After leading the 1st day 5 1/2 vs 2 1/2 and the 2nd day 9 vs 7, USA romped to a 16 1/2 vs 11 1/2 victory over Europe at the 2008 Ryder Cup held at Valhalla Country Club, reversing a trend of 3 straight losses.
Paul Azinger's bet on 6 rookies paid off as they proved with grit and determination that they can match up to the best that Europe can offer. Antony Kim, Chad Campbell, Ben Curtis and JB Holmes all won their individual matches. Hunter Mahan, also a rookie, was the leading points winner with 3.5 out of maximum 5.
Especially impressive was debutant Antony Kim who thrashed Sergio Garcia 5 and 4 and led the singles victory charge. Kim, who won 2 PGA events this year was more than a match for Sergio, conceding nothing to him. I am begining to like Kim a lot and I think he will be Top-3 in the World Ranking by next year. Just watch out.
So was Tiger missed at the event?
3 comments:
Tiger's presence is definitely not missed at all. I watched some of it Fri and Sat and felt the team spirit was very high. Tiger could be too individualistic a player to make an impact in a team.
The rookie were fantastic esp Antony Kim and Hunter Mahan!
Yeah...I think so too. Tiger intimidates even his own team mates..
It goes with most sports. Usually, the great players with humble and cool personality will bring out the best fm their team-mates. Fine examples are Zidane, Michael Jordan. They lead by playing well themselves, and give encouragement when the team mates need one.
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