Ryder Cup 2025

[tower912]

Will it even be competitive?

[Uncle Rico]

Will it even be competitive?

Sure hope to see a Team Europe rout

[tower912]

Sure hope to see a Team Europe rout

I like Keegan.  Big East!  I just think Europe romps.

[MU1in77]

Sure hope to see a Team Europe rout

Why?

[tower912]

I stopped rooting for team USA during the Tiger era. I haven't gotten back into the habit.  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.  Usually I don't know who I am rooting for until I start watching.  Kind of where I am right now.

[Uncle Rico]

Why?

Because they don't have Patrick Cantlay or Bryson Dechambeau. 

[Uncle Rico]

I like Keegan.  Big East!  I just think Europe romps.

Keegan wouldn't be captain if Tiger actually cared about the Ryder Cup or FIGJAM didn't continually piss on the tour and its players.  I know the PGA of America runs this, but there ain't any tour players that wanted to play for him.

Keegan was also handpicked by the players, not the PGA of America.  The good ol' boy system.  Not saying he can't be a good captain, he very well could be, but I'm curious how much he'll be a captain or how much he'll kowtow to the players.

The American approach to captains has always been bizarre.  The European team picks guys like Stephen Gallacher, Thomas Bjorn or Luke Donald and do fine.  America treats the captaincy around majors and being part of the cabal.

[MU82]

Why?

Generally, they play with more spirit and style and camaraderie.

They also seem more like regular guys - I'd like to have a beer with them.

[Uncle Rico]

Generally, they play with more spirit and style and camaraderie.

They also seem more like regular guys - I'd like to have a beer with them.

Bryson ordering a beer: "One human beer, please"

[cheebs09]

Bryson ordering a beer: "One human beer, please"

Dude will test the pH and tell the brewer it's not actually the right level for a true lager.

[Uncle Rico]

Dude will test the pH and tell the brewer it's not actually the right level for a true lager.

Golf announcers proclaiming him a "professor" and "mad genius" need to take a lot of the blame for High Noon bros elevating Bryson into being popular

[RJax55]

Golf announcers proclaiming him a "professor" and "mad genius" need to take a lot of the blame for High Noon bros elevating Bryson into being popular

I don't like Bryson, but he knows how to work an angle. He's got some pro wrestler in him.

Golf announcers are a pretty dumb group, so not the hardest group to work, but he knew the right buttons to push. Same goes with the golf bros he works on YouTube.

[Uncle Rico]

I don't like Bryson, but he knows how to work an angle. He's got some pro wrestler in him.

Golf announcers are a pretty dumb group, so not the hardest group to work, but he knew the right buttons to push. Same goes with the golf bros he works on YouTube.

Watching Paul Azinger the last decade was quite enlightening about how dumb they are.  And how out of touch they are with golf outside the professional level.

[JWags85]

Golf announcers proclaiming him a "professor" and "mad genius" need to take a lot of the blame for High Noon bros elevating Bryson into being popular

I don't like Bryson, but he knows how to work an angle. He's got some pro wrestler in him.

Golf announcers are a pretty dumb group, so not the hardest group to work, but he knew the right buttons to push. Same goes with the golf bros he works on YouTube.

Its like "athlete funny".  Some athletes are genuinely hilarious in any context (Blake Griffin comes to mind) but you have other guys who are funny or clever, but they wouldn't stand out as anything but pretty funny in a normal group of people, but among other dim or weirdo athletes, they seem f-ing hysterical.

Bryson is a smart dude by any realistic measure (physics major at very good college, extremely high spatial recognition, unique and thoughtful/reasoned approach to the "science of golf" regardless how much you buy into what he thinks or does), but among the dull and flat realm of professional golf, he seems profoundly special and brilliant for a shallow and snapshot view of a player.  So its super easy to latch onto for lazy commentators.

But as for the angles, totally agree.  The self awareness he's seemingly developed over the last few years, plus the credibility winning a major got him, has allowed him to not only build brand and identity over what he's interested in, but also pull all the right levers to make golf media fawn over it.

I think the most impressive thing to me is that he's absolutely not just a nerd, but a dork, but he's been able to shape everything around that so it comes off as the aforementioned cool genius mad scientist, and not a total doofus like a number of other dorks on tour.

My BIL once said, after a few drinks when he got venting over some of the pros he's dealt with, "with a few obvious exceptions, the coolest guys on tour aren't some impressive aura athletes like the NBA or NFL, they are normal dudes you'd have a beer with...but the rest of them are awkward 30 going on 50 year old guys who seem like the type who would have had a rolling backpack in HS and melt down if their routine or worldview is disrupted"

[Uncle Rico]

Its like "athlete funny".  Some athletes are genuinely hilarious in any context (Blake Griffin comes to mind) but you have other guys who are funny or clever, but they wouldn't stand out as anything but pretty funny in a normal group of people, but among other dim or weirdo athletes, they seem f-ing hysterical.

Bryson is a smart dude by any realistic measure (physics major at very good college, extremely high spatial recognition, unique and thoughtful/reasoned approach to the "science of golf" regardless how much you buy into what he thinks or does), but among the dull and flat realm of professional golf, he seems profoundly special and brilliant for a shallow and snapshot view of a player.  So its super easy to latch onto for lazy commentators.

But as for the angles, totally agree.  The self awareness he's seemingly developed over the last few years, plus the credibility winning a major got him, has allowed him to not only build brand and identity over what he's interested in, but also pull all the right levers to make golf media fawn over it.

I think the most impressive thing to me is that he's absolutely not just a nerd, but a dork, but he's been able to shape everything around that so it comes off as the aforementioned cool genius mad scientist, and not a total doofus like a number of other dorks on tour.

My BIL once said, after a few drinks when he got venting over some of the pros he's dealt with, "with a few obvious exceptions, the coolest guys on tour aren't some impressive aura athletes like the NBA or NFL, they are normal dudes you'd have a beer with...but the rest of them are awkward 30 going on 50 year old guys who seem like the type who would have had a rolling backpack in HS and melt down if their routine or worldview is disrupted"

Golfers are the most insular athletes in the world, well, on the American side of the sport.  Shane Ryan's "Slaying the Tiger" was a real eye-opener in this regard.  These guys are insulated by their teams and the tour.

Always second hand but the stories about Jerry Kelly in Wisconsin golf circles paint the picture of a total douchebag.  Then you read Gary D'Amato write about him and you get a different picture.  I tend to believe the people inside Wisconsin golf because they get the real Jerry Kelly, not the polished media Jerry Kelly.

[The Sultan]

OTOH, I have had very nice interactions with Andy North, and my understanding is that he is generally a good dude. Same with Steve Stricker - other than he's a bit odd.

[JWags85]

OTOH, I have had very nice interactions with Andy North, and my understanding is that he is generally a good dude. Same with Steve Stricker - other than he's a bit odd.

Far less accomplished, but my neighbors growing up went to Nicolet with Skip Kendall (husband played golf with him) and were still friends with them to the extent that they would stay with them in Florida occasionally, and they couldn't say nicer things about him.  Maybe cause he no longer lived in Wisconsin and wasn't a big fish in a little pond golf wise.

[Uncle Rico]

OTOH, I have had very nice interactions with Andy North, and my understanding is that he is generally a good dude. Same with Steve Stricker - other than he's a bit odd.

Andy North was also Bo Ryan's wingman for picking up road beef on recruiting trips

[JWags85]

Andy North was also Bo Ryan's wingman for picking up road beef on recruiting trips

Ive always found it interesting that Andy North is a venerated and integral part of the greater UW athletic department despite being a UF grad and being in their HOF (but other than that having no real connection to UF).  But I guess other than two frankly very flukey US Open wins (only 1 other major top 10 in 50+ tournaments, nearly 50% major missed cut rate, 1 other PGA tour win), he had a pretty middling/unmemorable career.  Enough to be an exceptional Wisconsin sports figure, but not down there.

[Uncle Rico]

Ive always found it interesting that Andy North is a venerated and integral part of the greater UW athletic department despite being a UF grad and being in their HOF (but other than that having no real connection to UF).  But I guess other than two frankly very flukey US Open wins (only 1 other major top 10 in 50+ tournaments, nearly 50% major missed cut rate, 1 other PGA tour win), he had a pretty middling/unmemorable career.  Enough to be an exceptional Wisconsin sports figure, but not down there.

Wisconsin doesn't produce great volumes of golfers for a reason.  Steve Stricker is a big Badger presence now and he freaking went to Illinois. 

Say this about Andy North, Trappers Turn sucks

[The Sultan]

Ive always found it interesting that Andy North is a venerated and integral part of the greater UW athletic department despite being a UF grad and being in their HOF (but other than that having no real connection to UF).  But I guess other than two frankly very flukey US Open wins (only 1 other major top 10 in 50+ tournaments, nearly 50% major missed cut rate, 1 other PGA tour win), he had a pretty middling/unmemorable career.  Enough to be an exceptional Wisconsin sports figure, but not down there.

He grew up in Madison (Monona actually) as a Badger fan, went to UF because its a good golf school, but came back to Madison soon afterwards.

He actually was a volunteer coach for the UW football team under Dave McClain back when they had those roles.

[Uncle Rico]

He grew up in Madison (Monona actually) as a Badger fan, went to UF because its a good golf school, but came back to Madison soon afterwards.

He actually was a volunteer coach for the UW football team under Dave McClain back when they had those roles.

He was born in Thorp.  Wonder how many meals he had at the Thorpedo Restaurant

[JWags85]

Wisconsin doesn't produce great volumes of golfers for a reason.  Steve Stricker is a big Badger presence now and he freaking went to Illinois. 

Yeah, you'd think that trend would probably continue too.  I don't think there has been a PGA regular since the guys we were talking about above.  Jordan Niebrugge from Mequon seemed like he was gonna break the streak.  Monster HS golfer, youngest State Open winner, probably the best amateur in state history, went to Ok State when they were churning out top pros and had a really good college career, couple Walker Cup teams, broke Bobby Jones record for low Amateur at The Open Championship, finished 6th, top 30 at the US Open a few years later at Erin Hills...then just faded out of nowhere.  Now he's an assistant coach at Marquette.

[MU82]

Knew Stricker a little bit. Always felt he's a good guy.