I Can Sleep Again!

Posted Oct 07 2010, 01:23 PM by Cathy Erickson
It's been nice to have a few good nights' sleep after getting up a 3AM three days in a row to watch the Ryder Cup last weekend.  I know, I know, I didn't HAVE to get up, but the Ryder Cup is a golf event that I just don't want to miss, with the instantaneousness of the internet and social media, I knew I'd hear about it before I got a chance to watch if I waited.
 
The weather delays sure put a kink in the schedule, but in the end it seemed like the changes made were what needed to happen.  Although, if you read some of the media and bloggers out there, if Pavin had rejected the 6 groups playing in the morning and afternoon on Sunday, team USA may have retained the cup.  It's impossible to know, but Europe winning 5 of the 6 afternoon matches makes you wonder if there's something to the theory.

Regardless, golf fans were treated to a competition and format that brings out different emotions from both the players and the fans.  With golf almost always played as an individual sport, the idea of having to depend on and team up with other golfers makes for a whole new game on the course.  Sometimes you see magic out there, sometimes you don't.
 
I read an article by Alistar Tait that claimed that the Europeans won because they wanted it more than the Americans.  It's hard to know the motivations behind each member of Team USA, but the passion I saw on the course and the emotions displayed after the loss made me think that this competition really did matter to them.
 
I watched a short clip of Hunter Mahan in their post match press conference and I'll admit it, I got a little teary eyed when he broke down while trying to explain the end of his match.  I guess in a world where just the week before someone could win $11+ million dollars the idea of just playing for your country might seem a little less relevant, but I didn't get that at all from the guys on Team USA.  Did you?
 
It's great when we can root for a whole team instead of just one guy, or whoever is on the fantasy team that week.  It's interesting to watch the dynamic of the players and predict the pairings and points.  I enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm from the rookies and the determination from the veterans, especially those that were trying to improve some dismal records from past matches.
 
I was bothered by the "jumping to conclusions" message the announcers gave...several times they claimed doom for the Americans when some matches were just on their first few holes.  I also loved the "Boom Baby" from Jeff Overton!  I wasn't holding out much hope for Overton as a rookie who hadn't shown us much outside of some good Major finishes this year, but he proved me wrong!  I thought Bubba might be a little more enthusiastic, but he still had a decent showing.  Rickie was another question mark, but his play in his Sunday singles match made me a believer.
 
The ups and downs were there, but I think every single guy on the US Team could find a shot, a putt, or a decision that might have changed the outcome of a match and may have led the US to victory...but that's what competition is all about.  It's only right that the whole team took responsibility for being 1 point short of keeping the Cup.
 
And on a completely non-competitive note, what was up with the team clothing choices?  Besides the failure of the Sun Mountain rain gear, which wasn't great looking anyway, I didn't like much of anything about the US Team apparel choices.  What happened to Red, White, and Blue??
 
While I'm glad that I'm not having to get up in the middle of the night anymore, watching the Ryder Cup LIVE was worth every stretch, yawn, and nap!
 
And I'm already looking forward to 2016 when Minnesota hosts the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine!
 
PS...Go Twins!!

Filed under: Ryder Cup