Daily Mail: Captain Luke Sounding Good To Harrington

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While it’s hardly an official announcement, Luke Donald has received a very public endorsement from the most recent Ryder Cup captain, leading the Daily Mail’s Derek Lawrenson to report that the captaincy race is all about over.

Lawrenson writes of Padraig Harrington’s blessing…

‘As players, we’ve certainly discussed who will be the next captain,’ the Dubliner admitted to Sportsmail.

‘It was assumed it was going to be Lee but I can see where he is coming from, he is playing good golf and he wants to concentrate on that. His decision certainly put the cat among the pigeons though, didn’t it?

‘All I can say is that Luke would be great. Behind the scenes he does a terrific job. His management style... he knows. 

Henrik Stenson, also thought to be a leading candidate, was given an ultimatum to decided between a Captaincy or taking Saudi Golf League money, the Telegraph’s James Corrigan recently reported.

Task Force Blues: Kisner Calls Cup Selection Process Too Political

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It’s not a huge surprise to read of Kevin Kisner’s frustration over getting passed over in recent Cup Captain’s picks. After stellar play in 2017’s Presidents Cup, Kisner seemed like a wise candidate for Paris the following year. Especially given the likelihood of the European’s narrowing landing areas and nullifying long driving. He was passed over for Royal Melbourne’s 2019 Presidents Cup despite being a strong fit for the course and format. And as he continued to emerge as an incredible match play golfer, culminating in a 2019 WGC match play win, his game was seen as less suited to the (ultimately successful) plan for Whistling Straits: bomb’s away!

Either way Kisner’s no Task Force fan based on comments made in the Subpar podcast hosted by Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz.

From Golf.com’s story by James Colgan detailing Kisner’s gripes:

“I don’t know, man. They don’t like me I, guess,” Kisner told GOLF’s Subpar podcast. “I’ve had the same phone call for about four [Ryder Cups] in a row from about every captain. ‘Man, you were on the team and then you didn’t play well in the playoffs.’ OK, bud.”

If match play resume is part of the criteria, Kisner certainly has an argument. In five starts at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, between 2016-2021, he’s 16-6-2, including a victory at the event in 2019.

And then he really let ‘er rip…

“I don’t know. I didn’t give a s—,” he said. “It’s too political for me, I didn’t really care, and I don’t really get caught up in that s—. I love Stricker to death, but he didn’t pick me this year, which I get — I didn’t play worth a s— in the playoff.”

Report: European Ryder Cup Team Had Last Minute Issues With Their Balls

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You’d swear this couldn’t be real but then, we know Ryder Cuppers and their (golf) balls can be an issue, particularly when players are with different companies.

Still, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of pairings changed up last minute over golf balls of the same brand. That this took place on Ryder Cup Wednesday suggests the “plan” was not so ironclad.

From James Corrigan with the Telegraph exclusive:

However, Telegraph Sport has learnt Harrington’s best-laid plans were ultimately forced to be ripped up on the Wednesday, the penultimate day of official practice, when it was discovered that Lee Westwood and Paul Casey played different balls and, so too, did Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland. Harrington felt obliged to make a hasty switch in the quartet of duos he named 24 hours later, with Westwood partnering Fitzpatrick and Casey teaming up with Hovland. Both partnerships lost.

Hovland and Casey did not appear together again, but Westwood and Fitzpatrick also went out in the Saturday foursomes, which they again lost. 

“Maybe they should have thought about the ball issue earlier, as it is always part of the equation of putting two players together in a foursomes,” an insider said. “But all four play Titleist and you might have thought it would be fine. Yet there are different sorts of Titleist balls.” 

Yes you’d think they’d have (A) worked this out on Tuesday…of the BMW at Wentworth, (B) could suck it up and make a 2019 ProV work when the other guy is playing the 2021 ProV, (C) been content to go with the Ryder Cup rule using the rule allowing players to switch balls at the end of each hole.

Here’s the best part of this first world folly: the Europeans were acting like…Americans. Even our most spoiled would get on the Trackman and figure it out. But not these Euros!

Next up: Brexit is somehow to blame for the 19-9 loss.

Speaking of…that’s going well.

Lowry: "Cantlay pissed me off a little bit"

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Nice spot by GolfWRX’s Gianni Magliocco to catch Shane Lowry’s post-Ryder Cup comments.

As I noted in the Quadrilateral Sunday wrap and Monday awards, Shane Lowry seemed peeved at the end of his singles match with Cantlay, and overall came off a little over amped at last week’s event. Well, there was a reason.

Speaking on a Paddy Power Instagram Live chat, Lowry explained.

“Yeah, he (Cantlay) p****d me off a little bit on the 8th, to be honest. I was lining up my putt and he was riling up the crowd which I didn’t think was great. In Rome, we’ll hopefully win and win in a different style, that’s how I’m looking at it.”

Game on!

During the interview, Lowry revealed that Cantlay wasn’t the only U.S. player who got under his skin in Wisconsin and took aim at both Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau for their demonstrations on the greens over a couple of short putts not being given.

“For a start Bryson Dechambeau’s putter shaft is about four feet long so it was definitely not a gimme. Justin Thomas did the same thing and then I did the same thing but purely because Justin Thomas did it. 

“They made me hit a putt from literally 18 inches on the first so I did the exact same thing as Thomas did just because I was annoyed with the picture I’d seen of him that morning.”

Lowry went on to admit he and Tyrrell Hatton did not give putts—yippee—but at least we now know what irked him so.

Ryder Cup Ratings Up From 2018, Down From 2016

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Television ratings for the 2021 Ryder Cup are in and they’re solid given a number of factors.

  • These were the first matches played this century without Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson

  • It was Sunday runaway going up against some stellar NFL action

  • The Friday to Sunday broadcast windows were all 11, 10 and six hours

  • Plenty of cords have been cut since the last domestic playing and almost all ratings are down

Final day audiences increased from the 2018 edition at Le Golf National where Europe won handily.

Sunday’s final day at Whistling Straits drew a 2.14/3.5 million total audience. That’s up from a 1.8/2.67m in 2018 but down from a 2016 final day 2.7/4.27m.

The 2012 final day at Medinah drew a 3.8/5.5 million average viewers) over a similar six hour window as recent Cups.

Showbuzzdaily.com has all the numbers here.

The Friday increase for Friday’s action is solid given the decline in homes reached for Golf Channel compared to five years ago:

Friday in 2018 on Golf Channel averaged 765k viewers but also started at 2 am ET.

In 2016, previously touted as the most watched weekday for Golf Channel, Ryder Cup coverage posted 1.3 million average viewers per minute and a 0.94 rating in 11 hours of coverage, nearly identical to this year’s .93 but can attribute the 16% rise presumably to additional streaming numbers.

Not so hot was Thursday’s Opening Ceremony, which drew a .13 and average of 209,000 viewers. So not far off from a fall PGA Tour final round.

Quadrilateral: Straits Shellacking

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Quadrilateral: Saturday Ryder Cup Wrap: USA Opens Record 11-5 Lead

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Reviewing Saturday's wild action and brouhahas. Plus, a look at Sunday Singles along with a few telecast notes. As is the case, this one is for paid subscribers but you’re always welcome to sign up, get some free issues or pay and not miss an issue of The Quadrilateral.

Whew, I’m exhausted! That was one wild and crazy Saturday but is anyone surprised?

Quadrilateral: Finally, The Ryder Cup Is Here

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The foursomes are set for bright and early Friday morning with few surprises but some absolutely juicy match-ups.

In this edition for my dear subscribers, I also review the typically dreadful opening ceremony and drop some lighter fare in the form of a merchandise review.

It’s been three years but the most lively three days of golf have arrived. Enjoy the Cup!

"Like mistaken Thatcherite generalisations about English football hooligans all being disenfranchised lumpenproles rather than white-collar weekend warriors"

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I tried to take a more measured approach to the issue of potential fan behavior questions looming at this Ryder Cup, while the Irish Times’ Dave Hannigan went the full takedown route for poor fan behavior in golf and in particular, the Ryder Cup.

And what would a Ryder Cup be with out some grievance airing from overseas!

Theories explaining declining standards of behaviour and an increasing absence of decorum around tee-boxes and greens are manifold. Some say it is the increased availability of drink that is fuelling these miscreants. As if free booze had never been poured in a corporate tent on a course until recently. Others, including the PGA Tour commissioner, reckon the disruptive carry-on is the inevitable consequence of the sport drawing a younger demographic. Too many testosterone-driven lads think they are at a college grid-iron game and act accordingly.

Like mistaken Thatcherite generalisations about English football hooligans all being disenfranchised lumpenproles rather than white-collar weekend warriors, the evidence suggests otherwise. Plenty of those shouting “get in the bunker” or “Brooksie!” in mid-swing are actually prosperous middle-aged men getting their inner lout on.

Quadrilateral: Wednesday Ryder Cup Wrap

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2021 Ryder Cup: The Quadrilateral's Tuesday Wrap

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Quadrilateral: Ryder Cup Monday Wrap

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Men of the people in their $1995 sweaters display the Cup at Heathrow

Men of the people in their $1995 sweaters display the Cup at Heathrow