Ryder Cup & The Fall Series

It's all about passion and putting. Two ingredients the U.S. lack when this decorated event comes around every two years. Now, a lot of you would argue with me and say that the U.S. actually has passion when they play on their home turf. But the stats say otherwise. Since the miracle at Brookline in 1999, the Americans have only won once. That being the victory at Valhalla in 2008. They got their brains beat in the two previous meetings losing by nine points on both occasions. And think about this: their win at Valhalla came without Tiger Woods.  I don't want to bore you with all the equations that allow that to happen, so you do the math. A truth about the Ryder Cup that no one can argue with is that it brings excitement, camaraderie, teamwork and the unforgettable pressure. Ah, the pressure. Don't remind Hunter Mahan about pressure. In the end, the Americans gave it their all but they came up one point short. One lousy point. 

The fall of leaves always indicates that summer is coming to an end and winter is shortly around the corner. Don't tell that to all the rookies on the PGA Tour. To some of them, this is their make or break it season. I can't speak from experience but the fall series is a great opportunity for rookies and grizzled vets to make enough money to retain their cards for the next year. All the big boys are on their yachts and on vacation for golf's "silly season." Doesn't seem so silly to me as there is $21.6 million dollars up for grabs in the season's final five events. It may be football season, but there is still a lot of golf to play and money to be made. It's gut check time for the rookies and a question of the heart for the veterans.