9/26/2014

Captain McGinley Follows Momentum

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Paul McGinley says his side showed great character to recover from a poor end to the morning fourballs and secure a two-point lead at the end of day one.

McGinley’s men found themselves trailing by a point at Gleneagles after USA finished the morning session strongly but the visitors managed just one half point in the afternoon as Europe dominated the foursomes to secure a 5-3 overnight lead.

McGinley said: “We’ve seen it in Ryder Cups over the years, how important momentum switches are and how it can really have a domino effect.

“So, when the surge came from America at the end of the session this morning, for our guys to react as well as they did, shows real strength of character.

“To have blue on the board, in all four matches, within, I think, six holes in the afternoon, I think just shows the ability we have in this team.”

European big guns Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia lost their fourball match and looked on course for a disastrous day when they were two down with two to play against Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker in the afternoon.

But they produced a sensational birdie-birdie finish to claim a half, which McGinley considered particularly valuable.

“Sometimes you go out, don’t play quite well, and you get beaten. It was a point lost in the Ryder Cup and we move forward.

“They went out in the afternoon and rectified it, to a large extent, and that was probably as good as a win to be honest, to come back from where they were.”

Rookies Jamie Donaldson and Victor Dubuisson also played starring roles in the afternoon and finished as winners in their first Ryder Cup matches.

Donaldson and Lee Westwood beat Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar two-up while Dubuisson teamed up with Graeme McDowell to beat Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley 3&2.

“The rookies had great partners,” McGinley reflected. “I think Lee and G-Mac, you couldn’t ask for better partners in your first Ryder Cup. That was huge.

“Stevie (Gallacher) had Ian Poulter and we thought that dynamic would work as well but that happens in Ryder Cups (the pair were well beaten in the morning fourballs).

“It doesn’t always work, it’s not a perfect science, but two out of three from the rookies today was not bad.

“So, a great day, lots of momentum, brilliant. But let’s take stock now, we have a big day tomorrow.”


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Medinah Repeat for McIlroy and Poulter


Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter will restore their Medinah partnership at Gleneagles in Saturday morning's Ryder Cup fourballs.

Poulter and McIlroy produced one of the finest comebacks in recent Ryder Cup history two years ago when they won their Saturday fourball, kicking off Europe's rally towards what turned into a sensational overall victory - Poulter ended that game with birdies at the final five holes.

They will go out in the last fourball on Saturday morning but face a tough match, McIlroy again facing Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler after claiming what seemed like an unlikely half with in the Friday afternoon foursomes, that time alongside Sergio Garcia.

McIlroy is one of three European players making his third appearance, with the pairing of Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson unsurprisingly kept together after two impressive wins on Friday.

They take on a new American partnership of Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar, who both suffered defeat in their sole outing on the opening day.

American captain Tom Watson drew plenty of criticism for leaving Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth out of his foursomes line-up on Friday afternoon, following their superb 5 & 4 win over Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter, but they are back in action together on Saturday morning.

The rookie duo will take on Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer, who halved their only Friday match against Fowler and Walker in the morning fourballs.

The other match sees foursomes winners Lee Westwood and Jamie Donaldson back together for a clash with Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk.

That means no Saturday morning game for Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley after one win and one defeat on Friday, while Sergio Garcia misses out after a poor performance on Friday alongside world No 1 McIlroy.


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9/25/2014

McGinley Names Opening Fourball Pairings

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Paul McGinley has selected the pairings for Friday’s opening Ryder Cup fourballs.

However, the Irishman will be happy to adapt his gameplan if any of his selections struggle to make an impact against the Americans.

Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson will lead Europe off against Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson, with Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer then taking on Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker.

Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter are third out against rookie duo Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, followed by Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy, who have been asking to be paired together for months according to McGinley, against Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson. 

"I've gone with one rookie in the morning and Tom has gone with three. That might be a genius move by Tom, it might not," McGinley said.

"My ideas might backfire, as well, but that's what you do as captain, make your decisions, set out your stall, watch what happens and you adapt to what happens.

"There will be decisions I'll get wrong as captain, I'm prepared for that. But I'd like to think that I'll be able to adjust things and go forward.”

All four of Europe's pairs have not played together in the Ryder Cup before but that does not concern McGinley.

"These guys all know each other very well and you move forward," said McGinley, who had spoken all week about not changing the successful European template.

"Two years down the road, a different view and take on things, and games have evolved in slightly different ways and guys become more experienced.

"Ian Poulter is a very experienced player now. There's going to be a big atmosphere in that group, we'll need a guy with a big attitude for that and I think Ian Poulter fits that bill.

"Justin and Henrik spent a lot of time together at Lake Nona (in Orlando) over the years, know each other very, very well, and you have Sergio and Rory who have formed a real bond and friendship and respect for each other's games during the summer period.

"Things evolve and move. The template doesn't mean pairings have to be the exact same pairings."


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GMAC Responds to Lefty Banter

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Graeme McDowell has responded to comments from Phil Mickelson poking fun at the fact he is involved in Rory McIlroy's court case against former management company Horizon.

On Wednesday the American veteran made a joke about Rory McIlroy's court case against former management company Horizon - which has seen team-mate Graeme McDowell dragged into the dispute as he is still represented by them.

"Not only are we able to play together, we also don't litigate against each other and that's a real plus, I feel, heading into this week," said the five-time major winner.

The remark, whether tongue-in-cheek or carefully placed, did not go unnoticed by the European team but they have brushed it aside with relative disdain.

Horizon still represent McDowell, but the 2010 US Open winner says there is no personal animosity between him and McIlroy because of the lawsuit, and insisted there is no split in Europe’s camp.

He said: “Thankfully, I haven’t been too embroiled in the legal battles. He’s not suing me, thank goodness.

“My involvement was kind of inevitable in the end, I suppose, because I had a foot in both camps.

“Rory is a very good friend and Horizon Sports are still my management company so the inevitability of the awkwardness was there.

“We’re come through that and we’re better friends because of the experiences we’ve been through."

Ian Poulter said: "I did see them (Mickelson's comments) but you need to see how Rory and G-Mac (McDowell) are in the team room," said Ian Poulter.

"They are very comfortable. There's no animosity in there whatsoever. The guys are good so I just have to laugh at the comment."

Martin Kaymer, who holed the putt which retained the Ryder Cup at Medinah two years ago, echoed those sentiments.

"It's not really a topic for us. It's one of those things - you read it, you laugh about it and that's it," said the German.

"I heard about it yesterday for the first time on the bus but I think at the end of the day we should just play golf.

"It's fairly simple. If things like this start I don't know if that's necessary."

Justin Rose said the players took it all in their stride and stressed there was no hint of disharmony in their locker room.

"Of course it's a bit of banter and getting things going. We don't have a problem with that at all," he said.

"There's no real angst between the players from that point of view at all and in our team room, it's a non-issue.

"I've obviously been observing Rory and G-Mac too and they have been getting on great and playing golf and hanging out and having dinners together.

"Of course it was mentioned last night (at the gala dinner). Phil came up to Rory last night and was like 'Hey, this and that'. It's no real big deal.

"I'll call it banter and nothing more serious than that."

The Europeans are not short of a banter or a withering put-down themselves and Poulter's assessment of the American team in a series of pen pics published on Thursday are hardly complimentary.

He described Matt Kuchar as a "20-teeth plodder", said Patrick Reed's admittedly ambitious claim he was one of the best five players in the world was "stretching it" and admitted he could not remember anything wildcard Webb Simpson had done this season.

However, Poulter rejected the suggestion such comments made any difference.

"I think we're all aware and we all want to win this trophy, so I don't really think the mind games come into play," added the Englishman, Europe's talisman in Medinah.

"There's obviously bigger media coverage nowadays than there was so we're more aware of it but I don't think it's a big factor.

"For 103 weeks we're all friends on the golf course and there's no personal vendettas.

"There's no grudges against anybody out there. The fact is, it's healthy for us to be able to go out there as two teams that actually want to win this trophy.

"I see it as great for golf. I see it that we need to bring this thing back to all-square, and they have had the upper hand for so long that we are starting to try to work hard to get that back on an even keel."


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9/24/2014

Cup Captaincy Interests Clarke


Darren Clarke admits he would love to be Europe’s Ryder Cup captain.

The 46-year-old was in contention to be named captain for this year’s contest at Gleneagles before ruling himself out of the running, with Paul McGinley appointed in January 2013.

The 2016 Ryder Cup will be held at Hazeltine in Minnesota and Clarke can imagine himself leading the European team out in front of a receptive American crowd.

Quoted in the Daily Express, he said: “I would love to be Ryder Cup captain. I’ve played in five and been involved two others and it would be a huge honour if I was to be asked at some stage.

“If they were to offer me the job I would certainly not be picky as to when it would be. I’ve always been fortunate throughout my career in that I seem to have been quite popular with the American fans. They have always been very, very good to me over there.

“Wherever, I just hope at some stage that they do ask me to have the ultimate honour and be Ryder Cup captain.”

The Northern Irishman was overlooked for a vice-captain’s position in Scotland but will be at the PGA Centenary Course as a television pundit.

Rory McIlroy believes the former Open champion would be suited to taking the job across the Atlantic.

“There would be no better candidate from the European side,” McIlroy told the BBC. “He is absolutely loved over there. He would be just as well received in the United States as probably the United States captain.

“So, it can only be an advantage for the European team if Darren was to lead us out.”

McIlroy, who also voiced strong support for McGinley’s candidacy late in the selection process, was interviewed with Clarke and Graeme McDowell for a programme entitled ’Major Champions’, to be aired on BBC1 Northern Ireland on Wednesday and BBC2 on Thursday.


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