Opinion & Analysis
Here’s who should be the four U.S. Ryder Cup captain’s picks based on analytics
After the PGA Championship, the U.S. Ryder Cup team solidified 8 of its 12 players on the team. Now, captain Jim Furyk will have to decide who the other 4 players will be to join the team. In this day and age of advanced data analytics, it is imperative for the U.S. team to utilize an analytical approach. The European team has used advanced analytics in recent Ryder Cups, and they now field one of the best European squads of all time. Any advantage that the Europeans have that the U.S. team can counter would behoove Furyk and his chances of being a winning Ryder Cup captain.
Normally, captains have sought out players that have played well right before the Ryder Cup. This is a sound strategy. My statistical research on the subject is that most players reach peak performance for about four events in a row. Then their performance inevitably dips to a degree before eventually they hit peak performance, again.
The golden rule is that 80 percent of a player’s earnings in a season come in about 20 percent of the events they play in. Thus, if a player earns $2 million and plays 25 events in a season there’s a good likelihood that he earned $1.6 million of that in just 5 events.
These trends show that picking a hot player is fairly important. However, the issue is that Furyk has to make 3 of the picks by September 3rd and the last pick by September 9th and the Ryder Cup starts on September 28th. Thus, it’s very plausible that a player who is picked because they are playing great golf may cool down a bit by the time the Ryder Cup is being played. Therefore, finding a player with a hot hand is not quite what it is cracked up to be. But, I would recommend staying away from players that are playing miserably. History has shown that a hot player that is selected is more likely to perform better at the Ryder Cup than the cold player that gets selected.
There are some simple statistical rules to follow for optimal picks:
- Seek out quality performers around the green as it helps most in the Foursome (alternate shot) and individual match play format.
- You want birdie makers and quality performers on each of the holes (par-3’s, par-4’s and par-5’s) for the Fourball (best score) format.
- Ryder Cup experience doesn’t mean anything if the player is a poor Ryder Cup performer.
- All things being equal, take the younger player.
- Lean towards the player who fits into both Fourball and Foursome formats over the slightly better player that only fits well into one format.
A good way to start to determine what picks you need is to understand your current team. Here are the rankings in key metrics for the top-8 players on the U.S. team (rankings based out of 205 players):
The top-8 players compile a good driving team that drives the ball effectively thru hitting the ball a long ways rather than being deadly accurate off the tee. One of the best attributes the top-8 has is that they are a very good Short Game team (median ranking of 40.5). They are also pretty good from the Red Zon (175-225 yards), but are better from the Yellow Zone (125-175 yards).
The top-8 has dominated par-4’s (median ranking of 11.5) and par-5’s (median ranking of 20) while being good on the par-3’s (median ranking of 44.5). They also make a lot of birdies (median ranking 27th).
It should also be noted that Brooks Koepka’s data could probably be thrown out since it was skewed by him coming off an injury and he is clearly a different and much improved player in recent months. Koepka has typically been one of the better putters on Tour and a pretty good Red Zone performer.
The potential issues I see is that they do not hit a lot of fairways and have some players with issues hitting shots from the rough which is a bad combination in the Foursome format. Also, Webb Simpson currently stands as their weakest link on the team as he has not played that well in recent months and they will likely need to figure out a way to work around him if his performance doesn’t improve between now and the Ryder Cup.
Here are the picks I would recommend making at this point:
Tiger Woods
This is clearly the easiest pick to make even though Tiger’s Ryder Cup record has not been exactly stellar. Forget about Tiger being arguably the greatest player of all time, his performance has clearly indicated that he deserves to be on this Ryder Cup team. Furthermore, he’s statistically a quality fit in either the Fourball or Foursome format. The only issue I see is that given his age and his back issues, it would be wise to use him in no more than 3 matches in the first two days and even that may be too much for him. But, I would love to see him paired in the Foursome format with a player who hits fairways and can play well from the rough for those drives that Tiger struggles with.
Tony Finau
Finau has had 8 top-10 finishes and 2 second place finishes this season. He’s a nice looking fit at the Ryder Cup because he’s a great fit in the Fourball format and a pretty good fit in the Foursome format. In fact, my simulations find that he and Tiger would be a good fit together in either format.
Bryson DeChambeau
Again, versatility and youth play a key role in his selection. You never quite know who is going to show up at the Ryder Cup and who may get injured. Thus, there’s always a need for a player that fits both formats and can play in ever match if needed. The simulations I’ve ran really like a Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau pairing.
Patrick Cantlay
This was a difficult choice between Cantlay, Mickelson and Zach Johnson. The pros for Mickelson is that he has played well in recent Ryder Cups and certainly has the experience. He’s also not a bad fit in the Foursome format and a really good fit in the Fourball format if paired with another birdie making machine that avoids bogeys and plays well on par-3’s (i.e. Koepka, Fowler and Tiger). Zach has been a quality Ryder Cup performer as well and is best suited for the Foursome format. However, he’s not such a bad fit in the Fourball format. He doesn’t hit it long, but he does make birdies (43rd in Adjusted Birdie Percentage).
From a pure numbers point of view, my simulations favor Cantlay. I wish he was better from the Red Zone and from the rough, but he’s still a quality candidate in both formats and has youth on his side. For sentimental reasons, I would pick Mickelson because the simulations such as him and Tiger in the Fourball format, and this will likely be the last time that the two can ever be paired together. The numbers don’t care about emotions, though. And that’s why Cantlay is the pick for now. It would just be wise to wait until September 9th to make the final pick.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again
After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.
Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.
Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”
Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.
“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.
Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.
“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”
“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”
As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.
In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.
“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”
Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.
Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:
Fairways Hit
1.) Louis Oosthuizen
2.) Anirban Lahiri
3.) Jon Rahm
4.) Brendan Steele
5.) Cameron Tringale
Greens in Regulation
1.) Brooks Koepka
2.) Brendan Steele
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Cameron Tringale
5.) Anirban Lahiri
Birdies Made
1.) Brendan Steele
2.) Dean Burmester
3.) Thomas Pieters
4.) Patrick Reed
5.) Carlos Ortiz
LIV Golf Individual Standings:
1.) Joaquin Niemann
2.) Jon Rahm
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Louis Oosthuizen
5.) Abraham Ancer
LIV Golf Team Standings:
1.) Crushers
2.) Legion XIII
3.) Torque
4.) Stinger GC
5.) Ripper GC
LIV Golf Singapore Picks
Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)
Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.
This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.
Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)
Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.
This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.
It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.
Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)
Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.
Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.
Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.
Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)
Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.
Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.
If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.
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In Tampa, there is a golf course that boasts carts that do not work, a water range, and a group of players none of which have any chance to break 80. The course is overseen by a staff of crusty men who have succeeded at nothing in life but ending up at the worst-run course in America. However, this place is no failure. With several other local courses going out of business — and boasting outstanding greens — the place is booked full.
While I came for the great greens, I stayed to watch our resident instructor; a poor-tempered, method teacher who caters to the hopeless. At first, it was simply hilarious. However, after months of listening and watching, something clicked. I realized I had a front-row seat to the worst golf instructor in America.
Here are some of my key takeaways.
Method Teacher
It is widely accepted that there are three types of golf instructors: system teachers, non-system teachers, and method teachers. Method teachers prescribe the same antidote for each student based on a preamble which teachers can learn in a couple day certification.
Method teaching allows anyone to be certified. This process caters to the lowest caliber instructor, creating the illusion of competency. This empowers these underqualified instructors with the moniker of “certified” to prey on the innocent and uninformed.
The Cult of Stack and Jilt
The Stack and Tilt website proudly boasts, “A golfer swings his hands inward in the backswing as opposed to straight back to 1) create power, similar to a field goal kicker moving his leg in an arc and 2) to promote a swing that is in-to-out, which produces a draw (and eliminates a slice).”
Now, let me tell you something, there is this law of the universe which says “energy can either be created or destroyed,” so either these guys are defying physics or they have no idea what they are taking about. Further, the idea that the first move of the backswing determines impact is conjecture with a splash of utter fantasy.
These are the pontifications of a method — a set of prescriptions applied to everyone with the hope of some success through the placebo effect. It is one thing for a naive student to believe, for a golf instructor to drink and then dispel this Kool-Aid is malpractice.
Fooled by Randomness
In flipping a coin, or even a March Madness bet, there is a 50-50 chance of success. In golf, especially for new players, results are asymmetric. Simply put: Anything can happen. The problem is that when bad instructors work with high handicappers, each and every shot gets its own diagnosis and prescription. Soon the student is overwhelmed.
Now here’s the sinister thing: The overwhelming information is by design. In this case, the coach is not trying to make you better, they are trying to make you reliant on them for information. A quasi Stockholm syndrome of codependency.
Practice
One of the most important scientists of the 20th century was Ivan Pavlov. As you might recall, he found that animals, including humans, could be conditioned into biological responses. In golf, the idea of practice has made millions of hackers salivate that they are one lesson or practice session from “the secret.”
Sunk Cost
The idea for the worst golf instructor is to create control and dependency so that clients ignore the sunk cost of not getting better. Instead, they are held hostage by the idea that they are one lesson or tip away from unlocking their potential.
Cliches
Cliches have the effect of terminating thoughts. However, they are the weapon of choice for this instructor. Add some hyperbole and students actually get no information. As a result, these players couldn’t play golf. When they did, they had no real scheme. With no idea what they are doing, they would descend into a spiral of no idea what to do, bad results, lower confidence, and running back to the lesson tee from more cliches.
The fact is that poor instruction is about conditioning players to become reliant members of your cult. To take away autonomy. To use practice as a form of control. To sell more golf lessons not by making people better but through the guise that without the teacher, the student can never reach their full potential. All under the umbrella of being “certified” (in a 2-day course!) and a melee of cliches.
This of course is not just happening at my muni but is a systemic problem around the country and around the world, the consequences of which are giving people a great reason to stop playing golf. But hey, at least it’s selling a lot of golf balls…
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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19th Hole2 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
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19th Hole2 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole3 weeks agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole2 weeks agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole3 weeks agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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Paul
Aug 25, 2018 at 9:00 pm
Woods has no business being on the team.
Speedy
Aug 21, 2018 at 1:42 pm
TW, XS, KUCHAR, KISNER.
Chris
Aug 20, 2018 at 11:13 pm
1. Tiger 2. Kisner 3. Phil 4. Kuchar and Phil is iffy I know he’s a staple and people love him but he’s not playing well but he’s a team guy and his short game helps in these situations. At some point people will have to get used to tiger and Phil not being on these teams though.
Lance Kulman
Aug 20, 2018 at 7:16 pm
I would go off the reservation a bit, Tiger, Cantalay, sneadaker(all on Sep 3rd), then shock the world with Andrew Putman(won the stabbleford tourney) and has shown the ability to be birdie and eagle machine. He’s also young and could be the future of the American Ryder Cup team.
Andrew Putnam
Aug 21, 2018 at 10:11 am
Thanks Dad!
Robert
Aug 20, 2018 at 3:54 pm
A point system determined the top 8 at the end of the P. If you extend that point system to the top 12 at the end of the PGA you get Bryson, Tiger, Phil, and Xander. The French and Euros get to see:
Bryson (young, talented, with a new idea/approach to the game)
Tiger and Phil (legends – who would not want to see them play?)
Xander – new, young, talented.
Go with the point system)
Majduffer
Aug 20, 2018 at 3:09 pm
Tiger is a real iffy pick as he can’t hit a fairway. If the PGA championship had been at any major type venue instead of the milk toast setup, then I think
TW would have not made the cut. He would have hit his stinger all day and giving up copious yards to everyone. Im sure euros will tighten the course if TW is
picked. Note TWs fairway hit stats are inflated as he hits his 2I almost half the time. How would you like to play alt. shot with a guy who is giving up 30yds on holes you should be hitting a driver. Phil has a great short game so he is a natural for the team events. The rest of the picks should be youth.
Mike C
Aug 20, 2018 at 3:54 pm
Regardless of how he gets it done, Tiger had the lead on the back 9 Sunday in the British Open a few weeks earlier and the course setup was 180 degrees opposite of that of the PGA Championship. So your argument about course setup is not valid. Tiger has proven he can compete under any conditions.
Dreg
Aug 20, 2018 at 9:19 pm
Yes, when he is playing by himself for himself, only
Tee-Bone
Aug 20, 2018 at 1:54 pm
Tee-Bone picks;
1.Tiger…He’s back, and plus…he’s Tiger
2.Phil…Has had a great year, including a win. He’s the de facto US leader. Plus, he’s filthy at Ping Pong.
3.DeChambeau…He’s the real deal. He’ll be on many more teams, so get him in the mix now. Plus, he can teach the other guys how to execute a proper “baseline shift”.
4.Finau…It’s all about “inclusion” these days. Plus, he shook off a nasty ankle sprain. He’s tough.
kileen
Aug 20, 2018 at 2:40 pm
what does “inclusion” mean here? pick him because of his ethnicity? if so, wtf is wrong with you
Art Williams
Aug 20, 2018 at 1:41 pm
If you don’t pick Phil you’re nuts. The only reason anyone wouldn’t pick Phil is a pent up long standing prejudice against him. It’s only been the last few years that most of the media started to embrace him and his swipe at a moving ball in the US Open has been the catalyst for some members of the media to again find a reason to take a shot at him. It’s like OK we have our leader back ( Tiger) so it’s time to dump Phil AGAIN.Most fans love Phil but the media doesn’t. It’s an old story. Instead of just saying I don’t like Phil you’ll come up with some statistical reason to not pick him. It was evident on air yesterday that there are still many in the golf media who just don’t like him as his name was either ignored or there were questions about his worthiness on the Ryder Cup. Good god guys, he’s Phil Mickelson and he is the Ryder Cup. Cantley, really!
Fiorenzo
Aug 21, 2018 at 2:23 am
Could not agree with you more ; and this is from many miles away on another continent. leave Phil out and Europe will smile and say thanks.
Jack Nash
Aug 20, 2018 at 1:28 pm
Just like in the Mutual Fund biz “Past Performance insn’t a guarantee of future returns”. The same can be said about Woods. The article basically went against itself. Just because somebody was great 5-10 yrs ago doesn’t guarantee a winning return. The “afraid”of Tiger effect has gone. There’s more than a few on the Euro team who would relish playing a guy who can’t find the fairway.
Mike C
Aug 20, 2018 at 1:41 pm
Tiger got to 11th on the Ryder Cup points list in just 14 starts. He’s finished 6th and 2nd in the last two majors and has finished in the top 12 in half his starts. Of all the players who aren’t automatically on the team, he has the best stats. What rationale is there to keep him off the team?
Matty
Aug 20, 2018 at 2:02 pm
He just don’t like him lol, Tiger should be in and Phil should be out, when is the last time PM made a cut?
Tartan Golf Travel
Aug 20, 2018 at 9:42 pm
They will both make it…..Phil has a win this year and 6 top 10’s.
Dreg
Aug 20, 2018 at 9:21 pm
Because, Mike C, when it comes to alternative shots, nobody will want to be hitting the 2nd shot after Eldrick’s tee shot
Mike C
Aug 20, 2018 at 1:14 pm
Can someone please forward this article to Captain Furyk?
Jay Beezy
Aug 20, 2018 at 1:14 pm
omg this article is ridiculous on so many levels it’s hard to know where to begin. But I will say given TV rights, team chemistry, history and precedent there is no way PM and TW aren’t on the team so if you want to crunch some nerdy stats to try and make your case (as if golf is something you can predict) – then do it for two players not all 4. I mean Woods and Mickelson are both in the top 12 on the actual points qualifying list. Why would anyone write this article given that fact? And the other two points wise are Schauffele and DeChambeau which would be fine. Just pick the top 12. Stroontz…
Tim May
Aug 20, 2018 at 11:47 am
Love how you spell out the quant rules, and then violate two (2!) with the “obvious pick” of Woods.
1. “Ryder Cup experience doesn’t mean anything if the player is a poor Ryder Cup performer.”
Losing record = poor performer.
2. “All things being equal, take the younger player.”
Younger = anyone born in/after the Bicentenntial year..
Really?
Fut
Aug 20, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Yea, why not? The younguns are the future 🙂
Ty Webb
Aug 21, 2018 at 10:17 am
I read it as an experienced player with a poor record doesn’t get any extra consideration over a rookie. Fine, TW doesn’t get any props for experience, still a better pick than anyone else.
And all things are not equal. Tiger is clearly the best player not on the team now and it’s not really close.
Mike Honcho
Aug 20, 2018 at 11:43 am
Cantlay? Pace of play headache! DeChambeau? Case of headcase! Replace with Kuchar and Zach Johnson.
Team
Aug 20, 2018 at 11:09 am
It can’t be Eldrick. The reason why his record is not good in the Ryder Cup is because he is NOT a team player. He has never been, and never will be, a selfish dog that he is. The smile and joking banter we’ve all seen lately on the course is fake, it’s just idle chit-chat on the course about nothing. He will be a disruptive force, he will not help bind the team together.
Sneds, Kuch, ZJ, Phil.
Mike C
Aug 20, 2018 at 1:18 pm
Tiger’s playing too good to leave him off.
Dreg
Aug 20, 2018 at 9:25 pm
Only for himself! NOT a team player, Team is correct. Eldrick’s presence will disrupt everybody
d
Aug 20, 2018 at 11:01 am
Phil is the obvious sentimental pick. Plus, he’s really good at ping-pong in the team locker room.
Tartan Golf Travel
Aug 19, 2018 at 9:08 pm
It will be Tiger and Phil for sure. I think Kuchar is out. I’d probably go Xander and Bryson, which is what I think he will do. Finau just hasn’t done much in big tournaments. His only win was an opposite field event. I like Cantlay and Wise but I think given this is probably Phil and Tigers last Cup they will be on plenty in the future. If Sneds gets hot he’s a great pick and Bryson will be out,
Keith
Aug 20, 2018 at 11:03 am
Finau hasn’t done much in big tournaments, top 10 in the first 3 majors isn’t good enough??? WHAAAATTT?
Masters 10th
US Open 5th
British 9th
PGA 42nd (Tied the single round birdie record while playing with Furyk)
Other “Big” Tournaments:
WGC HSBC 11th
Farmers 6th
Genesis 2nd
Memorial 13th
WGC Bridgestone 10th
Let’s see how the “Mad” (as in temper) Scientist has fared in the same events:
Masters 38th
US Open 25th
British 51st
PGA MC
Farmers MC
Genesis 41st
Memorial 1st
WGC Bridgestone 30th
Looks to me like it’s Bryson who’s struggled when the lights have been the brightest…save for The Memorial 3mos ago.
Bryson will be a cancer in the team room and fodder for the Euro crowds who will eat him up for his selfish antics. Meanwhile Finau is a birdie making machine who has performed the best when the lights were brightest. He’s jovial, friendly, well liked by his peers, etc.
It’s a no brainer.
Tartan Golf Travel
Aug 20, 2018 at 3:45 pm
I like Finau but 1 win in an opposite field event is just not enough. I don’t disagree with you on Bryson but he’s won twice already and plays with Tiger all the time. I’d say you might need to get a life looking up all that info! Finau is a pretty poor putter by PGA standards. Outside of Kuchar I do believe they would all be decent pics so if it’s Finau over Bryson I get it.
DL
Aug 19, 2018 at 8:59 pm
If anyone says Finau out….you’re crazy. Dude is built for match play! Would like to see the numbers on X-man and why he wasnt selected.
gunmetal
Aug 19, 2018 at 8:04 pm
Cantlay over Mickelson, Kuchar, Johnson, Snedeker? Numbers are cute but there is no analytic for pressure and four out of five of the guys mentioned above have demonstrated they can handle it. Cantlay won once in Vegas in a playoff with a par iirc with a very weak field. And that’s it. He really hasn’t demonstrated any ability to perform under major championship/Ryder cup level pressure. I’d take Pat Perez and a big list of others over Cantlay.
Alcap26
Aug 19, 2018 at 6:08 pm
Kuchar, Finau, and Cantlay
Shu
Aug 19, 2018 at 5:06 pm
Kuchar, Mickelson, Schauffele IN
Deschambeau Cantlay Finau OUT
I would say.