Eric, that may still happen if you want to play (you are ROW's first alternate). I say it's up to Russ if he wants to play the match, and I think he does. It would be nice for the sake of completion.
I understand you have an unbeaten UEL Ryder Cup record, and Russ is 2-0 in this event as well!
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Cerino and I finished a little while ago...
We were both pretty bad early on, indeed the opening hole was amateur hour... I went in the sand on the right, then onto the green and rolled off again, then pitched close... to 15ft! But sunk the unlikely par putt for a half.
I should have birdied the 2nd after a trademark 3W layup off the tee to leave perfect distance fbs 3W for 2nd, which I stuck to 8ft but somehow allowed the putt to drift by.
We both birdied 3 with Cerino knocking it stiff, but me playing another awful 2nd, and only saved by sinking another curling 13 footer.
On #4 it was Cerino's turn to bounce around, finding a horrible lie in the short right bunker with his 2nd, then rolling through into the left greenside bunker with his 3rd, then over the green with his 4th. With me on the dance floor at the front in 2, Cerino conceded. ROW 1 UP.
Two lovely mid-range birdie putts on #5 kept it at 1 up for ROW, and then with a tricky wind on #6, I played safe left of the pin, while Cerino resumed his ping-pong game, finding a hideous downhill lie in the right bunker and escaping over the green again. He pitched to 6ft but with 2 putts for the hole, I only needed one. ROW 2 UP.
Then I started missing the ding, a bad pull on #7 approach left me 17ft away and I completely misread it. Cerino birdied after leaving himself in position A, 7ft short left. ROW back to 1 UP.
On #8 I had another push and missed from 20ft short right, while Cerino went 9ft long, and his curling trickler just caught the edge of the cup to drop for another birdie. A/S
On #9 I dinged my tee shot in response to Cerino sticking it to 5ft, but caught the wind vortex or something and was surprised to be 13ft away. That one I made. Hole halved with birdie 2s.
#10 I made a mess of my 3rd pushing it well right, and then misreading another one. Cerino had left himself 10ft short and sunk it beautifully. USA 1 UP.
#11 I dinged my approach and thought it was perfect but I must have miscalculated and it came up 3 yards short. Again Cerino was inside me to 5ft. Mine curled away at the death, his was firmly in. USA 2 UP with Cerino's 5th birdie in a row.
#12 I almost got my run up shot just right but it ran a touch long and just left enough to roll off the green. Cerino's 2nd came up short but stuck 18ft away. I pitched to 2ft, Cerino missed. Halved in par.
#13 My punch into the wind looked just right, but ran on 6ft past, not the place to be. Cerino left his 15ft short but nailed the putt. I had a fractional late click on my attempt and it slid by. USA 3 UP!
#14 A slight pull on my 2nd left me 14ft short, but I made my bird. However, it was easily answered by Cerino who again had stuck his approach close for a 6ft answering birdie.
#15 This time a *** of light, as Cerino's tee shot was well left, 20ft pin-high. I dinged a beauty which sat 8ft below, but after his miss, I somehow didn't give mine enough power and watched it curl away at the last. Ugghh...
#16 Now dormie, Cerino played another beauty from a black-box lie to be 11ft short right. I pushed mine and despite this valiant attempt at birdie from 31ft, knew it was all over. Cerino underlined his classy display by rolling in the putt for his 8th birdie in the last 10 holes.
So, I was soundly hammered! Super play Cerino, and congratulations to Team USA on a very impressive display!!!
Team USA are the Ryder Cup Winners!
Overall Score with 1 (now perhaps 2) matches left to play:
Team USA 13.5 - Team ROW 8.5