Ryder Cup 2020 [Official Thread!]

blackcard

People who are saying Harrington got his picks wrong and pairings wrong should tell us what the correct choices were

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943552#Comment_117943552

Old timers.. Westwood and Poulter & the not so young anymore, Rory.

which kind of makes it more depressing, if you are are taking hope from the future younger players.

Deeper Blue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943567#Comment_117943567

They were favourites in all the singles with the bookies too, apart from the Rahm game

Motivator

I think McIlroy’s demeanour all week, his performances and interview after his match this evening shows how much pressure he put on himself but probably how much pressure was put on him also. He shouldn’t carry the can for Westwood, Poulter, Casey and Fitzpatrick playing shîte on Friday and Saturday. If McIlroy went and won 5 points it would have taken a couple of points back off the US final tally. It wouldn’t have made a blind bit of difference overall.

If he didn’t tear up in his interview, he would have to put up with a bit of grief off the US fans for a while but I’d say his interview will save him from getting it bad. The Americans are fickle people and love a tearjerking moment. I do feel sorry for McIlroy though, deep down I think he’s a good chap and he just didn’t look himself at all this week. Nobody knows what way the team vibe was and how much pressure he was feeling.

Anyone having a pop at him or any other of the players or Harrington simply haven’t a clue. Mistakes were made and players didn’t perform, but who really cares? The players do obviously but I’m as big a golf fan as you’ll get and the result really doesn’t bother me all that much. I love the event and I love watching it but I’d be more disappointed if Lowry, McIlroy or someone like Hovland blew a standard tour event. I think the Ryder Cup has turned into a hype event now and has probably lost a bit of its spark with all the nonsense Sky Sports go on about and all this Postman craic with Poulter. For me it was a better event 10 or 15 years ago.

sportsmaddad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943584#Comment_117943584

Surely the single results just go to show the cards Harrington was dealt. It was just going to be possible to match the Americans on current form, no matter what way he arranged them.

Richard Hillman

Look Padraig Harrington may have tinkered a few pairings and score would have been closer. He may have also not put the fear of God into the players about the American fans and the score would have been closer. But America still would have battered them.

They were fitter, mentally tougher, on form and desperate to win. They were winning no matter what..

DeanAustin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943599#Comment_117943599

Why does he need to be grilled? What good will come of it. It’d just be easy grandstanding.

He got some calls wrong but it would t have mattered.

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943609#Comment_117943609

"Anyone having a pop at Harrington or any of the players - haven't a clue."

That is a bit much

fullstop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943599#Comment_117943599

Well it’s not at all clear he “lost the dressing room” actually. What do you base that on?

Do you think he should have went for youth? Who would you have picked?

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943611#Comment_117943611

Harrington has has two years to work on fitness and mental toughness, or at least work towards those issues.

It was men against boys out there all weekend.

fullstop

Christ some of the commentary is laughable at this point. Harrington getting the whole European Tour into the gym for 2 years just so the 12 lads who are confirmed to have made the team 3 weeks before the Ryder cup are as fit as a bunch of Americans 10 and 20 years younger. Yep, definitely plausible.

siblers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943640#Comment_117943640

Can Harrington really be responsible for their strength and conditioning?

siblers

This European press conference is cringey. A lot of them don't seem too bothered

Zak Flaps

We were well beaten by a much better American team. They were superb. Their putting was unbelievable.

It's fine to criticise and give opinions etc, but I'm actually embarrassed for the posters here picking on Harrington and McIlroy.

McIlroy was out of form. Big f*cking deal. He still managed a point today, one of only 3 to pick up a point in the singles.

Harrington might have made a few decisions that seemed strange, but he had his reasons right or wrong.

They wouldn't have made a bit of difference, the Americans were way too strong. They are nearly always very good on their own soil.

Some of the comments here....Jesus!!! We really are a nation of begrudgers. It's McIlroy and Harrington that are getting the majority of the flack here.

What they have done for Irish golf is something you sad sad people, is something you would never ever achieve. Is it jealousy?

It's a f*cking game, we lost, so what. We've won it plenty of times and we'll win it plenty more.

Some of you guys obviously have anger issues and maybe it's time to stay off the forums for a while.

MisterAnarchy

The only criticism I would have of Harrington was reducing the number of wild cards from 4 to 3.

Stricker on the other hand pulled a fast one in June 2020 when he announced he would have 6 wild cards as due to Covid-19 the qualification process had been completely thrown up in the air.

However once the event was postponed to 2021 that decision should have been reversed as it was no longer a valid argument.

An extra one or 2 wildcards for Europe could have been beneficial but it wouldnt have changed the overall result.

I'd put a slight asterisk after the result due to Covid-19.

Its undoubtedly affected the European players more than the Americans, less tournaments on the European tour than the US due to restrictions, and less opportunity for Harrington to work with the players and get them together in advance.

No European fans could travel to the US for the tournament either which is a big factor.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943651#Comment_117943651

He could have certainly tried to make a significant effort to highlight it. I dont ever remember him publicly mentioning it in the past two years.

Striker still picked his team. Of the ranking anyways I thought so it didn't matter the only one who. Missed out was Reed for scheffler unless it was world rankings I read but thought it was ryfwr Cup ones.

Look this American team are absolutely full Of amazing golfers and a lot of them Coming in with form recent winners and playing great golf,.I haven't seen the stats but it looked like they putted the lights out comparatively to the Europeans also.

Outside of rahm, the European players team mostly are behind in all of the above.

Sure a few tweeks could have been made but it probably wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference.

PARlance

Not a great look smoking a cigar there Xander.

These lads are half cut after a sprinkling of Champagne

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943703#Comment_117943703

Tired and emotional where Rory was just emotional...

MisterAnarchy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943703#Comment_117943703

They remind me of the jocks out of the revenge of the Nerds films.

A real fraternity vide off them.

Deeper Blue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943703#Comment_117943703

Half cut?? You're being kind. Some are plastered, DJ in particular

fullstop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943695#Comment_117943695

Did Stricker?

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943715#Comment_117943715

I imagine DJ might be on something else tbh!

Brooks still looks like he doesn't care about being there.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943716#Comment_117943716

Fairly obvious why he wouldn't need to.

kerry_man15

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117942018#Comment_117942018

Pretty uninspiring choice of captain tbh....he's just so meh...I doubt he could fire anyone up or inspire a great performance with anything he says.

DeanAustin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943741#Comment_117943741

I wouldn’t have chosen him. Harrington, to me, is very likeable but a fairly eccentric/odd character. I said to my brother on Thursday that I expected a pasting and Harrington was part of the reason for that.

But…for all the criticism he’s getting. In every single interview this week the players have spoken about how strong the team bond is and what a great captain he is. And it’s been heartfelt rather than lip service. So maybe, just maybe, it didn’t matter a **** what Harrington did or who was captain, they were just too good.

Scrabbel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943609#Comment_117943609

Not to mention that awful orchestral muzak Sky keep using during the Ryder Cup. Way past its sell by date.

Scrabbel

The sad fact is that very few of our team were anywhere near their best form of the qualifying period. Not their fault or Padraig’s, it just happens. (Fitzpatrick, Westwood, McIlroy, Fleetwood, Hatton all low on confidence.). Most of the US team were on an upward curve (Cantlay, Finau, Spieth, Morikawa, English, Schauffele, DJ and more).

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943786#Comment_117943786

You could pick a second team for the US based on world rankings and they would still all be higher ranked than Lowry, Garcia, Poulter, Weisberger.

Europe is on a decline and they're more stacked than ever.

themink

It seems like harrington was facing into a similar challenge as the meath manager facing the Dubs in a leinster final in croker. While he had some good players in his team, his opponents just had too much fire power along with home advantage. He could slice & dice the lineup all he wants, he was always very unlikely to win unless everything went perfectly and the opposition had an off day.