The BBC, for some bizarre reason, are persisting with a running caption for the "history" of the event that says it was only US v "GB" until 1971, and then US v "GB&I" from 1973 to 1977, before it became US v Europe in 1979.
That's as maybe, but I don't understand why the name changed to "GB&I" only in 1973 (was it something to do with the sensitivies about the troubles at that point?). Harry Bradshaw and Christy O'Connor between them played in every "GB" team from 1953 to 1971 (as did occasional other Irish golfers like Hugh Boyle). And, if truth be told, until 1977, there would have been no continental golfers who would have made what might as well have been a Europe side, anyway, with the obvious exception of Belgian Flory van Donck in the 1950s and maybe - maybe - Spain's Ramon Sota in the late 1960s. By the late 1970s, yes, you had the likes of Ballesteros, Garrido, Pinero and Langer coming through, but to all intents and purposes the "Europe" team has been "Europe" all along, and I don't understand why we need to pretend that the US wouldn't have completely wiped us off the board from 1940 to 1980 as comprehensively as they did, just because we weren't "Europe" at the time.
Blimey. What a day of golf.
Gutted that Stenson missed the putt on the 18th to put Europe only a point behind, but Karlson had a stunning 2nd round.
And Poulter is looking like a decent pick now, isn't he? I tip my hat to Faldo.
Poulter was a revelation yesterday, I'm pleased to say. I thought he'd either be great or a flop when Faldo picked him, and I thought he looked like it was getting to him on Friday morning, but yesterday he was pretty much Europe's team leader. The contest's clearly brought the best out of that other great gobshite Hunter Mahan, as well, he and Poulter are the only two players who can end up with 4 points now.
The singles line-up is a bold gamble by Faldo - it was pretty predictable that, with just 5 1/2 points needed, the Americans would top-load their singles line up, hoping that any early splash of red across the leaderboards would relax the players lower down the order. Europe have gone for almost the opposite, so will need some big performances from the guys going out early, otherwise Poulter, Westwood, Harrington and the guys at the back will be toiling away in vain.
I think the crucial performances from Europe today will be from Garcia, Casey, Karlsson and Wilson. If 3 of those 4 can win their games, then the contest's back on a knife-edge with 3 or 4 matches left out. I still think we'll win this.
Anthony Kim v Sergio Garcia
Hunter Mahan v Paul Casey
Justin Leonard v Robert Karlsson
Phil Mickelson v Justin Rose
Kenny Perry v Henrik Stenson
Boo Weekley v Oliver Wilson
JB Holmes v Soren Hansen
Jim Furyk v Miguel Angel Jimenez
Stewart Cink v Graeme McDowell
Steve Stricker v Ian Poulter
Ben Curtis v Lee Westwood
Chad Campbell v Padraig Harrington
To be fair, I don't think they really started cheering until he did it the second time...
Anyway, it's not all over just yet. If we win the six we're not losing and draw a couple of those we're only one down in, that's enough. Now where's that image of straws gone?
They cheered both almost as loudly as each other ... they are a crowd full of rednecks and were confirmed as cunts when George Bush snr was loudly cheered as he went round the course last night.
When I was a kid, the cops actually discovered a fully-equipped "chop shop" (where they strip stolen cars for parts) in the woods in Van Cortlandt Park.
Well, Faldo will go down in history as the first European Ryder Cup captain ever to take a team of players who were higher-ranked than their opponents, and lose.
Still, it's a funny old game, the Ryder Cup. When Jack Nicklaus - the greatest player ever to have played the game, and certainly the most inspirational leader you could possibly ask for - led his US team to the Ryder Cup at his own course - Muirfield, Ohio - in 1987, they were completely trounced.
The choice of captain for 2010 debate will begin now. America's will almost certainly be Mark O'Meara (or possibly Fred Couples?), but it will be interesting to see if Europe go for Colin Montgomerie, or if Colin will think (at 47) he still might be playing on the team, not captaining it.
Members of Kentucky country club in reactionary shock . . .
There's a reason they don't play these at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Man - I have played Rugby at Van Cortland Park. It really isn't good for much. It was a health hazard playing rugby there (tackled into a broken bottle, mid-december at 9 Farenheit and a strong wind)
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