Jason Sobel's Ryder Cup blog

Originally Published: September 18, 2008

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By Jason Sobel
ESPN.com
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Throughout this week, ESPN.com golf writer Jason Sobel will be live blogging from the 37th Ryder Cup, bringing you inside information and analysis from Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. Refresh this page often to keep track of all entries.

Have a question or comment for Sobel? E-mail him at rydercupblog@gmail.com.

• Read Sobel's Wednesday blog from Valhalla

5:35 p.m.: The pairings have been released for Friday morning's opening foursomes matches ... and it turns out the captains were pretty forthcoming in their pretournament interview sessions.

"There's a pattern developing," U.S. captain Paul Azinger said Tuesday when questioned about his players' practice sessions. "I mean, common sense would tell you that."

Azinger hardly deviated from the pattern, matching up the teams of Phil Mickelson/Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard/Hunter Mahan, Stewart Cink/Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry/Jim Furyk for the four matches.

I can't say there are many major surprises in there, if any at all. Perhaps the biggest shocker -- if you can call it that -- is that J.B. Holmes is sitting out the morning matches. Probably a good call, however. Even though Azinger has taken every possible opportunity to compliment Holmes' game, the format doesn't exactly suit his style of play. I'd also call it a mild surprise that Boo Weekley is sitting out, considering his ball-striking prowess, though he and fellow rookies Ben Curtis and Steve Stricker should benefit from not having to tee it up in the unfamiliar format.

If there are few surprises for the U.S., that goes double for the Europeans, as Nick Faldo adhered to his earlier statements about pairings. "If you've been watching, [I've] talked to over half the team, or more than that, and input's been great from the guys," the captain said Tuesday. "So we pretty much have a very clear idea of what we're going to do."

Faldo is putting arguably his eight strongest players into play in the morning matches, with a lineup of Padraig Harrington/Robert Karlsson, Henrik Stenson/Paul Casey, Justin Rose/Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood/Sergio Garcia, leaving Miguel Angel Jimenez, Oliver Wilson, Graeme McDowell and S�ren Hansen on the outside looking in for the first session.

All of these make perfect sense; each of these players was on the course with his partner earlier Thursday during the practice round. Oh, and this is why no one should have taken too much stock in Faldo's "sandwich list" in which Stenson was the only player not listed on his sheet of paper.

Let's break down all four matches ...

8:05 a.m.: Phil Mickelson/Anthony Kim, USA, vs. Padraig Harrington/Robert Karlsson, Europe
Call this duo the U.S. "A-Team," as Mickelson and Kim represent the two most talented players on the roster. "Mickelson called me personally and said he'd love to play with [Kim], but so did about six other guys," Azinger said. "I said, 'Way to go out on a limb, Phil. You want Anthony Kim? Really?'"

He's got him, but in reality, like the American team as a whole, they might be the underdogs coming into this match. Harrington is having a nice little second half to the season, thank you very much, with victories at the British Open and PGA Championship. Don't expect a recent lull in his performance to carry over to this week.

Meanwhile, Karlsson has been blistering hot all year long, punctuated with a win at last week's Mercedes-Benz Championship. The winner of this match? ESPN's programming department, which gets a high-profile commencement to its first Ryder Cup telecast. The other winner? It'll be close, but the advantage goes to the European side. But fear not, U.S. fans. Two years ago, an American pairing won the first match of the competition but still went on to lose by nine points. A good start is nice, but it's not a requirement.
My pick: Europe

8:20 a.m.: Justin Leonard/Hunter Mahan, USA, vs. Henrik Stenson/Paul Casey, Europe
Truth is, this is an American pairing of doppelgangers; in fact, if Leonard were about 10 years younger, lived closer to a beach and said "dude" a lot, he'd be a dead ringer for his opening-match partner. They should make a good pairing for other reasons, though, notably the fact that both are solid ball strikers and should hit plenty of greens in regulation.

Stenson and Casey will look to take advantage of their length on most holes -- expect them to be a good 15-20 yards longer off the tee, especially on those holes in which Leonard hits the initial drive -- but if this competition were to come down to driving distance alone, Holmes would play a more major role. They also have the experience factor in their favor, too. You'll win a pint at the local 19th hole with this bit of trivia: Even though Leonard holed the winning putt for the U.S. at Brookline, he's never won a Ryder Cup match. (He's at 0-3-5.) Mahan is making his debut, but remember, he shined at the Presidents Cup last year and has been playing sublime golf as of late.
My pick: USA

8:35 a.m.: Stewart Cink/Chad Campbell, USA, vs. Justin Rose/Ian Poulter, Europe
Poor Chad Campbell. In many listings around the course of the two rosters, including on the wall that serves as a background to all interview room sessions, the European team is listed alphabetically (starting with Casey), while the U.S. team is listed by points for the first eight players (Mickelson on top), then the four captain's picks, as announced at a Sept. 2 news conference by Azinger. Since Campbell was admittedly the last man to make the team, he remains as the last player listed, an ever-lingering reminder of how he barely squeaked his way onto the roster.

Perhaps it will serve as motivation throughout the week. He'll be playing with Cink, whose game is quite similar to that of Campbell. Meanwhile, on the Euro side, perhaps no player has more pressure on him this week than Poulter, who many believe was the last player to make that team instead of the more popular Darren Clarke. He'll have something to prove as well, but he's paired with Rose, who has a world of talent but has been inconsistent in major events.
My pick: USA

8:50 a.m.: Kenny Perry/Jim Furyk, USA, vs. Lee Westwood/Sergio Garcia, Europe
Here's one stat you should be prepared to hear at least a dozen times by the time this one ends Friday: In eight previous foursomes matches, Garcia has compiled an 8-0-0 record. Wow. El Ni�o is also back to familiar territory, pairing with longtime partner Westwood in what will be their seventh career match together. During that time, they're 4-1-1.

Meanwhile, Perry and Furyk have combined for a 2-6-0 career foursomes record, but they just might be the right team to take on this European duo. "Both of those guys have alternate shot experience," Azinger said. "That would be a nice format for [Furyk] as well as he hits it, and Kenny Perry actually likes alternate shot better than anything else. So it just made a lot of sense to me that that would be a really solid pairing."

As veterans, don't expect the U.S. guys to get unduly rattled by the sight of Sergio holing putts he never seems to make in major championships and high-fiving his way around Valhalla. Even so, too much high-fiving can lead to cloud nine for Garcia in foursomes.
My pick: Europe

That'll do it for today. If you're not pumped for tomorrow's opening matches, start getting there, because this will be about as fun as it gets. I'll be back here at 7 a.m. sharp on Friday morning, taking you through the entirety of all eight matches during the day. Check back early and often for reports here from Valhalla.

Until then, hit 'em straight ...

5:25 p.m.: How much did meeting Muhammad Ali affect Nick Faldo? Well, he's already quoting the man ...

During the opening ceremony, Faldo ended by saying, "My men may have floated in here like butterflies, but they are going to sting like bees."

5:15 p.m.: E-mail from Scott in Minneapolis:

Do you think Phil Mickelson really cares about the Ryder Cup? It doesn't really affect his life and/or golf status one way or another.

First of all, you could make that point about any one of the two dozen golfers involved in this tournament, if you so choose, not just Mickelson. Second, you're totally wrong.

I've done a handful of radio interviews so far this week, and inevitably the question always comes up: "After losing each of the past three Ryder Cups, have the American players started taking this event more seriously and begun to care about winning more?"

My answer: "No. They took it seriously and cared about it an awful lot in 2002. And 2004. And 2006. Just because they didn't win doesn't mean they didn't want to. I can tell you this much -- the players hate the intonation that they don't care about this event, and most consider it as important -- if not more so -- than winning any major championship or other event."

As to the second part of your e-mail, yes, this can certainly affect Mickelson's status as a golfer. Big-time, in fact. If Lefty can go, say, 4-0-1 this week and maybe hole the winning putt to bring the Ryder Cup back to the U.S. in a year when the team's best player was sitting out, it would go a long way toward not only securing his legacy as one of the best golfers ever (I'd put him in the top 20 to 25 right now), but it would seal his title as the people's choice among golf fans of this country.

That answer your question?

4:35 p.m.: How is the confidence level of those in Europe? Even though their side has won the past three of these events, it's not so good, e-mails James in Strathaven, Scotland:

We are getting worried on this side of the pond. Faldo is just a disaster waiting to happen. He doesn't have enough help, and picking Poulter instead of Clarke was a nightmare. Myself and my five mates are just back from the bookmakers after placing all our hard earned cash on a USA win, as much as it hurts us to do so. You think a poor captain can lose the Cup more than a good captain can win it?

At lunch with a handful of other writers today, one of 'em referred to Ryder Cup captain as "the most overrated job in sports." We spent the rest of our meal trying to shoot down that opinion, but despite responses of "first-base coach," "Detroit Lions GM" and "golf writer," we couldn't refute the point. (OK, golf writers might be a tad more expendable.)

To answer your question, though, I'm not sure a good captain can win the Ryder Cup, nor can a poor captain lose it, though each can push the percentages into those differing directions. Then again, it's still a pretty overrated position. I've been waiting all week to use this quote, told by 1967 U.S. team member Johnny Pott, as he remembers captain Ben Hogan (taken from a Jody Demling feature in the Courier-Journal here in Louisville):

"[Hogan] said, 'Boys, there's nothing to being the captain of the Ryder Cup. You guys are all great players. ... And the first ball's going to be hit by Julius Boros 'cause he don't give a [expletive] about anything. So y'all just go play your game. You got these uniforms here. If you don't like the way they fit or whatnot, don't wear them. I could never play in somebody else's clothes. [Doug] Sanders, if you want to come out here dressed like a peacock, that's fine. Do whatever you want. But let me tell you boys one thing -- I don't want my name on that trophy as a losing captain.'"

And it wasn't. Hogan's heroes won that year, 23½-8½.

Paul Azinger could do a lot worse than recite that speech tonight, plugging in Boo Weekley's name for Boros and Anthony Kim's for Sanders.

Oh, and by the way: The only position in sports more overrated than Ryder Cup captain? That's easy. Assistant Ryder Cup captain.

4:05 p.m.: E-mail from Paul in Parts Unknown (though I'm guessing those parts are located somewhere in Europe), in response to the entry from exactly one hour ago:

On 18, All Square The U.S. will not hole putts One for 23.

It's on like Donkey Kong.

Paul has a point, though. In the past two Ryder Cups, 23 matches have come to the 18th hole with either one side leading 1-up or the match All Square. Of those, the U.S. has only won one time. Ouch.

I'm thinking of a "ch" word ... and it rhymes with Scott Hoch.

4 p.m.: Just being a good company guy here ... turn on ESPNEWS right now to witness the opening ceremony of the Ryder Cup, during which everyone involved will be dressed to the nines. Even if you're not a big fan of the pomp and circumstance that often accompanies these things, at some point during the festivities, there will be some breaking news, as the Friday morning foursomes pairings will be announced.

As soon as they are, I'll break down each of the four matches here in the blog, so stay tuned ...

3:50 p.m.: I delved into this topic yesterday, but for those who didn't read the Wednesday blog, let's answer the question again, from Matt in Buffalo, N.Y.:

I was wondering what the process was for the pairings. Does the United States always get to go last because the Ryder Cup is in the United States this year? Do they alternate (i.e. Europe announces its first pairing, then the U.S. announces its first and second pairings)? Or do they just hand in their selections and they get matched up based on how they are listed?

The last one. Unlike the Presidents Cup, in which captains have a fantasy draft-style format of picking the matches, here the captains simply submit their lineups independently of each other and let the cards fall as they may.

And since I haven't gotten to many e-mails yet today, let's do one more, from Chris in Parts Unknown:

How do the players decide which ball they are going to play (Titleist, Nike, Maxfli, etc.) during alternate shot?

It's all up to the players themselves. Azinger has been asked that question and said he's not even getting involved. That said, don't think that it doesn't affect his (and Faldo's) method of thinking just a little bit, too. If they can pair up players in foursomes who are already using the same ball, all the better.

3:40 p.m.: The U.S. team met with Louisville native Muhammad Ali here at Valhalla earlier today, and captain Paul Azinger spoke about what it was like to meet the boxing legend.

"It was great to see him. It's hard to see him in the kind of shape that he appears to be in. I'm quite sure that he could hear what I was telling him. I saw his eyes open up and I could see his eyes moving.
He was very conscious of what I was telling him. I told him that -- I spoke at his house last year. We went there, and it was really an honor to be there, pretty cool to be in Muhammad Ali's house. I told a story there, and I reminded him of the story when I was really young. I remember watching him when he fought Ken Norton and Ken Norton broke his jaw; I want to say it was the third round.
I told him this: 'I'll never forget that as long as I live, when he broke your jaw in the first or third round, and I've loved boxing my whole life,' and his eyes opened up and he was totally listening. I told him that was an inspiration for me, to never quit no matter what it was that I was doing. It was a great privilege to be able to sit next to a great man."

The meeting with Ali -- like those with President George H.W. Bush and Michael Jordan during previous editions of the Ryder Cup -- should provide motivation and inspiration for the U.S. players. But the iconic boxer didn't play favorites and met with the European team as well. Said Nick Faldo:

"Well, it was just an incredible moment, as you can tell. I thought it was really special."

This wasn't just lip service from Faldo, either. He was actually getting a bit choked up while speaking about Ali.

3:05 p.m.: For lack of a better e-mail -- or maybe I did laugh out loud just a little bit -- I present this "prediction in haiku" from Nicholas in Parts Unknown:

Tiger is not here
Americans get it done
Europe kiss our arse.

Them's fightin' words. Europe, you're up ...

2:35 p.m.: Told you I'd follow up with Captain Hal's comments when I had them, so here's what Sutton had to say when he was on the course a little while ago.

On the U.S. team's hopes: "I'm optimistically hopeful. I think the roles have been reversed. I think we've got new underdogs and new favorites and we'll see how both of them handle that better. They both have a different role. We'll see how that is accepted and played out."

On Azinger's decision to start with foursomes rather than four-balls: "We're still going to have to score ... we've got to do it all. Americans have been pretty successful in the foursomes. I always like to get off to a good start, but it doesn't matter. We all hate the foursomes, but the Americans have been pretty good at that foursomes, better than four-balls. I don't know why, I really don't. It's hard to figure this whole thing. That's why we struggle trying to figure it."

On the U.S. roster: "I think they've got a good team. It's a changing of the guard. The fact that they don't have Tiger [Woods] to depend on ... they're going to have to go out and do it on their own. That might be a good thing. That might be to their advantage, really. We'll have to wait and see."

2:25 p.m.: The British tabloids are incredible, which is to mean they adhere to both definitions of the word: "So extraordinary as to seem impossible" and "not credible, hard to believe."

Among the headlines this week ...

• "Can Nick see beyond the Faldo show?" (Daily Mail)
• "Icy blast from Hurricane Nick" (Daily Star)
• "U.S. skipper banking on good ol' boys, boos ... and BOOZE! (Daily Mirror)
• "Long John: JB fed up at porn star link" (The Sun)

And perhaps the most incredible of the headlines ...

• "Forget Ali & Woods, U.S. golf is about smug white preppies and rednecks" (Daily Mirror)

As for the articles themselves, maybe the most uproarious piece of journalism I've seen came from the Daily Mail, in discussing the U.S. team's 1999 victory at Brookline: "Only after the foot soldiers and their wenches had been cleared from the green and only after Jose Maria Olazabal failed to hole his own birdie attempt was the American victory sealed."

Incredible.

1:55 p.m.: Speaking of the Ryder Cup WAGs (wives and girlfriends), I've been wondering whether Monique has made an appearance this year.

Monique is the name of the erstwhile "girlfriend" given to Hunter Mahan by Barbara Nicklaus and the other player wives during last year's Presidents Cup. I asked him about her in a Hot Seat interview a few months ago:

Q: Tell me about the present that some of the other players' wives bought you that week.
A: Well, I was there by myself, so this actually came from Barbara Nicklaus. They were going to get an inflatable doll, but luckily they just got a miniature one. They named her Monique, so that was pretty much the running joke the whole week. They always asked me where Monique was and why I didn't bring her around everywhere, so that was OK, I guess. It was fine.
Q: What happened to her? I heard you two had a pretty bad breakup before the week was over.
A: I told them they should just keep it and if anyone else ever comes stag, she would be in the stable. If anyone needs a date, there's Monique.
Q: Is she still around?
A: I don't know where she is. We've lost contact.

Mahan is listed as the only U.S. player without a WAG here this week, though I'm not sure if Chad Campbell's wife Amy, who gave birth to their first child less than two weeks ago, is on site or not.

As for the Europeans, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell are all listed sans partners for the event, as well, although Poulter's wife Katie is pregnant.

1:50 p.m.: As reported in this space earlier, Jim Furyk left Valhalla Golf Club in the middle of his practice round today. Here's the news story from the AP:

Jim Furyk has pulled out of his final practice round for the Ryder Cup after his wife was taken to a hospital with intense back pain.
U.S. captain Paul Azinger said Thursday that Furyk's wife, Tabitha, has a bulging disk that has been bothering her for some time. Azinger said Furyk was having a hard time concentrating and left to be with his wife.
Azinger said Furyk has been hitting the ball well and doesn't need to be at practice. He expected Furyk to be at the opening ceremony Thursday afternoon.

Hopefully, Tabitha Furyk will be OK and her husband can concentrate on golf over the next three days.

12:40 p.m.: Walking across the cart path that bridges the practice range to the back nine, three carts just zoomed past, the middle one with Jack Nicklaus in the passenger seat.

Though Jack has no official role with this year's team, Paul Azinger has leaned on him for advice throughout his tenure as captain. Considering Nicklaus' multiple roles as former player, former captain and -- maybe most importantly of all -- Valhalla course designer, I've got to imagine that he has engaged the U.S. team in a few meaningful conversations this week.

About 30 seconds after Jack sped away, I ran into former captain Hal Sutton, who was walking the course, watching some golf.

Asked about the team's chances, the 2004 skipper said, "I'm optimistically hopeful." Once I get some time to transcribe the rest of his thoughts, I'll pass 'em along.

12:10 p.m.: Heard a rumor earlier today that Boo Weekley was out here on the course by himself and now I know why. Of the two dozen players on both teams, only Jim Furyk isn't currently practicing.

Don't know if this is due to injury, exhaustion or whether he just got tired of hearing Boo ask, "So tell me how y'all concede a putt again," but I can confirm Furyk is not on the course (though I believe he is still on site).

We likely won't know if anything is wrong with him physically until the Friday morning foursomes pairings are released later this afternoon. If Furyk isn't on that list, then we can safely assume that all is not well. But again, it's just speculation right now.

11:55 a.m.: Word to the wise for American fans who will be watching the proceedings on TV during the next three days: Don't expect total silence when good things happen for Team Europe. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Watching the group of Garcia, Westwood, Karlsson and McDowell right now, there is a palpable presence from the European contingent of fans from just outside the gallery ropes. They're loud, they're boisterous and they're waving lots of flags.

As well they should. Hey, if you traveled thousands of miles internationally, you'd want to make your presence felt, too.

One other note from the course: Much as the European team did four years ago at Oakland Hills, each player is wearing himself out ignoring this week's "no autograph" policy. Same goes for the Americans. (Boo Weekley said the other day that he had a blister from signing so much.)

It's all part of an effort to keep the fans partisan out here -- or bipartisan, if the Euros can get their way.

11:30 a.m.: Standing at the first green, watching the group of Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson chip and putt to different spots (doesn't seem like they're playing a money match), I've got to wonder whether each captain has the exact same theory concerning his pairings coming into the event.

From this foursome, it would appear that Poulter and Rose, who are good friends, would be paired together, as would the two rookies. But Nick Faldo can also mix and match between any of the four. Same goes for his other two foursomes on the course right now; Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Graeme McDowell went off first, followed by Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Robert Karlsson and Padraig Harrington. (Although I could see Harrington and McDowell, whom the British Open and PGA champ has lobbied to play with, paired at some point, too.)

Meanwhile, U.S. captain Paul Azinger has kept his players in the same foursomes over the first few days. Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Boo Weekley and J.B. Holmes would seem to be apparent pairings with each other, as are Stewart Cink, Steve Stricker, Chad Campbell and Ben Curtis; and Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan and Justin Leonard.

Lots of theories floating around right now, but I think this one could hold true.

10:40 a.m.: In a city where hoops coach Rick Pitino is among the most popular public figures, it would only make sense if Paul Azinger's night-before pregame speech included the following: "David Toms is not walking through that door. Scott Verplank is not walking through that door. TIGER WOODS IS NOT WALKING THROUGH THAT DOOR!"

It's true. Earlier this week, via his Web site, Woods said, "I plan to watch the Ryder Cup this week, but I will not attend. U.S. captain Paul Azinger has my cell phone number and he or any U.S. player can call me any time. If I can offer any assistance, I'm happy to help."

There's been plenty of speculation about whether the U.S. side is better off without Woods. Personally, I don't get it. Sure, he owns a fairly paltry (for him) 10-13-2 record in Ryder Cup play, but that's still better than any of his teammates during that span. And he's a virtual lock in a Sunday singles match, where he hasn't lost since his debut in 1997 versus Costantino Rocca.

As I've written a few times this week, the U.S. team without Tiger is akin to the New England Patriots without Tom Brady. Can each squad win without its star player? Absolutely, but they're still better off with him in the lineup than without him.

All of which leads to something called "The Performance Matrix," which was published in the October issue of Esquire, claiming to serve as "a scientific guide to greatness." In this matrix, math guru Garth Sundem put together an abnormally large mathematical formula to calculate "the greatest performer of our time" from all different fields. No. 1 on the list is financial magnate Warren Buffett, followed by Michael Jordan and then, yes, Tiger Woods.

I guess Sundem didn't have a place in that formula for Ryder Cup records.

(Just further down the list, in succession, were Madonna, Britney Spears and then Bob Dylan -- which may in itself render this entire exercise null and void.)

Perhaps the most innovative thing I've heard all week? One of my fellow reporters -- yes, we can have an intelligent thought every once in a while -- suggested that Azinger could have named Woods as a captain's pick, "rested" him over the first two days and then taken the half-point from his match on Sunday. (If a player is injured, his match is automatically halved.)

OK, so that would have been more than a little disingenuous, but a 0-0-1 record is better than most U.S. players have fared in recent editions of this thing.

10:15 a.m.: I'm disoriented. I'm shaking. I'm more than a little on edge.

Excuse me for the early withdrawal symptoms, but they always creep up on this day every other year. At every other professional golf tournament (save for very few exceptions), Thursday morning is obviously when the first balls are struck and we finally get under way.

At the three-day Ryder Cup, though, it's simply the last chance for players to get a final tour of the course prior to the afternoon's opening ceremony, while the rest of us are left previewing, analyzing, prognosticating, overanalyzing, theorizing and over-overanalyzing the upcoming event.

So, yeah, it's enough to leave me more than a little on edge.

Of course, that doesn't mean there won't be any news today. Captains Paul Azinger and Nick Faldo will announce their Friday morning foursomes pairings this afternoon, and I'll break down the matches faster than you can imagine, with a full report as soon as they're made public.

Until then, let's continue analyzing, overanalyzing and, yes, over-overanalyzing for the remainder of the day. The Ryder Cup Live Blog starts in earnest on Friday -- with updates as fast as my fingers can type -- so consider today's entries a Semi-Live Blog, as I'll still post here pretty frequently. As always, hit me up at the e-mail above; I'll be answering questions and posting your thoughts throughout the day. Make me laugh and you're in. Let's get going...

Jason Sobel is a golf writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at rydercupblog@gmail.com.