"Now he's going to have to find the game to get his revenge."

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Tiger's press conference was the centerpiece of an otherwise uneventful Ryder Cup Tuesday.

Lawrence Donegan notes that the chances of a singles matchup against Rory McIlroy are slim, but that doesn't mean the war of words between the two won't make a possible four-ball or foursomes match-up any less fun.

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"I think Tiger is going to look at it and — it may limit his sweater options."**

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Stephanie Wei caught up with a few players last week and got them to open up about the increasingly awkward looking U.S. team uniforms, with the above quote from Hunter Mahan, presumably referring to Saturday's purple cardigans. Then again, the team photo choice was pretty awful-fitting too:
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“I’d rather be 260 yards in the fairway than 310 yards in the rough."

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Between Twitter bickering and Monty's dubious claims of little course setup tinkering, Alistair Tait says "Friday can’t come soon enough."

However, it's hard not to comment on the setup and the hoped-for outcome.

Ian Poulter said the course is set up like a U.S. Open venue. “I’d rather be 260 yards in the fairway than 310 yards in the rough,” Poulter said. “That’s how penal it is around here.”

Of course, Monty’s favorite major is the U.S. Open, the one he’s come closest to winning on three occasions. No surprise, then, that Celtic Manor would be set up U.S. Open style.

There is no question course setup plays into the Europeans’ hands. With the U.S. containing more long-bombers than the Euros, it makes sense to grow the rough to catch the big hitters who hit it off-line. Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Jeff Overton, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson might struggle if they don’t put it in the fairway.

FYI Monty...Dustin Johnson led the U.S. Open through three rounds and the Woods/Mickelson combo each scored top 5's this year.

"All of this conviviality and pleasantness simply can’t go on."

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Phillip Reid files an entertaining story on Monday's U.S. team arrival and Monty/Pavin press conference.

All of this conviviality and pleasantness simply can’t go on. Colin Montgomerie, the Europe captain, and Corey Pavin, his equivalent on the US team who are defending the Ryder Cup, were singing off the same hymn sheet as a palsy-walsy act yesterday kick-started the build-up to the match here at Celtic Manor resort on the outskirts of Newport. At one point, Pavin even leaned across to rescue a stray hair from Monty’s shoulder.

So much for those memories of Pavin with a camouflage hat from the “War on the Shore” at Kiawah Island back in 1991. At this rate, we could have a love-in of mutual respect; let’s hope it is all a “phoney war” before the real thing, for the Ryder Cup – of all events – needs passion.

Yesterday, Team USA – with a number of players descending the plane at Cardiff Airport wearing sunglasses despite the grey, overcast skies – flew in with the world rankings telling us that four of the team are ranked in the top-five of the latest world rankings and some bookmakers already paying out on a Europe win. Go figure that!

"I was hardly going to set up to a US Tour set-up."

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In an unbylined Irish Times piece, Monty is quoted this way about the Celtic Manor setup:

However, when asked if the course was set up as for a standard European Tour event, Montgomerie admitted: "Hence to our advantage, if it is a European Tour set-up. I was hardly going to set up to a US Tour set-up.

Soft, green and rough lined fairways does scream European! We sure don't have golf like that here!