and Pecking Order

1st match:Stricker vs Westwood
2nd match: Cink vs McIlroy
3rd match: Furyk vs. Donald
4th match: D. Johnson vs. Kaymer
5th match: Kuchar vs. Poulter
6th match: Overton vs. Fisher
7th match: Watson vs. Jiminez
8th match: Woods vs. F. Molinari
9th match: Fowler vs. E. Molinari
10th match: Mickelson vs. Hanson
11th match: Z.Johnson vs. Harrington
12th match: Mahan vs. McDowell

USA Cable Network will air live coverage of the Ryder Cup finale Monday morning, starting at 4 a.m. EST

My Take: Ryder Cup Friday Fourball Pairings Hit and Misses

by Scott

In approximately 7 hours, while most Americans are fast asleep in their beds, the 2010 Ryder Cup will officially commence. By the time they leave for work Friday morning, the morning fourball session will have been concluded and the first 4 points of the competition will have been accounted for. Let the second-guessing begin…(all times are BMT, 5 hours ahead of EST)

1st match, 7:45 a.m. – Phil Mickelson/Dustin Johnson vs Lee Westwood/Martin Kaymer: Captain Pavin wasted little time flexing team USA’s muscles by pairing the squad’s longest hitters together and giving them the opportunity to strike first in the event. I can’t argue the pairing or the order of battle, as it’s imperative that team USA strikes hard early. The tandem of DJ and Lefty appears to be a risky move, but it’s a risk that Pavin needed to take. I predict that the match goes 17 holes, with the US putting their first point of the competition on the board.

2nd match, 8:00 a.m. – Stewart Cink/Matt Kuchar vs Graeme McDowell/Rory McIlroy: I think Team Europe prevails in this match, and surprisingly, I think it will be McDowell leading the charge. I would be surprised to see this one go beyond 16 holes. The Cink/Kuchar pairing does absolutely nothing for me. Hopefully I’m wrong and Corey has guessed right.

3rd match, 8:15 a.m. – Tiger Woods/Steve Stricker vs Ian Poulter/Ross Fisher: You had to know that Pavin was going to pair Stricker and Tiger together. No surprises there, it’s a solid pairing that has a good history, both guys play well together. This could be the most important match in the morning session for team USA, and I think that both Woods and Stricker know this. As a result I think they get it done and put our 2nd point on the board. I would be shocked to see this go all 18 holes, although Poulter always seems to get up for this event. But I think Stricker and Woods come out ahead.

4th match, 8:30 a.m. – Bubba Watson/Jeff Overton vs Luke Donald/Padraig Harrinton: I don’t like this pairing for team USA. Both players are rookies, both players have a tendency to play anxiously, and I don’t expect them to climb out of a deep hole if they get into one early on in the match. I think putting a player like Hunter Mahan with either of these two players would’ve been a more reasonable choice. But unfortunately I see the Europeans squaring the morning session with this final match.

My prediction is that the morning session will be halved, 2 points each. And all things considered, that’s not a bad start for team USA. Hopefully it materializes.

Monty and Pavin Issue Tweeting Ban During Ryder Cup

by Scott

The things that former Ryder Cup captains like Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin never had to put up with… back then, phones still had cords on them and a majority of mail still required postage stamps. Of course, compared to today, those were primitive times.

We’ve come a long way since then. Two decades ago, a shopper looking for an iPad would’ve most likely begun their search in the feminine hygiene aisle. And Blackberries were near the bananas in the produce department. But along came a fellow by the name of Bill Gates, and the world as we knew it would change seemingly overnight….

Two of professional golf’s more esteemed tweeting stalwarts, Stewart Cink and Ian Poulter, will certainly be impacted by the rule. Cink recently tweeted on his twitter account, “We’re finally off to Wales!! Won’t be tweeting until we get back. I guess I’ll have to pass the down time actually reading or something.” Poulter hasn’t said anything about the issue on his Twitter account, which leads me to believe that either (a)he’s not acknowledging it, or (b)he’s putting on his game face and will completely comply with the request from Captain Monty. As someone who follows both of these guys on Twitter myself, I can attest that they’re easily the two most active tweeters in pro golf, and it will be unusual to log in and see no comments from either of them over the weekend.

The esteemed 2008 Ryder Cup captain and noted Twitter newbie, Paul Azinger, tweeted Sunday on the decision to ban social networking sites from the players starting Friday as well. “U.S team will be better off without distraction and comments on twitter. If forced, bad idea. If it’s a consensus, good idea. Press will ask.” But, of course, Azinger will fill the tweeting void while they’re offline, as he has made it a point to say that he will be tweeting his perspective of things throughout the event. As someone who follows Zinger as well on Twitter, I can’t wait to get his tweets on things this weekend.

We live in a different time and place, it seems, and I’ve certainly become a party to it….

NO TWEETS ALLOWED

Day of Judgement: Pavin Announces Picks for Ryder Cup Team

by Scott

Not sure that I’ve ever witnessed such a building prelude to an upcoming Ryder Cup event. Questions about whether or not Tiger Woods would be on the team basically surfaced no sooner than he missed that first cut of the season back in May at Quail Hollow, and reached a fevered pitch last month when a Golf Channel reporter (Jim Gray) essentially threatened 2010 Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin in a BEHIND-THE-SCENES DUSTUP on the matter. Gray accused Pavin of lying, reporting that Pavin confided to him that Woods would be on the team. Pavin addressed the media afterwards, stating that he said no such thing, and that it would be a huge disservice to the rest of the guys who were in the process of trying to play their way onto the team. Jim Gray approached Corey Pavin afterward and a shouting match ensued, with Gray pointing a finger in Pavin’s face and telling him, “You’re going down!”

Aside from the Tiger Woods dilemma that Pavin had to address seemingly every day of his life, his primary task was selecting four players who he felt had earned the right to represent his team in the upcoming event. Today that process finally ended, as Corey Pavin announced his four captain’s picks for next month’s Ryder Cup in Wales.

2009 British Open Champion Stewart Cink learned that he would be making his fifth appearance on a US Ryder Cup team next month. Cink has a 4-7-4 career record in the Ryder Cup, and brings a ton of experience with him next month to Celtic Manor.

Zach Johnson will be teeing it up in his second Ryder Cup appearance. Zach was on the team back in 2006, played in four matches, with a 1-2-1 record. Johnson won the Colonial back in May, and finished one shot back of a playoff at the PGA Championship earlier last month. Johnson has found some spring in his step inside the ropes as of late, and it was enough to win Pavin’s approval.

His sixth Ryder Cup appearance marks the first time that he’s ever found himself having to compete for a captain’s selection – naturally we’re talking about Tiger Woods. But he’s in. Pavin announced on Tuesday that he was impressed with Tiger’s desire to play on the team, as well as his commitment to get his game in shape over the past few months. Tiger wasn’t a part of the successful 2008 US Ryder Cup team captained by Paul Azinger, as he was out due to injury. Woods’ career record in the event is 10-13-2.

Corey’s final pick, he admits, wasn’t easy. He called it a “gut feeling.” That final selection was given to an upcoming star on the PGA Tour, a player who is embarking on what will most likely be several more future Ryder Cup appearances – tour rookie Rickie Fowler. Although this is Fowler’s first experience representing his country as a professional, it’s not his first rodeo as a competitive golfer. Last year Fowler went 4-0 in the Walker Cup at Merion, and has a 7-1 career record in two appearances in the Walker Cup overall.

So here’s the official 2010 US Ryder Cup team, followed by career Ryder Cup performances:

Tiger Woods, 10-13-2
Bubba Watson, Ryder Cup Rookie
Steve Stricker, 0-2-1
Jeff Overton, Ryder Cup Rookie
Phil Mickelson, 10-14-6
Hunter Mahan, 2-0-3
Matt Kuchar, Ryder Cup Rookie
Zach Johnson, 1-2-1
Dustin Johnson, Ryder Cup Rookie
Jim Furyk, 8-13-3
Rickie Fowler, Ryder Cup Rookie
Stewart Cink, 4-7-4

Euro Ryder Cup Chaos: Monty Whiffs With Captain’s Picks

by Scott

With Monty’s controversial captain’s picks being announced, he has certainly taken some of the heat off of Pavin’s decision about using a captain’s pick on Tiger Woods.

Earlier this week, Montgomerie decided to shun the world’s 9th ranked player – Paul Casey, and 2-time PGA Tour winner this season – Justin Rose. Instead, he chose Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington, both of whom have not exactly had Ryder Cup standout seasons. And it leads to some speculation about potential PGA Tour loyalties being part and partial to the reason of the snub, as both Casey and Rose have spent a fair amount of the season competing on the opposing tour. It is worth noting that Rose has been deemed the official replacement for Lee Westwood, should Westwood’s leg injury prevent him from playing in the event. But as of right now, Rose has to be wondering what he failed to do this season to earn the honor.

So the final European Ryder Cup team looks like this: Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Peter Hanson, Rory McIlroy, Miguel Angel Jiminez, Eduardo Molinari, Padraig Harrington, and Luke Donald.

US Ryder Cup Captain, Corey Pavin, is expected to announce the four picks for his team on September 7th.

GOLF.COM ARTICLE