"No one but stray bloggers has alleged that Mr. Pavin made his decisions based on religion—as golf picks they're fairly unassailable. But the subject is close to the surface."

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Don't worry, the stray bloggers will be replaced by British tabloids soon enough after John Paul Newport looks at the role religion might or might not play in American Ryder Cup team selection (Thanks reader Mel for the link).
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“I want the Ryder Cup to keep getting better and better. I want to see that brand grow."

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I poured myself a stiff drink and devoted more time to Robert Rodriguez's Avid Golfer Dallas profile of "Captainess" Lisa Pavin, which figures to become fodder for the scribes of Europe. But more importantly, we have someone dropping more B-bombs than Finchem or Bivens ever did back when the word was hip to use.
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"I have my doubts about how he will fit in on the team this year."

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Peter Oosterhuis, talking about Tiger's inclusion on this year's Ryder Cup squad.

"He should be leading the team and inspiring the team. They should be saying 'I've got Tiger on my Ryder Cup team, we're going to demolish the opposition,' and that hasn't happened."

Oosterhuis went on to say that the effect Tiger could have on the side would damage, rather than help, his teammates.

Woods has underperformed in previous Ryder Cup tournaments despite huge success on the PGA Tour.

"It is not so much about how he will play, it's the affect he will have on the team," Oosterhuis said.

"I don't think he's going to help the team. I think he's just going to muddy the waters and cause problems that they don't need.

"They need to be thinking about golf and saying 'Hey, we're a team, we're playing together and we want to beat the opposition and let's not have any static on the side."

Someone Get Padraig A European Tour Pocket Schedule, Please

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Even though he's only played twice in European Tour sanctioned non-majors this year, and even though he won three majors before deciding his swing needed changing for the worse, Padraig Harrington was selected for the Ryder Cup team over Justin Rose and Paul Casey in part for his devotion to European golf. You can sense it in this quote, after a missed cut at the Deutsche Bank.
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"The omission of Paul Casey is, in strictly golfing terms, indefensible."

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Lawrence Donegan takes a more diplomatic approach than Oliver Brown did yesterday, but the message is the same: Paul Casey was not selected because of perceived personality issues. He's too American, he didn't play in Europe enough (but more than Donald and Harrington). He's just not well liked by the other saints on the team and Captain Marvelous.
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"Throw a dart. Pull a name out of a hat. Figure that one of that bunch will step up and give Pavin a reason he can't ignore. If not, pass the Advil."

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Monty's headache was nothing compared to Corey Pavin's pending migraine. With less than a week to go before he sits down at the New York Stock Exchange (!?) to reveal his picks, Doug Ferguson asks, "Can anyone find two players who stand out above the rest? Can anyone find two players who stand out at all?
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