5. Wrist injuries for Thomas, Spieth ahead of RC
Golfweek’s Brentley Romine writes tendonitis has come for the U.S. squad.
- “Thomas is battling tendonitis in his right wrist, the injury flaring up during the final round of the BMW Championship, while Spieth, according to Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis, is suffering from the same ailment in his left wrist.”
- “It’s just kind of more precautionary than anything, just a little tightness, and it probably looks a little worse than it is,” Thomas said last Tuesday before he tied for seventh at the Tour Championship…Spieth echoed Thomas’ comments on Tuesday, telling Lewis that the injury was “not a big deal.”
6. No time to reflect
PGATour.com’s Mike McAlister writes…”Tiger, though, simply hasn’t had time to process unforgettable. Less than 48 hours after completing a year-long comeback from career-threatening back surgeries, Woods has turned his attention to beating the Europeans on their home turf for the first time in 25 years. Not until next week will he have a chance to reflect on the improbable climb back into the winner’s circle.”
- “I saw a couple of [videos] on some French news channel [of] the people rushing behind me, but I haven’t sat down and watched it yet,” Woods said. “I still have this event to do.
- “Post-Ryder Cup, it will be a different story. I will look back and soak it up and really reflect on what really transpired that entire week.”
7. Captain America, ready for duty
Cameron Morfit on Patrick Reed, match play dynamo.
- “The bonkers singles victory over Rory McIlroy at Hazeltine in 2016. The grind-it-out takedown of Henrik Stenson at Gleneagles in 2014, when Reed shushed the European crowd. Other Reed exploits, like the college grudge matches against Harris English (Georgia) and Uihlein (Oklahoma State) that were part of his 6-0 record as Augusta State won national titles in 2010 and ’11, we’ve heard about enough to feel like we were there.”
- “In college, he was so excitable for match play, his nickname was Next Level. But excitement and enthusiasm only go so far; Reed, more than most players this side of Ian Poulter (more on him shortly), somehow utilizes that run-through-a-wall spirit to elevate his play.”
- “I just get more jacked up, more excited,” Reed says of his Captain America persona. “Just really pumped and goin’, and that’s why even if it’s a 5-footer for par, I’m screaming. I think just the show of emotion gets the crowd going, gets me kind of going, kind of picks you up. That’s a week that’s all on adrenaline.”
8. The forgotten Ryder Cupper
Kevin Van Valkenburg returns to the narrative that Brooks Koepka remains overlooked.
- “A lot has happened since that Ryder Cup two years ago. Koepka has won three majors, including two this season. In doing so, he’s establishing himself as perhaps the most formidable big-game hunter of his generation. He has just one regular-season PGA Tour victory, the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open. But get him in a major, or a Ryder Cup, and the people around him can actually see his focus narrow, his preparation intensify. He is not one for chest-bumping theatrics or egging on a hostile crowd the way Patrick Reed is, but if the United States is going to win this Ryder Cup this week on European soil for the first time since 1993, it will likely be because Koepka turned in another dominant performance.”
- “How much respect Koepka deserves for his accomplishments, and how much he’s received for them, has been something of a sensitive topic this year on the PGA Tour, particularly in Koepka’s camp. Though he has risen to No. 2 in the world, it’s become obvious Koepka doesn’t feel golf media — or the sport’s fans — are giving him the attention that Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson frequently receive. Koepka isn’t particularly forthcoming in interviews, but when he does open up, he’ll sometimes share anecdotes he is clearly using to fuel the narrative of disrespect.”
9. Phil wants strokes
Mickelson tweeted…”I just played with Tiger today and it is the best I’ve ever seen him swing the club. It is so on plane and solid. I’ll be asking for a shot a side for our Thanksgiving match. I doubt I’ll get it though.”
Patrick Reed told reporters he didn’t think a stroke a side would be enough to give Mickelson a chance.Ouch.
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