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US Ryder Cup Qualifications Misunderstood by PGA and Sports Illustrated
Wednesday August 9, 2006 | 13:25:33 433 words, 1480 views
PGA President Roger Warren recently confirmed that he was involved in the idiotic thinking that developed the US Ryder Cup selection system in an article by SI’s Bob Casper. And Bob, God bless him, showed why his Dad – the great and underrated Billy Casper - must be exasperated with him. Warren said “The reason we reward points in the top 10 is it becomes difficult to look at a player who finishes 24th and 25th. If there are a lot of European players in the field, those are the players they’re going to compete against at the Ryder Cup. “Play harder. Play better.” Bob Casper, in a stunning display of golfing IQ, agreed with Warren. Then to further underscore his lack of a grasp on the situation, he quoted his father as saying “The players that are playing the best the year leading into the Ryder Cup are the one’s that should be on the team.” But most intelligent observers would agree with Casper Sr., so why does the PGA give any consideration at all to the previous 2 years performance? Bob conveniently doesn’t address that. He also defends the disaster that allowed John Rollins to earn more Ryder Cup points for winning a second-tier event than Chris DiMarco got for beating every one of the best players in the world at the Open Championship except for Tiger Woods. Yes, Rollins should have gotten credit for a win. The problem is that any tournament opposite a Major or WGC event should NOT be considered a “regular event”. Fact is, it’s only a notch above a Nationwide Tour event. He should’ve gotten about half credit, as it was reflected in the purse for the event. One more good decision there, Roger. Bookmark/Search this post with:
Comments:
Comment from: LimeyLew [Visitor]
Why would we do what the Euro's do?
We hate the Europeans....oh sorry, They HATE us!! My mistake..... We just hate the French..and they hate EVERYONE! At least everyone SOUTH of Scotland hates us.... 
08/09/06 @ 13:46
Comment from: Ron Mon [Member]
A) We can't do it their way, because America always comes up with a better mouse trap.
B) Rollins and the B.C. Open are not second tier. However, I would prefer to have Henry Rollins on the Ryder Cup team, for the fact that he has more tattoos and a better voice. C) As long as DL3 is not on the US team this year, the USA will triumph. My jingoistic comment for the day.
08/09/06 @ 13:49
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
Not second tier? Who was entered in the B.C. Open? None of the top 50 money winners on Tour and 18 of those between 51st and 125th. Hmmmm, if my math skills aren't totally shot, that means 114 of the field were outside of the top 125 earners on the PGA Tour in 2006. Rollins was actually one of the favorites to win (#66 on the money list going in) despite the fact that he missed the cut in 7 of his previous 10 events. If you looked up the phrase "second tier", the first explanation might be: 1. B.C. Open.
08/09/06 @ 14:09
Comment from: ToddCommish [Visitor]
Wow, you mean SI had some half-assed reporting? That's stunning.
08/09/06 @ 14:57
Comment from: Jim COULTHARD [Visitor]
The PGA has enough trouble promoting the BC Open without officially designating it as second tier. What happened this year may add interest to the BC Open in future Ryder Cup years.
08/09/06 @ 17:32
Comment from: Randy Hebert [Visitor]
Tiger Woods 7-11-2
Phil Mickleson 9-8-3 Jim Furyk 4-9-2 Our top 3 American players are a combined 20-28-7 in Ryder cup play. Thats why I don't have a problem with new blood going. They may actually care about the event. And do we really want Couples at 7-9-4 and Love at 9-12-5 as the captain picks? With Europe sending even a better team than they have in recent years the US winning may be considered an upset.
08/09/06 @ 18:34
Comment from: Randy Hebert [Visitor]
Scratch the MAY be considered an upset, it WOULD be considered an upset.
08/09/06 @ 18:43
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
I don't have any problem with new blood getting onto the team. In fact, I'm rooting for it. What I'm bitching about here is that the system for selection is uneven. Certainly, as viewers, we want the best possible teams out there competing. Seems to me that the European team has an advantage right out of the box now.
08/10/06 @ 07:48
Comment from: Dave Marrandette [Member]
Just a couple of additional thoughts here:
1) Just because one is President of the PGA does not guarantee a high quantity of mental ability. I know. I worked for one, one that took great pride in revamping the schooling system that produces Class A PGA professional in the mid-1990's. A system that is still being re-revamped to this day. 2) Ditto on the comment from ToddCommish. Reporting and blogging from the recent British Open serves as a fine example.
08/10/06 @ 09:31
Comment from: Randy Hebert [Visitor]
If we did like Europe and take the top 5 Americans off the World Rankings to cover the 2 year period and the top 5 off the PGA money list this year to take the hottest golfers it would look like this:
World rankings PGA Money List T. Woods C. Campbell P. Mickleson B. Wetterich J. Furyk Z. Johnson D. Toms A. Oberholser C. Dimarco T. Pernice Jr Basically the same team with Oberholser and Pernice replacing Taylor and Henry. I could live with that team. If I was the captain I'd take Vaughn Taylor and Scott Verplank as my two picks for their ability to roll the rock on the green.
08/10/06 @ 13:23
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
I agree with you 99% - as it stands now. But if Couples plays very well these next 2 weeks, I'd have to give serious consideration to picking him instead of Taylor since there are already 4 first-timers on the US side.
08/10/06 @ 13:51
Comment from: Randy Hebert [Visitor]
Yes if he plays well
08/10/06 @ 13:52
Comment from: Jim COULTHARD [Visitor]
Randy
If we did like the Europeans you could just as well say we would take the top 5 Americans off the World rankings, and then the top 5 off the Nationwide money list. Are you forgetting that the Europeans are using the money list for a second tier tour--and totally ignoring money earned in events like the Masters Championship? A European could miss qualifying for the Ryder Cup because he came over to American and won the Masters rather than staying in Europe and picking up a few Euros just making the cut on whatever European event they have that week.
08/10/06 @ 19:49
Comment from: Jim COULTHARD [Visitor]
The Europeans don't even pretend like their system is designed to pick the best team. After the top 5 in the world rankings, the highest 5 on the ET money list are guranteed spots on the Ryder Cup Team as a reward for loyalty to the European Tour. Fortunately for their Ryder Cup hopes, the top Europeans are playing enough European events so their is very little difference between the ten they have and the top 10 on the rankings.
08/10/06 @ 19:58
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
The European Order of Merit DOES count earnings from the Majors as well as the WGC events.
08/11/06 @ 07:22
Comment from: Randy Hebert [Visitor]
Thats right, they do count those events.
08/11/06 @ 08:17
Comment from: Randy Hebert [Visitor]
Comment from: Jim COULTHARD [Visitor]
Randy If we did like the Europeans you could just as well say we would take the top 5 Americans off the World rankings, and then the top 5 off the Nationwide money list. -------------------------------------- Thats an absurd statement. This isn't the womens game where one tour is the only game in town moneywise. The European Tour overall is a notch below the PGA, but on the actual swing through Europe they do have tournaments that compare to some here. The BMW Classic, French Open, Smurfit, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and Dunhill Links offer good purses. And the BMW and Barclays are star studded international events that shouldn't be missed by true golf fans. The Europeans offer their own version of the nationwide with the Challenge tour. And with the majors and World golf events counting to the Order of Merit what you end up seeing is the best European and International players playing 10 to 15 events there and the required number here with some events counting towards that number on both tours.
08/11/06 @ 09:03
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
I wasn't going to respond about that, but JCs statement that "The Europeans don't even pretend like their system is designed to pick the best team" has been bugging me. I wholeheartedly disagree with that too.
Here is what the European ten automatic picks look like today: Garcia, Howell, Donald, Monty, Olazabal, Karlsson, Casey, Edfors, Harrington and Bickerton. Who is actually playing better than these guys RIGHT NOW and being wronged by the system?
08/11/06 @ 09:13
Comment from: Randy Hebert [Visitor]
Thats a good point Shanks and a strong list of players. I wouldn't say he is being wronged but it is surprising Henrick Stenson didn't auto qualify. I fully expect he will be one of Woosnams captains picks. With Europe winning 4 of the last 5 Ryder Cups and bringing arguably their strongest team ever we will truly have our work cut out for us. I hope our boys are up to the task. Hopefully they step up to the challenge and make this Ryder Cup much more competitive than the last one was.
08/11/06 @ 09:45
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
Stenson was very strong early in the Euro season but his performance over the last 2-3 months has really cooled off, allowing others to pass him. Bickerton is just barely ahead of him so Stenson may well take one of the automatic spots anyway. But, yes, I would think Stenson will be one of the wild card picks if he doesn't automatically qualify.
08/11/06 @ 11:13
Comment from: Randy Hebert [Visitor]
After looking at the European tour site and the official ryder cup site the European team looks like this:
World ranking points- Howell, Monty,Olazabal, Stenson, and Donald Ryder Cup Points- Karrlson,Casey, Garcia, Harrington, McGinley They take the top 5 in World Points first then the next 5 who haven't already qualified in Ryder Points. The biggest change that could happen here is maybe Sergio passing Donald in world points and knocking him out and that would move Broadhurst into 5th in Ryder points. http://www.rydercup.com/2006/europe/teaminfo/team_standings.html http://www.europeantour.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7BFB1DC62D%2D59E5%2D475D%2D8D27%2D3F908101C78B%7D
08/13/06 @ 11:05
Comment from: Randy Hebert [Visitor]
The World points list is from world points earned from Sept 1, 2005 to Sept 3rd 2006. In the event of a tie then they would go to overall World list ranking. In the event of a tie in ryder points the Order of Merit is the tiebreaker there.
08/13/06 @ 11:18
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
Good catch, Randy. I didn't realize the Euros modify the World Rankings down to one year for selection but I applaud that decision. And I also didn't realize they pick up earnings from Sept to Oct either. I knew that their current season started in November, so I just assumed that was all the earnings that they considered.
08/14/06 @ 07:36 Leave a comment: |
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