alanti:
overtheedge:
alanti: The division and lack of unity was exemplified by the antics of Phil, before, during and after the cup.
This combined with a lack of leadership by Watson put our so called "team" behind the 8 ball before the first shot was taken.
Yep spot on, and the leadership is vital to gel a team together. As Siggi has said a couple of times, this was Europe's problem with Nick Faldo at the helm hence how it is harder to quantify the Azinger method.
Golf, even at Ryder Cup level is still primarily a solo sport - but you need to have the drive, the desire and passion to win - this is what a great leader can do and instil in the players, and this is one thing Azinger had and he did form that bond with the players, and the players with each other. THIS is what Europe does..
An old British Airways slogan was there is "No I in TEAM" - the saying is true - if only BA had heeded their rhetoric lol!
Agree pretty much with you guys.
Wrong pairing, wrong strategy, etc was an issue, although it looks to me like the Us players attitude towards the Ryder Cup is the main problem.
Waste of time practicing for it?, practicing with different partners? traveling on your own to the event & not together with the team?, etc, etc..... no commitment!!, why not?. Is it the thing about not earning money in the tourne?, yup, a bunch of great players who do not know what "playing as team" means, unfortunately.
Really hope things change in the Us side that makes the next Ryder Cup a very close competition again and not seeing the sunday closing day a plain procedure as it was in the latest Ryder Cup.
GO USA GO!!!
Eric