Golf 2008

[Angus]

Firstly, I hate all this Oirish stuff - let's all wear our Stackstown jumpers on Sunday and whisper conspiratorially that we once saw PH practice chipping and we asked him for the time back in the Clinton administration - AAGGHH

OK, had that moment - leaving whether he is or isn't the greatest Irish this or that to the people on the Bus of Irrelevance, a few thoughts:


i) His putting was unbeliveable - that performance on the greens shows he has cojones of steel - that is the stuff of Big Jack in Augusta '86 or Tiger against Bob May in 2000

ii) He is the closest to Woods in terms of focus, outlook, desire, determination. His language noticably changed a few years ago and he is now a machine - completely focussed on majors

iii) He was very lucky in Carnoustie last year - lucky in terms of who his opponent is and lucky in terms of the double at the last didn't cost him - but having got a rub of fortune to win his first, Birkdale (I wus there !) was immense and last night he was a man on a mission

iv) Does it matter that Woods was missing ? Yes and no. No because he now has 3 majors and irrespective of the field, that requires immense skill, talent, focus and maximising the rubs of the greens that may come your way. Yes, because Woods is the only guy in the world who can mathc PH for focus and mental strength

v) Why has he done this instead of Clarke or McGinley ? 2 words - The Ryder F***ing Cup. Very simple - some guys look to the Ryder Cup as an end, as a goal in itself - others view it as a nice week off in September every 2 years.

vi) Where does this put him in terms of all time golfing greats ? Well, he is outside that Premier League of Jack, Woods, Watson, Sarazen, Hogan Palmer, Player et al and is rightly in the Singh, Els, Norman, Crenshaw group etc

[Macy]

iii) He was very lucky in Carnoustie last year - lucky in terms of who his opponent is and lucky in terms of the double at the last didn't cost him - but having got a rub of fortune to win his first, Birkdale (I wus there !) was immense and last night he was a man on a mission

Ah, got the break when he needed it. Could very well be talking about him being the choker.

iv) Does it matter that Woods was missing ? Yes and no. No because he now has 3 majors and irrespective of the field, that requires immense skill, talent, focus and maximising the rubs of the greens that may come your way. Yes, because Woods is the only guy in the world who can mathc PH for focus and mental strength

It does take something away, but only marginally. Carnoustie was with Woods in the field which seems to be forgotten. Roll on the Masters next year!

v) Why has he done this instead of Clarke or McGinley ? 2 words - The Ryder F***ing Cup. Very simple - some guys look to the Ryder Cup as an end, as a goal in itself - others view it as a nice week off in September every 2 years.

Difference in targets alright. He said himself before on himself being focussed on winning majors rather than winning a major which he thinks where many players fall down. I'm not sure McGinley was ever really going to be a major contender, but lest we forget what Clarke has been through. McDowell is the next obvious person to step up from Ireland though, as their time has passed.

vi) Where does this put him in terms of all time golfing greats ? Well, he is outside that Premier League of Jack, Woods, Watson, Sarazen, Hogan Palmer, Player et al and is rightly in the Singh, Els, Norman, Crenshaw group etc

Puts him right up there in golf, and puts him right up there in all sports. I wouldn't be committing to him being the greatest living Irish sportsperson just yet. If he pulls of a slam though, it'd be harder to argue! Sean Kelly, for example, dominated cycling for the guts of a decade.

[pete]

Puts him right up there in golf, and puts him right up there in all sports. I wouldn't be committing to him being the greatest living Irish sportsperson just yet. If he pulls of a slam though, it'd be harder to argue! Sean Kelly, for example, dominated cycling for the guts of a decade.

Not taking away from his achievements but Sean Kelly never won the Tour de France which is the pinnacle of that sport.

The fact that Harrington has now won in the US at an event where his previous best was 17th must give him huge confidence at the other 2 Majors. I heard somewhere they calling him the new Celtic Tiger. His mental strength & putting was certainly Tiger-esque.

[Macy]

Not taking away from his achievements but Sean Kelly never won the Tour de France which is the pinnacle of that sport.

Well I suppose you might argue that the Grand Tours are the equivalent of the majors, in which case he did win one. That's if you are discounting the classics and none 3 week tours which would be a bit of stretch.

[joe_barry80]

Went to bed when he was on the 9th hole. Nearly screamed the house down this morning when I seen the result.

[bennocelt]

Garcia will NEVER win a major, I could bet my life on that.

phew never in doubt
Wife wouldn't let me stay up to listen to it, you know when she cracks the whip

Well done to Harrington.

[Torn-Ado]

Had to get up for work at 5 this morning but stayed up watching Harrington until 2am. It was well worth it. What a display.

[rambler14]

I was out on the beer last night and forgot all about it. When I woke this morning at 7 and heard it on the radio I couldn't believe it. I jumped out of bed like never before.

[kingdom hoop]

McDowell is the next obvious person to step up from Ireland though, as their time has passed.

Yeah, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he wins a couple. He has the talent, plays well on tough courses, is currently gaining the experience and developing the right attitude for majors, and he has the perfect role-model. Now if only he could rid himself of that horrible American twang.

On yesterday, what an evening's entertainment! Most exciting last round to a major I can remember for a long time, with a sneaky tenner on Páidí at 20/1 sweetening the deal. Garcia's shots into 15 (off the pin) and 16 (into the lake) made for great drama, though in particular the two shots into the three-birdies-all-day 17 were unbelievable, but once again Sergio's putting failed him, although it had been unusually very good up 'til that point to be fair to him. Shot of the day for me though was Harrington's third to 18, purely because of the trying circumstances.

Harrington's concentration was just phenomenal. He looked more demented than someone who'd taken 10 pills. As he said himself, he almost willed the ball into the hole on the final three holes, which just goes to show the value of concentration and a positive attitude, in golf especially but in all things. That's why (I don't know enough about the specifics of women's boxing or 80s cycling to compare to others) I rate him so extremely highly - he not alone trains hard and has talent but he seems (where so many others have failed) to have acquired the knack of pulling out his very best golf in the toughest of circumstances, showing he's a true champion.

A word too for the oft-derided Ben Curtis who played very well.


(Sidenote: there seemed very little warmth between Sergio and Pádriag at the last, with no more than a procedural handshake exchanged, and in his interview afterwards Sergio seemed reluctant to acknowledge Harrington's performance. Just seemed strange after the great battle they'd had and given how golfers usually have a word for each other. Probably just not the very best of friends is all.)

[pete]

Harrington probably gets a lot of kudos because of the way he has improved his game. He was not the supremely talented young player that a lot of the current crop are. He should be an inspiration to some of the younger nearly men.

McDowell might have a go at the Open but I don't see him competing for Majors regularly.

[Kingdom]

Its funny the US open was what Harrington was touted to be favourite for next year due to impressive finishes previously and his game being set up for those type of courses.

[kingdom hoop]

Its funny the US open was what Harrington was touted to be favourite for next year due to impressive finishes previously and his game being set up for those type of courses.

You're right, but.... The course he just won on has played host to US Opens previously and was set up in a very penal fashion reminiscent of US Opens. Actually early last week Harrington, in a sort of Normans-more-Irish-than-the-Irish-themselves moment, said the PGA would be more like the US Open than the US Open itself was this year. (the US Open was set up pretty fair and players were happy, whereas last week's set-up was apparently very tough and drew much ire from the pampered players, albeit not Harrington.)

McDowell might have a go at the Open but I don't see him competing for Majors regularly.

I agree the Open is probably his best chance to win. But why don't you think he'll compete in the others? I'm not 100% sure he will, but he definitely might -- predicated on the fact that outside of the special players most players only begin to compete for majors when into their 30s - McDowell was 29 in July. And I think the soundings from him are positive, he seems to be learning as he goes, and with Harrington leading the way that might give him the impetus and belief to keep improving. By the by, I know he didn't really compete as such but he was tied 15th last week, his second best finish in a major.

[strangeirish]

Faldo picks Casey and Poulter for Ryder Cup team. Nothing to do with being English I'm sure.

[rambler14]

Faldo picks Casey and Poulter for Ryder Cup team. Nothing to do with being English I'm sure.

I would have picked them myself. They were the natural choices IMO.

[pete]

Aside from second place in the British Open Poulter has no form this year.

[rambler14]

Aside from second place in the British Open Poulter has no form this year.

Played 14 tournaments on the PGA tour this year and made 12 cuts. Has finished 2nd once had one top 10 and has had 7 top 25's.
In the majors....2nd in the Open, T25 in the Masters and T31 in the PGA Championship.

Which all spells consistency in front of Faldo. As I said I certainly would have picked him as he is playing well in the last few months.

[pete]

Played 14 tournaments on the PGA tour this year and made 12 cuts. Has finished 2nd once had one top 10 and has had 7 top 25's. In the majors....2nd in the Open, T25 in the Masters and T31 in the PGA Championship.

I think the 2nd place in the PGA tour was the British Open as result counted in both PGA & European Tours. Top 25s are nothing as need to show can compete at the top to handle the pressure.

Montys coach was very critical of the decision on Sky Sports not that he was suggesting Monty should have been picked.

[Macy]

They're the captains pick, so it's whoever he's happy with I guess - everyone knew what they had to do to be automatic choices. A bit of an arse though to pick someone who could've qualified automatically, but didn't bother with the last tournament.

Having said that, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Europe to lose a) for the ongoing standing of the competition, and b) because Faldo is a tosser.

[Dodge]

Hillarious stuff on newstalk phone in yesterday (had it in on for commentary and then was too lazy to turn off)

Faldo being accused of rascism for not picking clarke. One guy said "this guarantees the americans will hammer us" and then couldn't name more than 5 of the US team.

In saying that Clarke is still unlucky. 2 wins this year, the total number of top tens Poulter has

[bennocelt]

I am a little disappointed that Clarke didn't make it. I mean he is on a little bit of form now and always plays well in the Ryder Cup.
I think Poulter will make a mess of things...........