Unpacking Patrick Reed’s Detonation Of Team USA Relations With…Team USA

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If you haven’t already Karen Crouse’s exclusive comments from Patrick Reed by now, here is the link to her story where “Captain America” takes flight and probably crashes his prospects for ever again getting paired with anyone who can tolerate him.

A few thoughts on the ramifications of this spectacular torpedoing of all Task Force and Captain America glory.

—Goodbye Spieth Pairings. By stating that Jordan Spieth “obviously” didn’t want to play with him, Reed killed any chances of a future pairing with Spieth who “obviously” just preferred a coupling with longtime buddy Justin Thomas. Reed should not be surprised since several pundits projected this happening in part because of Spieth’s so-so 2018 and not needing to be subjected to the bizarro dynamic that has made the Reed-Spieth duo work in past Cups. But more enjoyable in this part of the Reed detonation is his conclusion that he’s not fun to play with for Spieth. Yet in no way did he suggest, at least as quoted by Crouse, that this might prompt reflection on how he approaches, say, life?

—Insulting Tiger. Reed bluntly stated that Tiger Woods was his second choice as a partner. Take that, one of the two greatest players of all time!  Sure, Patrick drove into the 7th hole chalets somewhere in the South of France and donated other balls to Le Golf National’s hazards. And sure, Tiger Woods took him on when he could have his pick of partners. And sure, Jim Furyk put them out in four-balls twice before finally breaking up the duo Saturday afternoon following two losses, but don’t openly tell the world Tiger Woods is your second choice.

—Task Force Exposure. Suggesting Jim Furyk didn’t consult you while the team professed the open book nature of the process, could suggest the old boys vibe of the Task Force did play favorites. This is also a reminder that whoever was in the cool kids club didn’t make very shrewd decisions. So while Patrick feels left out of the process, this could also just highlight that he wears headphones way too much and isn’t the easiest lad to approach. Particularly with wife Justine in the wings and pounding out conspiracy-theory driven line drives on Twitter. 

—Irony needs to become part of Patrick Reed’s life. At the end of Crouse’s piece, Reed notes the “Leave your egos at the door” posting on team room walls, then compliments the Europeans for doing so better than the United States. But he seems oblivious to his massive ego entitling him to pairings and opportunities that did not happen this time around when he left his golf swing behind the team room doors.

Even Tiger Couldn't Give Ryder Cup A Big Ratings Bump

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Even with a resurgent Tiger Woods, the combination of time of year, early morning airings and maybe too much of an old-school approach to the Ryder Cup led to fairly normal (and so-so) ratings for the 2018 Ryder Cup, reports Paulsen at Sports Media Watch.

Coming off an all-time low from Gleneagles 2014, the numbers at least bounced back to traditional Ryder Cup ratings, with a 1.8 and 2.67 million viewers for a 13% increase over the last European-hosted Cup. Still…

Though up from 2014, ratings and viewership were the second-lowest for the final day of the Ryder Cup since at least 1997.

Viewership peaked at 4.03 million from 10:15-10:30 PM ET. Europe clinched victory at 11 AM, 90 minutes before the end of NBC’s telecast window.

For Immediate Release:

NBC SPORTS’ RYDER CUP FINAL DAY COVERAGE

FROM PARIS UP 23% VS. 2014 FROM SCOTLAND 

NBC Sports’ Final Day Streaming Up 697% vs. 2014, Up 58% vs. 2016

 

PARIS, (Oct 1, 2018) – NBC Sports’ coverage of the Ryder Cup from Le Golf National outside Paris was up all three days vs. 2014 in Scotland, the last year the Ryder Cup was staged in Europe. NBC’s final day coverage on Sunday posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 2.71 million average viewers across a 5.5-hour telecast (7 a.m.-12:30 pm ET), up 23% vs. 2014 (2.21m, Gleneagles, Scotland). Streaming of the Ryder Cup Final Day garnered 11.1 million minutes streamed, up 697% from 2014 (1.4m) and 58% vs. 2016 (8.1m, Hazeltine National Golf Club, Minneapolis). Europe won the Ryder Cup for the seventh time in ten events and continued their streak of winning in Europe dating back to 1993.

“The crowds in Paris were not the only passionate fans of the Ryder Cup with viewership in the U.S. posting gains everyday compared to four years ago in Scotland,” said Mike McCarley, president, Golf, NBC Sports. “Despite the overnight and morning hours, both TV and streaming coverage saw significant gains versus 2014, which was the first year Golf Channel covered the Ryder Cup as part of NBC Sports.” 

Additional Final Day highlights include:

·        Television viewership garnered 2.67 million average viewers, up 21% vs. 2014 (2.20m), and posted a 1.83 U.S. household rating.

·        Television viewership peaked at 4.03 million average viewers from 10:15-10:30 a.m. ET. Team Europe clinched the Ryder Cup at approximately 11 a.m. ET.

NBC SPORTS’ DAY TWO COVERAGE:

NBC Sports’ Day Two coverage of the Ryder Cup on Saturday (7 a.m. – 12:24 p.m. ET) posted a TAD of 2.31 million average viewers across a nearly 5.5-hour telecast, up 21% vs. 2014 (1.91m). NBC’s average viewership posted 2.27 million average viewers, up 19% vs. 2014 (1.91m). Streaming garnered 15.7 million minutes, up 552% vs. 2014 (2.4m)

Additional Day Two highlights include:

·        Television viewership garnered 2.27 million average viewers, up 19% vs. 2014 (1.91m), and posted a 1.57 U.S. household rating.

·        Television viewership peaked at 2.99 million average viewers from 11:30-11:45 a.m. ET.

 

GOLF CHANNEL’S DAY ONE COVERAGE:

Golf Channel’s Day One coverage of the Ryder Cup on Friday (2:00 a.m. – 12:19 p.m. ET) posted a TAD of 765k average viewers across a 10+ hour telecast, up 12% vs. 2014 (685k). Golf Channel’s average viewership posted 732k persons 2+, up 9% vs. 2014 (673k). Streaming garnered 20.6 million minutes, up 160% vs. 2014 (7.9m). 

Additional Day One highlights include:

·        Viewership peaked with 1.06 million average viewers from 9:15-9:30 a.m. ET.

·        From 2-6 a.m. ET, Golf Channel posted its best average viewership ever in this time period (489k avg. viewers).

 

Whoa: Pelley Charging Hard In The Bloated Golf Salaries Race!

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The Daily Mail’s Charles Sale reports on European Tour Chief Keith Pelley raking in a significantly larger salary than his predecessor George O’Grady.

It has emerged on the eve of the Ryder Cup that European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley earned an extraordinary financial package of £2.78million last year.

Pelley's pay is far in excess of that earned by the previous CEO of the European Tour, George O'Grady, who was on £610,717 when Canadian businessman Pelley succeeded him in 2015.

Sale is pretty tough in his assessment of no new “bumper” sponsors, yet Pelley’s biggest achievement is the current Rolex series of lucrative events. There have been buzz-creating new formats and strong use of social media to market players and events to his team’s credit as well.

Not so hot has been an attempted website reboot, the at times blatant milking of the Ryder Cup for revenue and an inability to strengthen ties with the PGA Tour, leading to several more young player defections to the PGA Tour.

One More Fun Stat Confirming Europe's 2018 Ryder Cup Dominance

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Golfweek’s Rich Skyzinski dug up some beauties related to last week’s 4-0 foursomes session and their 8-match streak, and here is one more from the 2018 Ryder Cup won by Europe, 17.5 to 10.5.

Skyzinski (and I) consider a match a runaway when it’s 15 holes or less. Since the start of the 28-point system in 1979, Europe registered the most ever.

6 — Europe, 2018
5 — U.S., 1979
5 — U.S., 1981
5 — Europe, 2002

Europe's Victorious Ryder Cup Celebration Moves To The Glorious Rub-It-In Phase

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Well, I wouldn’t have seen this one coming from Mr. 5-0 Molinari and his partner for four of the wins, 4-1 Fleetwood.

Patrick Reed Opens Up On USA's "Buddy System" And Says He Wanted To Light Up The Press Conference Like Phil In '14

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The New York Times’ Karen Crouse interviewed Patrick Reed about an hour after the final 2018 Ryder Cup press conference and heard the Masters champ complain about his pairing breakup with Jordan Spieth along with other strong views on the USA team management side.

Furyk said the decision to split Spieth and Reed had been his call. As Reed silently seethed, the news conference ended. In a telephone interview less than an hour later, Reed expressed his frustrations with how the pairings were handled.

Now we have something this Ryder Cup lacked. A good old fashioned cat fight!

Reed described the decision-making process as “a buddy system” that ignores the input of all but a few select players.

“The issue’s obviously with Jordan not wanting to play with me,” Reed said, adding, “I don’t have any issue with Jordan. When it comes right down to it, I don’t care if I like the person I’m paired with or if the person likes me as long as it works and it sets up the team for success. He and I know how to make each other better. We know how to get the job done.”

While that was apparent at the last few matches, the Thomas-Spieth replacement far outperformed (3-1) and lifted the American team when the Reed-Woods duo went 0-2.

“For somebody as successful in the Ryder Cup as I am, I don’t think it’s smart to sit me twice,” Reed said.

That trademark humility strikes again!

He’s apparently forgotten the tee shot hit into the 7th hole chalets already.

And this about the press conference…

When Reed and Spieth were asked about their split-up in the interview room, “I was looking at him like I was about to light the room up like Phil in ’14,” Reed said.

Woulda made the flight home fun!

Justine! Patrick's Wife Takes To Twitter To Defend Her Man

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After mostly automated social posts, Justine Reed—she can’t confirm or deny—took to social media to defend her man after husband Patrick struggled in foursomes and four-ball play at the 2018 Ryder Cup.

G.C. Digital with the details of Reed’s defense of her husband’s play and suggestion that Jordan Spieth be asked why the vaunted Spieth-Reed partnership has ended.

Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier got a strange non-denial denial from Mrs. Reed regarding the legitimacy of the account and Tweets.

2018 Ryder Cup Europe Defeats United States 17 1/2 To 10 1/2: Let The Excessive Celebrations And Second Guessing Begin

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Here we go! By week’s end Thomas Bjorn will be named to head the fix Brexit movement and Jim Furyk will have been detained by U.S. customs for having not made putts on an American team that succumbed to an energized European squad.

Beth Ann Nichols’ game story for Golfweek.

Either way, the 42nd Ryder Cup featured everything we could hope for—well maybe a little more controversy—but plenty of great golf, at a 4K friendly venue in the glorious country of France and happy Europeans for the next two years. Until you mention Brexit.

We have full coverage over at Golfweek. I filed this assessment of the venue, which I’m conflicted about given that the architecture is wretched in spots and the setup artificially infused. Still, it did what the Europeans promised it would do as far as raising the bar for Ryder Cup venues.

I also offered this take on the state of the USA Task Force, which isn’t looking so hot these days given this week’s performance by leaders of the Task Force.

Eamon Lynch also opines on the state of the USA buddy effort and like me, wonders if Jim Furyk was hampered by the buddy system that put him in the job.

Speaking of all this, we may have just seen Phil Mickelson’s Ryder Cup career wrap up in less than pretty fashion, writes Gerry Ahern.

Tiger had an 0-4 week and was barely awake in the post round presser. Dan Kilbridge wraps up his week. Let’s hope the man gets a nice vacation!

His post-round press conference answers:

It was not a good week for the USA Captain’s week according to Justin Ray.

Ian Poulter delivered…make room for another Ferrari!

The Singles Are Underway! Will This Be An Epic Comeback Or An Epic Rout?

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Or somewhere right in between? That seemed to be the prevailing view for our Golfweek Sunday singles predictions.

As I wrote for Golfweek, these 10-6 days are pretty ho-hum at this point. This is our fifth since 1999 and the setup would seem to set up nicely for America early, with some questions late.

Tiger, for his part, sounds very tired after the playoff run and quick turnaround to this event. His post-match interview with Todd Lewis:

The Europeans are feeling pretty frisky! They’ve got Molliwood graphics already.

This impromptu celebration broke out at a fan center Saturday night:


Poll: United States Trails 10-6, What Chance Do You Give Them To Come Back?

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We’ve seen four 10-6 scores since 1999, to have seen a team overcome the deficit (USA in 1999, Europe in 2012).

The 2018 USA Ryder Cup team trails Europe 10-6 heading into Sunday’s singles at Le Golf National. What do you think?

What chance do you give the 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup team to stage a comeback from 10-6?
 
pollcode.com free polls


Historic: The Numbers Say Europe Registered The Most Lopsided Session Win In The 18-Hole Era

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Session one of the 2018 Ryder Cup proved sensational even after all the hype, and Europe’s 5-3 lead came on the heels of an afternoon 4-0 foursomes session that will go down in history for its efficiency.

As Golfweek’s Rich Skyzinski figured out, it was the most lopsided session in the 18 hole era. Check out the numbers. It wasn’t even close!

Tactically, Thomas Bjorn was seen as having pulled all the right levers (Tait/Golfweek) while I defend Jim Furyk in this Golfweek column for getting everyone in the first day action. But going forward, he needs to tighten up the lineup, even if it means upsetting some big names. Phil Mickelson, that’s you, writes Beth Ann Nichols.

The Americans have played better in foursomes over the last five Ryder Cups, only trailing Europe by a point until Friday’s sweep. As Justin Ray noted, the alternate shot dominance on home soil has been stout.

We Have Session One Matches For The Ryder Cup And...Some Surprises

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The speculation is over! No more guessing who likes who most. We have Day One’s Four-ball matches set at the 2018 Ryder Cup!

The crew at Golfweek made their picks and I’m the only one who likes Europe’s chances, though in my Golfweek grades I was a tad harsh on Thomas Bjorn’s McIlroy/Olesen decision, not overly thrilled about the Koepka/Finau leadoff choice, but otherwise impressed at the curveballs the captains and their shuttle drivers threw our way.

Jeff Sherman’s evaluation, Las Vegas style:

My Golfweek assessment on video:

Americans: Figuring Out How To Follow The 2018 Ryder Cup On TV And Radio

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With the six-hour time difference for the East and nine-hours out west, too much of this spectacular Ryder Cup will be played in the wee hours.

Golf Channel handles Friday’s opening ceremony at 11 am ET, 8 am PT.

Television for the matches? That’s easy. Bill Speros at Golfweek with all of the Golf Channel (Friday) and NBC (Saturday/Sunday) air times, including match times.

For those unable to watch, PGA Tour Radio on Sirius/XM will have live coverage of the Ryder Cup radio broadcast. You can also listen to that broadcast here online.

For those of us onsite, radios are being sold to hear that broadcast. Miracles do still happen (take note other major events!).

Le Golf National Is Ready To Give Us Something Special

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Louis XIV would be jealous of the course conditioning at Le Golf National and while the style of design—American 80s faux links meets Stadium Golf—isn’t my cup of tea, nor is the silly hack-out rough setup, this will be the best Ryder Cup venue of our lifetimes.

Granted, the bar is not high here in Europe with venues chosen for financial reasons and American locations largely chosen based on vast scale. But the combination of risk-reward holes, routing and a reasonable scale should give us scenes we haven’t had before, or will have again except around the closing holes at Bethpage Black (2024).

Anyway, here is my case for Le Golf National as the high point until someone finally takes a Ryder Cup to Pebble Beach or the Old Course at St. Andrews.