President's Cup is pretty competitive...

[joelbc1]

Speith and DJohnson are just getting their clocks cleaned for the first three rounds of matches (and they are playing bad golf, too).....Louie Oosthuizen and Branden Grace have been dead solid for the Internationals and Zach and Phil have probably been the US's best team.
Sat. AM and Zach and Phil are not playing (a puzzler)...Lots of golf to be played. US has a 1 point lead going onto Sat AMs 4some matches (4)....4 ball matches this afternoon (4) and singles (12) tomorrow.

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

That was a VERY compelling finish to an event that many people find not very compelling to begin with. The PC has always seemed a little contrived to me.

So we had the favorite son, Bae, of the host country battling down the stretch against the captain's son of the other team. Crazy. On top of it, there's the whole pending military service deal for Bae making this his farewell competition for two years. For Hass - the player - he was already under some scrutiny as having been a captain's pick.

Really good stuff.

Just too bad it was wasted on the Presidents Cup!!!

 

[joelbc1]

That was a VERY compelling finish to an event that many people find not very compelling to begin with. The PC has always seemed a little contrived to me.

So we had the favorite son, Bae, of the host country battling down the stretch against the captain's son of the other team. Crazy. On top of it, there's the whole pending military service deal for Bae making this his farewell competition for two years. For Hass - the player - he was already under some scrutiny as having been a captain's pick.

Really good stuff.

Just too bad it was wasted on the Presidents Cup!!!

With the rise of the "International" player, this Cup may become more pertinent. Originally (20 years ago) it might have been contrived, however it was started to bring golf to new and growing areas of the world. That aspect has been greatly successful.
It's kinda like decades ago when DSM started building the skywalk system.....opponents scoffed and screamed the project would break a struggling DSM.......today it is the lynchpin of a very successful redevelopment of downtown DSM. Someone has to take the chance if something good is going to happen.

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

Just look at the participation in this thread. I don't think people either know or care about the Presidents Cup. Ryder Cup threads, otoh, generate lots of responses.

The Ryder Cup wasn't born as this major event. It just this sleepy little biennial competition between the US and Great Britain and Ireland. Because of the contributions of legends like Nicklaus and Ballesteros the Cup grew, then became competitive, and finally the intense rivalry it is today.

So they trot out this grand Presidents Cup in the odd years. It was formatted almost identical to the modern RC to be contested between the US and the Internationals. The "Internationals" ?

Larry David says he doesn't get the RC rivalry, he notes these countries are our NATO allies. With that reasoning he should totally understand the PC. It's the US vs everyone NOT our NATO allies. May make sense militarily, but that's about all.

So the US prevailed again against the "Internationals." Meh.

 

[joelbc1]

Just look at the participation in this thread. I don't think people either know or care about the Presidents Cup. Ryder Cup threads, otoh, generate lots of responses.

The Ryder Cup wasn't born as this major event. It just this sleepy little biennial competition between the US and Great Britain and Ireland. Because of the contributions of legends like Nicklaus and Ballesteros the Cup grew, then became competitive, and finally the intense rivalry it is today.

So they trot out this grand Presidents Cup in the odd years. It was formatted almost identical to the modern RC to be contested between the US and the Internationals. The "Internationals" ?

Larry David says he doesn't get the RC rivalry, he notes these countries are our NATO allies. With that reasoning he should totally understand the PC. It's the US vs everyone NOT our NATO allies. May make sense militarily, but that's about all.

So the US prevailed again against the "Internationals." Meh.

Sooner...I'm a big believer in "the masses are asses" philosophy of life. This really was some high quality golf...especially the last two sessions. Saturday afternoon's 4ball matches were OUTSTANDING. The best team format golf I have ever witnessed. Birdies all over. Great shots aplenty. Lots of "golfers" missed a lot of really good golf.

The Internationals? Well, there is a lot of very good golf being played in southern Africa, Australia, Korea and Japan.

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

Sooner...I'm a big believer in "the masses are asses" philosophy of life. This really was some high quality golf...especially the last two sessions. Saturday afternoon's 4ball matches were OUTSTANDING. The best team format golf I have ever witnessed. Birdies all over. Great shots aplenty. Lots of "golfers" missed a lot of really good golf.

The Internationals? Well, there is a lot of very good golf being played in southern Africa, Australia, Korea and Japan.

Oh, I agree.

And as I mentioned earlier, there were some very unique and compelling story lines that evolved in this particular cup. The competition and the competitors were great (Hey, how 'bout Zach taking down No. 2 in the world - and No. 1 just last month - Jason Day. That's good stuff just right there).

In no way am I attempting to denigrate international golf. Day, Scott, Oosthuizen, Schwartzel, Bae ... ... C'mon, those are great competitors (although Scott sure looks wobbly without his broomstick. Ha!).

I'm just saying, as has been the major criticism of this event from its inception, it's contrived. There's some artificiality making the US and everyone-not-Europe some major competition. That's always been the knock and I think still is.

 

[joelbc1]

Oh, I agree.

And as I mentioned earlier, there were some very unique and compelling story lines that evolved in this particular cup. The competition and the competitors were great (Hey, how 'bout Zach taking down No. 2 in the world - and No. 1 just last month - Jason Day. That's good stuff just right there).

In no way am I attempting to denigrate international golf. Day, Scott, Oosthuizen, Schwartzel, Bae ... ... C'mon, those are great competitors (although Scott sure looks wobbly without his broomstick. Ha!).

I'm just saying, as has been the major criticism of this event from its inception, it's contrived. There's some artificiality making the US and everyone-not-Europe some major competition. That's always been the knock and I think still is.

It really was developed tp promote golf in the new emerging markets. There is no doubt. It was the correct decision made by The PGA. Their job is to promote golf...professional golf, throughout the world.
I can see some sort of "contrived" world competition using the Ryder and President's Cup formats to decide a World Champion every couple of years....Europe and "Internationals" will have to compete against eachother for this to occur....but I bet it is being worked on. Maybe a US, Euro, Asian and African format? If there is $$ to be made, bank on it happening. Look what has happened to college football.

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

It really was developed tp promote golf in the new emerging markets. There is no doubt. It was the correct decision made by The PGA. Their job is to promote golf...professional golf, throughout the world.
I can see some sort of "contrived" world competition using the Ryder and President's Cup formats to decide a World Champion every couple of years....Europe and "Internationals" will have to compete against eachother for this to occur....but I bet it is being worked on. Maybe a US, Euro, Asian and African format? If there is $$ to be made, bank on it happening. Look what has happened to college football.

Joel, I like many of your insights and perspective, but look around.

It's just you and me here. No one on this side of the Pacific cares much about the the PC.

You're right about the PGA doing their job. Besides selling golf clubs and lime green pants they want to sell this trumped up PC. So they can grow the game. In Asia and everywhere else. So they can sell more clubs and lime green pants.

I'm not on board with it fully.

 

[joelbc1]

Joel, I like many of your insights and perspective, but look around.

It's just you and me here. No one on this side of the Pacific cares much about the the PC.

You're right about the PGA doing their job. Besides selling golf clubs and lime green pants they want to sell this trumped up PC. So they can grow the game. In Asia and everywhere else. So they can sell more clubs and lime green pants.

I'm not on board with it fully.

I've always thought that golf's US interest is pretty limited. It takes time, it takes concentration and it requires patience. Americans, especially today's breed of Americans find all these ingrediants boring and a waste of time, I fear. There is so much more to it than what most folks think. Most my golf friends are pretty quirky but all of them are genuinely nice people. I can overlook quirky and I like the nice.
Folks who haven't competed in golf cannot understand the game's beauty. That's why I think golf is ripe for Asia......its a Scotish game that will provide Asians, particularly, with interesting times. Golf, particularly competitive golf, is a mindset. I think it is a game Asians will (they have already) flock towards. There won't be enough golf clubs, golf balls or golf courses if the masses of Asians discover the game and can actually play it.
Perhaps it will keep them at home and allow me to travel Europe more easily, too.

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

This could be a watershed year for the competition.

The US just scraped by after years of domination, maybe reminiscent of the US Ryder Cup team in 1983. Then it got serious.

With the rapid growth of golf in Asia I could actually see the competition becoming lopsided the other way. Perhaps one day it could evolve to the US vs Asia alone. Addition by subtraction. Maybe in contrast to the RC, the PC will need to pare down one side to arrive at a competitive and interesting event.

I hope it does evolve.

As it is currently constituted it still feels overall like a golf exhibition in spite of some very good play.

 

[Sooner-Be-Dead]

Phil's detractors like to say that he's privately arrogant and players don't like him. Well according to reports this week, the young pups asked for him to be a captain's pick. He goes out this week and plays better than anyone on the team. Hope he can be competitive on tour next year.

 

[LuteHawk]

Sorry, I thought this thread was about Michelle Obama
bragging about the contents of her husband's jock strap.

 

[LuteHawk]

After the performance Jordan Spieth, had this year on
the PGA Tour, he is the real deal for the next 10 years.

 

[joelbc1]

After the performance Jordan Spieth, had this year on
the PGA Tour, he is the real deal for the next 10 years.

Or until he gets married....