2019 Presidents Cup - US wins, 16-14; G'day, mate, & Merry Christmas

[fly787]

Love the course, loved the event. Well played by everyone involved. I will say though, I just came back in September from a month in Australia ..the flies are unbelievable...they are everywhere and in swarms. The TV made it hard to see them, or maybe they tried to control them somehow around the course, but my gosh they are terrible!

[OldTomMorris]

I think the fewer matches/days made(makes) the Ryder Cup more competitive when on paper the US often had a stronger team. If the Presidents Cup was a 3 day event with fewer matches I think that would help but no way would the PGA Tour sacrifice a day. Several International captains have lobbied for a format more similar to the Ryder Cup for this reason. I believe Nick Price was a big advocate of this and lobbied hard but the PGA Tour resisted it all.

The PGA Tour are clearly banking on fans not losing interest despite one-sided nature of the event as all logic says the change would be for the good of the competitive aspect. As usual with the PGA Tour it appears their obsession with the $ dictates all their decision making.

[Oz Max]

Yes they are really bad during spring, its better from Summer onwards.

I've swallowed or breathed in a few!

[pt73]

I was there Friday and Saturday and with around 30,000 supporters each day it was very likely a financial success.

My boss is a long time member at Royal Melbourne who was told that the PGATOUR insisted the greens only run at 13 when the members usually play them at 15.

If that’s the case then some of the potential home course advantage may have been lost, he also commented that some of the pin positions were very easy, he plays off +1 so knows a lot about how the course can be setup.

At least it was a close contest this time.

[OldTomMorris]

Always been a fan of course but to know the away team dictates the course set-up is a little disappointing but not surprising given it is run by the PGA Tour.

The event was a success and there was plenty of good golf so I'm sure most golf fans enjoyed the spectacle regardless of the result.

I was hoping the Internationals won purely from the point of view of making the event more interesting as a competition.

Apart from the few people who over stepped the mark (this happens everywhere) I though the crowds were brilliant and added to the event even as a TV spectator.

[imakaveli]

100% agree

[Hackattack1]

YESSSSS. love that course.

[munichop]

@PT3
there were plenty of poor putts at 13 on the stimp. It goes to show how much of great putting we see on tv is memory putting when guys play the course a lot. I was amazed at some of the mis reads from less tha 15 feet. And I liked the mix of easy and hard pins. The course was the real star this week. One of my golf friends is playing it in February. He can’t wait.

[bladehunter]

Just watching the final matches on tape.

 

Anhbody else see JT last putt ? He was standing on cam smiths marker. And looked like he scooted up to and on it , and wasn’t comfortable. I’d have made him move it out of the way. Things like that can make a huge difference over a putt. Hated to see him lose to smith.

[tiderider]

saw that & had the same question ... i assume he asked smith if he could stand ON the marker barely ... guess the only other option was to have smith go first if he didn't want jt standing on his marker ...

[flip flappy]

Tiger certainly has had a great year that he can look back on with great fondness. I love Tiger but really thought him being a playing captain would be a disaster. It has always been said that few have his mental abilities/toughness when it comes to golf and this backs it up. I'm sure it was stressful to be in his position especially when the USA got off to such a bad start. Sure glad he proved me wrong and was a good captain and a great player at the same time.

[bladehunter]

Well or move it over 3-4 putter head links. You don’t have to stand on it. In the end it’s JTs fault for not making him do it. Just looked super awkward to me. And I know form experience that narrowing your stance by an inch especially just a lead foot makes the whole setup feel different. Never want to alter things like that when in s groove.

 

At any rate. Just was interesting. Still mad we didn’t get the Reed/smith match. Coulda have been one for the ages.

[LICC]

Handicapping the competition would be even less compelling than seeing the US dominate. That would never happen. Other than adding the ladies and making this a coed competition there is no good way to make this more competitive.

[ebrasmus21]

He was so happy because at least now Reed didn’t entirely F this whole thing up.

[Ignatius Reilly]

 

Agreed - whatever problems this tournament might have, they're not going to be fixed by having the best of the internationals, play the not-quite-best from USA. That's just silly, and I can't imagine how the selection process would work. Use the same formula for player rankings and then take every other one from the US side? Captains picks have to be over 100 in OWGR?This year was one of the closest, best and most exciting finishes I've seen, so I wouldn't be too quick to 'fix' that.

Also - don't overlook what's happened on the LPGA. USA was dominant there too for a long time but now it's Asia. I cannot imagine the same thing happening on the men's side, but.... I never imagined it would happen on the ladies side. I figured it could transition to Europe with Annika's lead and Pettersen and a couple of Spaniards, but then Lorena dominated and retired and then all of a sudden.... KOREA!!! with the rest of Asia joining in later.

So US has owned this thing pretty much since its inception, but things change.

[bscinstnct]

 

[caniac6]

A nice winter diversion, but still not close to the Ryder Cup.

[bscinstnct]

Ok, Abraham, see you on the plane

 

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

LOL!!!!!!!

[jt2gt]

Fun watch...highlights -- Cantlay and Thomas makes on 18 on Fri. Woods on 18 in singles...sick putt. Finau's tie...Hideki's face during the comeback was unbelievable. Tiger's putting in general was other worldly...he can't possibly make this one and he did. Really old tiger style.

[2putttom]

blah blah ....blah. U S A vs. G B &I or U S A vs The World. It's tournament golf with exciting formats and unforeseeable outcomes.

[2putttom]

you and I both. Tiger playing put me off my usual large wagering in the club house. All I could muster was a few takers on side bets after day three. Tiger is/was a great captain and a benefit to the team on and off the course. Great inaugural for him.

[Titleist99]

The Presidents Cup 2021 will take place September 30-October 3...….If my Info is correct.....I sort of like December.

Quail Hollow....if the captain has not been picked yet,  Zack is a good call.

[Titleist99]

The US owned the Ryder Cup....then things changed. 

[LICC]

This tournament was a lot more fun to watch than the last Ryder Cup. Closer matches, better storyline(Tiger as playing captain), much better course.

[Titleist99]

Tiger was like:   No blue, No White...…..Red shirts for everyone on Sunday!! ………….LOL!

[tacklingdummy]

However, Fowler is one of the best putters on tour though. For 2019, he ranks 11th for 3 putt avoidance, strokes gained putting 13th, total putting 11th, and putting average 12th. One of the best putters on that team next to Webb Simpson.

[Jordan J. Caron]

I think that says a lot about this event and what it means. If Tiger gets teared up, it must mean a lot to him and all those Americans playing.

[jt2gt]

Looks like Leishman pulled out an old putter for the greens at Royal. Anyone catch what model Odyssey Versa it was? Searched and can’t find any WITB with a flow neck in the bag. They are all double bend versa wides or going back to Scotty’s

[cardoustie]

Still amazed st the USA always needing singles in the RC and in this event as well this year

four balls is still your own ball, and surely buds on the team should be able to handle alternate shot