Golf0clock

The 2023 Ryder Cup is in the books and as we bet at DraftKings before the first tee shot, Europe prevailed in a dominant fashion. Somehow the Americans made Sunday a little interesting for a hot minute, but don’t mistake what really happened in Italy. The USA got smoked. Ruthlessly. And, further to that – in my 53 years, and call it the last 30 years of being a really dialed in fan – I can’t remember any previous Ryder Cup that was so perilously close to being over on Saturday, a day early.

In full disclosure, I have fielded a few takes on Twitter already – most around the metric tonage of anxiety I had leading up about Zach Johnson going into the Ryder and the palpable disaster of a Captain that he turned out to be Friday – Sunday at Marco Simone. So, below I will try to field that rest of my observations and leave little ole Zach Johnson’s lack of leadership alone, for now.

9. Hats & the Cantlay thing. When the story broke that Patrick Cantlay was vocal and upset about not getting paid to play in the Ryder Cup, I knew it was bullshit instantly. So did Azinger, who we love by the way. I’ll bet every player would prefer to get paid but he wasn’t in protest mode and that’s where today’s media and journalism has to be more savvy about word choice and semantics. Plus, Cantlay has played without a hat before.

8. Lacava & Rory gettin’ after it. This picture says it all. The Ryder Cup still means something especially to Rory after the set-up job Jay Monihan did on him with the Saudis. Joe Lacava probably took it too far on the last hole of the Saturday match for Rors when he just kinda did a big ugly American hat thing to get after both the players and the crowd. The ensuing parking lot scene pic below was dicey.

7. Who wasn’t there? DJ, Keegan and Bryson. Minimally. I have been vocal about their absences and if I were captain they would have been there. Of note, Patrick Reed was not the droid we were looking for. Players I was suspect of going in were Harman (2-2, not bad), Morikawa (1-3, turd), Rickie (0-4, turdsville).

6. Rick the Dick. Dear Mr. Rickie Fowler (whom I love) – Even in my friendly, not so friendly, matches at local munis we always make them putt it out near the end of the match. A match is different than a round. For guys like me there is a chance of a miss, sure. And for guys like McIntyre too just a short while earlier. Listen, I am a realist and recognize Fleetwood would have jammed that putt down the clown’s mouth but for you not to be aware that you telling Tommy to pick it up was for the Cup is a pretty dick move.

5. McIntyre – took down the USOpen champ, and Denver native, Wyndham Clark. Big show Bobby, well played.

4. JT – deserved to be there, proved it, but the hat thing… It was beneath you. Time to mature into an elder statesman. Stop it with the hat thing.

3. Brooks trolling. Brooks is an “alpha” so to speak. If I were a player, I’d love to have him in the locker-room and glad he was despite what happened to him and Scottie – 9 & 7 was an unimaginable outcome going in to that match. Anywho, this pic Brooks posted after the tourney says 2 things to me: 1) Brooks is a fun-having get after it type, love it. And, 2) the boys had some real real talks about the future of the sport and what LIV is really like and up to. Don’t be surprised if there is some truth in this pic. It was likely just a dare or a bet playing out, but I could see Rickie going. Same for Zander.

2. 6Ps and getting back to basics. It’s simple… as a team you don’t show up on Monday having never had played the course, jet-lagged, and expect to win. Prior planning prevents piss poor performance. This is on you ZJ.

1. El Tigre, Beth Page Black, and where to from here. To use a quote from Succession, and Logan Roy, about the Team USA golf management, structure, players, etc., “I love you, but you are not serious people.” Therefore, I hereby nominate Tiger Woods, El Tigre, for Captain in 2025 at Beth Page Black. I humbly request he be able to pick all 12 players as Captain’s pics, and further he can have a max of two assistant Captains. Europe, do what whatever you like. Game on.

Honorable mentions: The broadcast coverage was abominable, we deserve a premium ad free option. Zach Johnson needs a punishment, he can’t just sleek off into obscurity. Enough with the wives, it’s just a froot zoo with them there as high priced luggage. Proud of Vik Hovland, on that note, single as the day is long. Attaboy. Last but not least, Maxa Homa way outperformed expectations.