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Captain Lehman Agrees US Ryder Cup Point System Needs Improvement
Monday August 21, 2006 | 15:19:22 272 words, 2062 views
At Monday’s press conference to announce his Ryder Cup wild card picks Stewart Cink and Scott Verplank, US Captain Tom Lehman revisited his secondary measure to help select those picks. When asked by the press if the selection process needs changes, he replied that now is not the time for those questions. But he did reveal that he’s been keeping his own alternate points system that awards points to the top ten American finishers in PGA Tour events during this season only. By creating a separate system, Lehman is tacitly admitting that the one currently in use is not adequate. Cink finished 6th on the Lehman List and Verplank 9th. In addition to their top tens, these two steady performers also had 5 other top 25s apiece. The primary problem with the current system is that it only awards points to top ten finishes. That’s idiotic. Take a look at most PGA Tour events and you will find that in most cases 3 to 5 of those top ten spots are populated with non-Americans (the PGA Championship had just 4 Americans in the top ten). It also values an 11th place finish exactly the same as a missed cut. Those boys at the PGA need to get their head out of the sand and consult with the PGA Tour about appropriate measures to select the best team possible. The Lehman List is much better than the PGA’s but I would prefer using current year earnings instead. That tally would have a bias built in for premium events and high finishes as well as some small rewards for a solid week’s play. 
Comments:
Comment from: jaypee [Visitor]
The system for picking team members could remain exactly what it is now, with one slight adjustment:
for any tournament, calculate the number of top 75 players (or 100, or 50 ...)who are participating and transform it in percentage. Say 65% are participating, adjust points earned according to that percentage. This would put in perspective points earned in a tournament taking place against a major.
For all regular tour events this would also adjust a minor event when compared to The Memorial, TPC, Bay Hill, Doral or whatever.
08/22/06 @ 12:43
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
 · http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
I like that "grading the field" bias you suggest, but I still think points/rewards should go to at least the top 10 American finishers. Seems to me that Top 20s have some merit, especially at Majors and other bigtime tournaments when most of the best players in the world are competing.
08/22/06 @ 12:53
Comment from: jaypee [Visitor]
I also agree with you on this aspect of merit. So I guess we have now totally solved the problem. How come we have not been consulted by the PGA ?
08/23/06 @ 11:16
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
Must be the arrogance of power ....
08/23/06 @ 11:51
Comment from: Booger [Visitor]
Who cares about the Ryder Cup? This hype that it's the "biggest event in golf" is absurd.
08/23/06 @ 22:17
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
You are right about it's importance - the Ryder Cup will never have the stature of Major tournaments. But personally, I'd rather watch the Ryder Cup than any other golf event. President's Cup too, for that matter. It's the Mona Lisa of pure drama, drama that starts on the first day's matches when every hole matters because it's a mini-match within the match. And it builds throughout as the scores tally, up until the unbelievable crescendo of the final day. 3-time US Open champion Hale Irwin - one of the toughest golfers ever - said he could barely breathe on the 18th hole at Kiawah in '91. Never before had he felt so much pressure coming down the stretch. Anyone who has ever played in a team event like that will tell you the same thing.
My love affair with it started in '83 when the Americans reacted like little schoolboys to Lanny Wadkins knocking a wedge stone-dead on 18 to halve his match and (barely) clinch the Cup. Jack Nicklaus said it was one of the greatest shots under the gun he'd ever seen. They had my attention.
08/24/06 @ 07:43
Comment from: Booger [Visitor]
Fair enough, Shanks.
08/24/06 @ 21:49
Comment from: Ron Mon [Member]
My love affair started in 1979, when Tom Weiskopf went hunting instead. Now that was a statement.
08/24/06 @ 22:44
Comment from: Shanks [Member]
· http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/shanks
Yeah, that's a statement about how immature Weiskopf was.
08/25/06 @ 07:55 Leave a comment: |
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