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27

Sep
Thu

The Syllabus: Everybody freeze

By Ryan HerringtonIt's become a biennial tradition. Just as the college golf season gets rolling in the fall, along comes (at least in even numbered years) the World Amateur Team Championship, arguably the prestigious events...

27

Sep
Thu

Medinah setup a refreshing change of pace

By John Huggan MEDINAH, Ill. -- The contrast is both obvious and welcome. Where last week's Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta featured fairways as narrow as 16 yards in places -- and so all the tedium that typically follows such lack of imagination -- this Ryder Cup is almost bereft of rough. As presented by U.S. captain Davis Love, Medinah No. 3 will encourage a delightful two-part scenario rarely seen these days on the PGA Tour. Not only will the 24 players feel able to go with driver from almost every tee, the risky recovery shot -- the most exciting aspect of golf at the highest level -- will nearly always be available to those who do stray slightly from the straight and wide.Medinah Country Club. Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images Throw in the added spice of match play golf -- a format that has always fostered enterprise and inspired shot-making -- and this 39th playing of the game's most anticipated biennial battle has the chance to be one of the most memorable ever. "This is the style of golf I like to watch and I like to play," explains Love. "I've never been a fan of driving it in the rough and chipping it out and playing a wedge game. If we were playing a PGA Championship this week, Kerry Haigh (managing director of tournaments at the PGA of America) wouldn't like it. But match play and the Ryder Cup is a whole different animal. I want it to be fun for the players and I want it to be fun for the fans. I'm not looking for 'easy' but I am looking for 'fun.'" Tellingly, both big and short hitters have nodded approval for Love's appealing philosophy. "The golf course is set up really nicely," says Dustin Johnson, the fourth-longest driver on the PGA Tour. "I plan on being really aggressive."Related: Photos: Medinah CC up close "The course really helps the 'bombers,'" agrees another Johnson, Zach, whose average drive expires 28.9 yards behind that of his namesake. "But what's good for me is that, when I miss a fairway by maybe two or three yards, I still have a shot to the green and a chance to make birdie. Normally, that's where the heaviest rough is and I'm relying on my wedge game to save par." The Europeans have also been making noises of approval, regarding both the setup and the quality of the putting surfaces. "There's not too many tricks to the course," feels Chicago-resident Luke Donald. "But the greens are fast and slopey, so if you want to make a lot of birdies you have to be putting from the right places." Related: Meet Ryder Cup Team USA "I think there's going to be a lot of birdies out there," claims former Open champion Paul Lawrie, who played the 1999 PGA Championship, his first U.S. major, at Medinah. "I think you'll see a lot of chip-ins, too, because there is not rough around the greens." "The course is very open, but it isn't necessarily easy," says Germany's Martin Kaymer, confirming Love's assessment. "Yes, you can hit the ball into the rough, if you can call it that. But you still need to place your ball on the correct side of the fairways; there are a lot of trees in the way." As for which side will gain advantage from Love's obvious strategy, opinions are, as one would expect, divided. Certainly, it is a course set-up rarely seen on tour outside of Augusta National or Pinehurst. Related: The five best Ryder Cups of all time "I've played over here pretty much all year and I haven't seen a course that's got no rough and no rough around the greens," pointed out world No. 4 Lee Westwood. "So this isn't a course that either team is particularly used to. I can't see how it suits one team or the other. I reckon the last time I played a course that had been set up like this was The Belfry in 2002 -- and we set that up for ourselves." The last word, however, goes to Love, who is clearly hoping the lack of long grass -- and the not-too fast greens -- will provide a decisive advantage for his men. "When we go over there (to Europe) for the Ryder Cup, the fairways tend to taper in at 280 or 290 (yards) and there's a lot of deep rough," he says with a smile. "I'm not real clever, but I've done just the opposite." Which, at first glance, makes perfect sense. Just how perfect, of course, remains to be seen. Follow @johnhuggan !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

27

Sep
Thu

Gear On Tour: Ryder Cup

What the Ryder Cuppers are using for the matches at Medinah Country Club.

27

Sep
Thu

Ryder Cup Gala

Everyone's looking sharp as players, wives and girlfriends attend the Ryder Cup Gala dinner

26

Sep
Wed

Fields: Pride -- not prizes -- makes the Ryder Cup a special event

By Bill Fields MEDINAH, Ill. -- Twenty-five years ago, when I attended my first Ryder Cup, I watched on a sunny Sunday afternoon a dozen men from Europe dance in a chorus line of joy on the 18th green of Muirfield Village GC. They had cause: winning for the first time on American bentgrass, over a Jack Nicklaus-captained United States team at the Golden Bear's home course in Ohio, no less. Those golfers -- arms draped over shoulders, legs kicking, smiles wide -- resembled in their jubilance not paid-to-play grown-ups, but kids after Santa had come with every toy on their list. The victorious 1987 European Ryder Cup team. (Photo by Getty Images)Scenes of that kind of glee, and its opposite emotion too, have marked the Ryder Cup in the intervening years and figures to again later this week when the 39th edition of the matches commences at Medinah CC's No. 3 course outside Chicago. In an ever-complicated world in which professional golf can seem all too determined to fit in well, at a Ryder Cup, successes and failures are easy to spot. There is pride on the line instead of permutations on command. Golf bags are inscribed with surnames rather than brand names. If you win, there is a big party, not a big check. Related: John Huggan and Ron Sirak's Ryder Cup predictions Strip away all the gala functions, well-appointed team rooms, color-coordinated uniforms and lavish corporate hospitality tents that accompany a 21st century Ryder Cup and you are left with an occasion at turns liberating and suffocating for the 24 guys putting on the show. Golf is a solitary pursuit, even -- or perhaps especially -- at the top echelon, regardless of how much cosseting there is along the journey. But being part of a team mutes the loneliness, whether you're traveling to a high school match in a station wagon or to the Ryder Cup in first-class. Most pro golfers are sports nuts, aware of the emotions of what it takes to perform in the clutch, but not accustomed to leaning on someone -- or having someone lean on them. "I'm really excited to just embrace that team concept, be part of a team, help guys in any way that I can and just be part of a team," said American rookie Jason Dufner. "A lot of the sports that we follow are team-oriented, so that really fascinates me about how close teams get and how it propels them to victory." Related: How the teams stack up in the areas that really matter World No. 1 Rory McIlroy had shrugged at the importance of the Ryder Cup before experiencing it for the first time during a European victory at Celtic Manor in 2010. "Yeah, it definitely opened my eyes," McIlroy said. "It's just different, different atmosphere, being part of a team, not playing for yourself, playing for your 11 other teammates, your captain, your vice captains, your country, your continent. It's a big deal." That, of course, is the flip side of the camaraderie coin. There might not be big bucks or golf immortality on the line in a Ryder Cup, but there is something else you don't experience in a Grand Slam event. "The Ryder Cup, it's a feeling of not wanting to let anybody down, and you're representing your country and your continent and wanting to make a good show of it for them, as well," said Lee Westwood. "It's a different kind of pressure." But for 2012 American captain Davis Love III, who played on six teams, the pressure is unique -- and real. "The Ryder Cup to me is [like] the last nine holes of a major when you've got a chance to win, except it starts Friday morning on the first tee and it never lets up," Love said Wednesday at Medinah. "I honestly don't think you get any more nervous on Sunday trying to win your singles match than you are Friday morning hitting the first shot -- I've been in the situation a couple of times where you knew your point was going to matter to win the Ryder Cup. I'm telling you, it's not any different putting that putt than it is hitting off the first tee Friday morning." Related: Have recent Ryder Cups lacked a certain "edge"? On the first tee Friday morning, when there is wet grass and dry mouths, it won't feel like Friday morning in Greensboro or Akron or Miami. And on Sunday night, one side is going to feel like dancing up a storm. In between is what makes it special to play -- and to watch. Follow @BillFields1 !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

26

Sep
Wed

Maybe the groove rule is working

By Mike StachuraIn my recent post comparing the statistics of the vaunted 1981 U.S. Ryder Cup team to its current edition, I suggested the U.S. team's performance in driving accuracy was relatively poor vs. the '80s...

26

Sep
Wed

Steve Stricker avoids a Steve Pate-like fate in golf cart accident

By Dave Shedloski MEDINAH, Ill. -- Steve Stricker narrowly missed becoming the Steve Pate of this Ryder Cup. Stricker was riding in a golf cart driven by U.S. assistant captain Scott Verplank that got slightly out of control as Verplank tried to navigate a steep slope near the 17th green at Medinah CC Wednesday afternoon. Verplank drove cautiously down the bank, but the cart began to slide sideways in the wet grass. Rather than risk injury should the cart overturn, Stricker jumped out of the passenger seat and ran down the hill. Related: John Huggan and Ron Sirak's Ryder Cup predictions "I felt it going, and I decided to abandon ship," said Stricker, 45, making his third appearance for the U.S. team. "I think the cart actually ended up doing about a 360 spin before it stopped. My caddie (Jimmy Johnson) also jumped out. My clubs were kind of all over the place. But no one got hurt, which was good." Photo by Getty ImagesPate is the last player to get injured during Ryder Cup week. In 1991 at Kiawah Island, S.C., the American suffered a rib injury when the limousine in which he was riding was involved in a three-car accident on the way to a gala dinner in nearby Charleston. Pate played in only one match that weekend and sat out the Sunday singles because of the injury. Related: A sneak peak at Team USA's uniforms Stricker has a 3-3-1 record in the Ryder Cup. It is expected that he will be paired with Tiger Woods for several sessions of the team portion of the matches featuring foursomes (alternate shot) and four-ball formats. Stricker and Woods were 2-1 in the 2010 matches in Wales. Follow @DaveShedloski !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

26

Sep
Wed

Why golf balls can play a big role in Ryder Cup foursomes matches

By E. Michael Johnson Somehow equipment always finds a way to sneak into the conversation at the Ryder Cup. Remember Phil Mickelson's equipment switch from Titleist to Callaway just before the 2004 matches at Oakland Hills GC? And of course, the raingear debacle with the U.S. squad dominated the first-day discussion in Wales in 2010. Over the years, however, normally the most talk-about equipment situation at the Ryder Cup had to do with what golf ball pairs would use in foursomes as the alternate-shot format required some golfers to play balls different in brand and construction than those they normally play. In 2010, however, there was nary a word said about the impact of using differing models of balls or strategizing to pair up players who use identical spheres. In fact, a look at the transcripts from this year's Ryder Cup reveals that the topic was not brought up a single time. A rules change in 2006 partly explains the reduced angst. Instead of having to play one make and model of ball the entire round,teammates now can switch golf balls on each hole, providing a different kind of strategy. Our 2012 Hot List for Golf Balls At the 2008 matches at Valhalla, Phil Mickelson summed up the players' approach given the opportunity to play a different ball on each hole. "I tee off with their ball and they tee off with my ball," said Mickelson. "Off the tee it's not going to make too much of a difference. It's the distance control and how it comes off the irons and the trajectory and so forth [that is important]. And we will be hitting our own balls with our iron approach shots." According to Dean Snell, VP of R&D for TaylorMade golf balls, the strategy of setting up the ball used off the tee so the player with the approach shot plays their own ball is solid thinking. "Players get out of their comfort zone when the trajectory of their approach shots is off, so hitting their own ball into the greens is a good call," said Snell. "It's easier for them to make an adjustment off the tee than on the scoring shots where the ball may climb up the face a little if it's a firmer ball than they're used to. That can make a huge difference on a short pitch, while it will make little difference off the tee." Related: How the teams stack up in the areas that really matter The opportunity to switch balls got a workout in Wales as only six of the 16 foursomes pairs played the same model ball (three on each side with each of those teams using Titleist's Pro V1x). It also puts forth the importance of finding the right ball for one's game, not just the one that allows you to bust it as far as humanly possible off the tee. How important is finding the right ball? Well, consider that at the 2010 Ryder Cup those foursomes pairs using the same ball won four times (including all three such pairings for the Europeans) while losing just twice. A small sample, to be sure, but there's no discounting the comfort that comes with playing a ball that you're familiar with. Follow @EMichaelGW(Photo by Getty Images) !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

26

Sep
Wed

Tenuous golf connection: Jessica Biel turns heads at Medinah

By Alex Myers Justin Timberlake's love of golf has been well documented. The actor/singer/dancer/envy of most guys is an avid player, and has supported the game in a variety of ways from attaching his name to a PGA Tour event, to buying and fixing up a boyhood course in Memphis. Overall, the only two-time participant in Golf Digest's U.S. Open Challenge has helped increase golf's coolness factor. But his contributions to the sport's "hotness," thanks to the company he keeps, aren't going unnoticed either. Related: Our Hottest Golfer Contest At Tuesday's Ryder Cup Captains & Celebrities Scramble at Medinah, not only did Timberlake play, but his lovely fiancee, actress Jessica Biel, was a loving follower in his gallery (left). The two got engaged in January and are expected to be married sometime next month. And if you zoom in on the photo, you can see a rock on her finger that's approximately the size of a golf ball. Related: How the teams stack up in the areas that really matter Here are two more pictures of Biel. So, um, you don't have to zoom in. Of course, you don't have to look closely to notice the parasol Biel was holding while walking the fairways. Hey, you keep doing what you do, Jessica. And Justin, please play in as many celebrity tournaments as you like. . . Follow @AlexMyers3(Photos by Getty Images) !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

26

Sep
Wed

SwingTIP: 'A golfer's mobile swing coach'

By John Strege Technology, now or in the future, won't replace the teaching professional, but it can narrow the gap, according to Vijay Nadkarni, founder, president an CEO of Mobiplex, a Silicon Valley concern...