Should Tiger Be On The Ryder Cup Team?

[MichaelWinicki]

I think the standard for Tiger is much higher he won Arnold Palmer Invitational, Farmers Insurance Open, Players Championship, Cadillac Championship and Bridgestone Invitational all in 2013 each one of them big events vs the worlds top players he also won player of the year last season. By any other golfers standards that is an outstanding year yet for Tiger it is an off year?

Yep, those are the standards he set himself... No majors=Off year

 

[Doomsday101]

Yep, those are the standards he set himself... No majors=Off year

Yes but when talking Ryder cup it is better than most of the guys on that list. Yes it is an off year and it shows how great Tiger is because any othe golfer out there that is a successful season for them.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Yes but when talking Ryder cup it is better than most of the guys on that list. Yes it is an off year and it shows how great Tiger is because any othe golfer out there that is a successful season for them.

I understand what you're saying Dooms, but that was before major back surgery. At this point we have no idea what his capacity is for playing even close to last year's level.

 

[Doomsday101]

I understand what you're saying Dooms, but that was before major back surgery. At this point we have no idea what his capacity is for playing even close to last year's level.

No doubt but he has just returned and has played in only 2 events having some good rounds and poor rounds I have little doubt his game will improve. I don't think he will ever play to the standard he did in 2009 but then I think very few ever will. To date Jack is the only other person but i think Tiger still has a lot left in the tank

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

No. Tiger hasn't even proven that he can put two good rounds of golf together yet. He may eventually return to form, I don't know, but my guess is that we've seen the last of what Tiger used to be. If he regains form, I think it will be a different version of Tiger and not nearly as dominant.

As for the Ryder Cup, based on what he's done thus far, there is no way he should be on the team. Not even as a named captain.

 

[Doc50]

It doesn't look good for the US Team this year because the Euros are really playing well.

The top-8 in points thus far are:

1. Bubba Watson
2. Jimmy Walker
3. Rickie Fowler
4. Jim Furyk
5. Dustin Johnson
6. Jordan Spieth
7. Matt Kuchar
8. Jason Dufner

I actually believe the US team could win (and possibly blowout the Euros) *if* Watson used a more data analytics approach to pairing players.

In general, good Short Game play and putting is very helpful in the Ryder Cup format. Short Game even more so because it's not always easy to take good putting from course to course (see Snedeker at Medinah). But, in the match play format over the years the players that are really good around the green tend to do well. Poulter has one of the best short games on Tour. So does Luke Donald. Both excellent match play golfers. Jason Day one the Accenture Match play...spectacular short game player. I just think in the match play format...particularly at the Ryder Cup...it's tough to play an opponent that can get up and down from the ballwasher and stymie you when think you have him beat.

So, if I were Watson I would look at good short game players. Looking at how well a player is putting is a bit ill-conceived because a player may putt well going into the PGA Championship, then cool off by the time the Ryder Cup is to be played.

I think it's also important to get young players. You don't have to worry about them tiring out and having to sit them. And if you get a young player who is riding a hot hand, you can just keep playing him and gain points.

In the 4-ball format (low score), you really want to focus on guys that make birdies and guys that play the par-4's and par-5's well. Or if you have a player that plays the par-4's and par-5's well, but struggles on the par-3's, look for a partner that plays the par-3's well and plays the par-4's well.

In the 4-some format (alternate shot) we need to find guys who have more 'compatible' games. Trying to put somebody like Mickelson in with say Zach Johnson is a bad idea because Mickelson misses a lot of fairways and Zach isn't good out of the rough. You would also want to find good short game players along with guys that generally are good at avoiding bogeys. That's why Furyk is a good 4-some player (low bogey player), but a terrible 4-ball player (low birdie player).

If I am Tom Watson, I'm leaning toward looking for young players that have good short games and that can play in both the 4-ball and 4-some format. You really need to find who is hot and who is not and ride the hot hands and bench the guys playing poorly.

That's why I see Tiger as a bad pick...he's struggled all year long. The strength of his game is not his short game around the green. And with his injuries, you're not going to be able to play him every round if you need him to and he may only be able to play on 2 of the days, needing a break.

Right now, my picks would be:

1. Zach Johnson
2. Keegan Bradley
3. Patrick Reed
4. Brendon Todd or Phil Mickelson or Webb Simpson






YR

Good post, YR.

While Tiger still has a chance to show up, you simply have to go with who's playing well now; they have won with no-names, and we can also.

Always a great tournament to watch. I was over there last year and was scheduled to play Gleneagles, but was snowed out.
Did play the Old, the New, the Castle, Kingsbarns, North Berwick, Carnoustie, Muirfield, and Turnberry.
Going to Pebble next week.

Gotta do the bucket list.

 

[TheBigEasy]

Yes. He will be selected along with Mickelson & Bradley. Those two brought the best out in each other last Ryder Cup and, most recently, the President's Cup. Plus, they fire the team up and were great to watch. As far as Tiger, and if you watched The Open, you'd realize he's just lack repetition. He still has two months before the picks need to be in and he's only going to get better. Even his critics should be impressed that he just had major back surgery and just made the cut in a major. Not a fan of Tiger the person but I am of Tiger the golfer. He won't be left off of the team.