Ryder Cup Day 2 Review/Day 3 Preview

So I was planning on doing a Ryder Cup post each day but due to a conversation with someone on Friday, it soured my view of the tournament and I just forgot. But time to review a fun Day 2 and an always fun final day in Ryder Cup.

Day 2 Review
Well, it started with Nick Faldo benching Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia in the morning session. An interesting decision considering they are his Ryder Cup vets and have been dominant as of late. At the end of the day though, it didn't seem to matter as Europe trimmed the U.S lead down to two points behind a dominant performance by the Poulter/Rose pair over Cink/Campbell and the surprising upset by Wilson/Stenson over Mickelson/Kim.

The afternoon session though brought back the sideshow that is Holmes/Weekley. These two together is not only comedy but flat out entertaining. They have no regard for golf etiquette which is great. Plus, they thrive off of the crowd and it worked again today, winning 2 and 1 over Westwood/Hansen. Europe picked up a point with Poulter/McDowell as Poulter continues to make his case of MVP for Europe (and making Nick Faldo seem smart). The Curtis/Stricker pairing that looked dysfunctional in day one responded nicely today to halve a match against Garcia/Casey. And the Mickelson/Mahan power pairing also halved their match, meaning the U.S. lead stayed at 2.

Day 3 Preview
Now, if you don't watch a lot of golf, I understand. It can be boring and with no Tiger, lack of a star to root for. But if there is a day to watch golf (or DVR, I know it is NFL Sunday), this is it. It's 12 one-on-one matches, mono y mono. And it's match-play, so every shot and every hole matters. Not to mention also that those annoying tap-ins don't happen in match play. And with the team aspect and chase for the magical number of 14 for Europe or 14.5 for the U.S., it makes it fun to follow which team has the momentum as the holes go on.

For those who don't know, the U.S. needs to get 14.5 points to win the Ryder Cup. Europe only needs 14, which would make a 14-14 tie and they would keep the Cup. A win is a full point while a tie is a half point. And trust me, the players on the course will know the score. And in most cases, once a team hits 14.5 points, matches starts getting conceded quickly so all can celebrate.

So I am gonna break my vow to not predict and actually pick who I think will win each pairing. Again, some of the ones near the end may not even matter. If the U.S. runs the table in the first 6 matches, it's over but let's just assume every match matters. Here's what I think:

12:03 PM: Kim (USA) vs. Garcia (EUR)
-- A matchup between the phenom of today (Kim) and the phenom of yesterday (Garcia). When it comes to shot-making, the two are equal. Kim is the better putter but Garcia putts better in Ryder Cup play. HALVE
12:14 PM: Mahan (USA) vs. Casey (EUR)
-- Mahan has been great for the U.S. team. A lot of people criticized Paul Azinger for picking him over someone like Rocco Mediate but he's proven he belongs. He's won 3 out of 4 possible points. Paul Casey has not played to his potential yet. I think it's his time to shine and for Mahan's bubble to burst. CASEY 2 & 1
12:25 PM: Leonard (USA) vs. Karlsson (EUR)
-- Leonard is 2-0-1 in this Ryder Cup. Karlsson is 0-1-2. All signs point to Leonard being able to take care of this one. So I'll take him. LEONARD 3 & 2
12:36 PM: Mickelson (USA) vs. Rose (EUR)
-- Lefty has played well for his country. But singles and match-play in general is not his strong suit. 3-3 in Ryder Cup play and never had a good showing in the WGC tourney. Rose is young and while Mickelson will make his birdies, he'll also make his fair share of bogeys. ROSE 1 up
12:47 PM: Perry (USA) vs. Stenson (EUR)
-- Perry started slow but showed signs of life on Day 2. The Kentucky boy wants this badly and the crowd will be with him but let's be serious: Stenson is a match-play guy. The guy has been in the WGC Match Play Final Four the past two years and has played fairly well this weekend. STENSON 4 & 2
12:58 PM: Weekley (USA) vs. Wilson (EUR)
-- Wilson has only played in one match and in that match, he did great. Looked calm and confident the entire way. But with only one match, hard to get a good read on how he'll do. Meanwhile, Weekley will be without his partner-in-crime for the first time and while he will have a crowd following him, this match just isn't the most star-studded. That favors Wilson and his calm, cool play. WILSON 2-up
1:09 PM: Holmes (USA) vs. Hansen (EUR)
-- I really think Holmes has a great game for match-play. He drives the ball so far that he will always shoot second from the fairway, meaning he can respond to whatever Hansen does. Hansen has zero personality so I don't think the crowd following Holmes will hurt him but I think Holmes wants to prove he was worth the captain's pick. HOLMES 2 & 1
1:20 PM: Furyk (USA) vs. Jimenez (EUR)
-- Jimenez has been less than stellar in this Ryder Cup and in his Ryder Cup career. Meanwhile, Furyk has been steady all weekend and has a 3-0-1 carer record in Ryder Cup singles play. FURYK 3 & 1
1:31 PM: Cink (USA) vs. McDowell (EUR)
-- This is the beginning of the end for the U.S. team. Cink and the following three have not played well. But Cink is a vet and a gritty player so expect him to play well. But don't count rookie Graeme McDowell who is playing some great golf. If this match really matters down the stretch, I would expect Cink to tighten up. HALVE
1:42 PM: Stricker (USA) vs. Poulter (EUR)
-- Stricker is the kind of player who doesn't thrive well under pressure. I mean, he'll make big putts but when the pressure is on, he can't hit the irons to even set up his great putting. Under the radar, he's always amazing. Meanwhile, Poulter is on fire. 3-1-0 in his second Ryder Cup and I don't see him slowing down when the stage gets even bigger. POULTER 4 & 2
1:53 PM: Curtis (USA) vs. Westwood (EUR)
-- This just looks unfair. A Ryder Cup rookie in Curtis who is such an on/off player going against a vet like Westwood who is one of the most consistent golfers in the world. I like the fight in Curtis though and really expect him to challenge Westwood if this match means a lot down the end. WESTWOOD 1-UP
2:04 PM: Campbell vs. Harrington (EUR)
-- If this Ryder Cup comes down to Campbell and Harrington, the U.S. better start praying. Harrington has been known to close this year in majors and well, this is practically another one. I like the Faldo strategy of having Harrington at the end to close things out. He just better hope the front-end gets it to him to close. HARRINGTON 4 & 3

Now, if my predictions work out, I have Europe going 7-3-2 in singles play, therefore giving them 8 points on the day and 15 for the event. That'd be enough to retain the cup.

In order for the U.S. to pull this off, they need some big wins early from people like Kim, Mahan and Leonard to take the pressure off players like Holmes, Weekley, Stricker and Curtis. And at this point in the competition, half points are fine for the U.S. while they are not for Europe. Team Euro may have to take more chances on the 18th hole in a few matches which could be huge. All in all, I am impressed with the U.S. play so far. They have fought hard and made the golf exciting as well. Again, during commercials, check in on the golf. It'll be worth it.