Friday Fourball Pairings - Pavin Takes Big Chance

Friday's fourball match ups have been announced and there are certainly some interesting picks by the captains.

Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson will lead the way for the U.S. against England's Lee Westwood and Germany's Martin Kaymer. This is in essence a Masters rematch from April when Mickelson and Westwood played the final pairing, and Mickelson made his magic to capture the green jacket. The other interesting aspect? A "what could have been" match up of PGA winner Kaymer and PGA sob story Johnson.

Both pairings have a top 5 vet and a rookie. I like the steady play of Westwood and Kaymer in this one, especially with soggy conditions at Celtic Manor.

Next out for Team USA is two of the nicest, aww shucks guys in professional golf - Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar. They'll take on the Northern Irish contingent of Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy. This means fans will have to wait to see the much sought after Woods/McIlroy match up.

Another good one, but I like McIlroy/McDowell on "home" turf. McDowell knows the course well after having won the Celtic Manor Wales Open in June. His local knowledge should pay off well.

No surprise here as Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker join forces to take on the English chaps Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter. If Woods is on and Stricker putts like he can, this is a mismatch. But those are big "ifs," and anything can happen in Ryder Cup play.

All four players are excellent putters, and this match will come down to a putt to either win or halve the match.

In perhaps the most...odd?...pairing, Corey Pavin sends out Ryder Cup rookies Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton. They'll take on Ryder Cup vets Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington.

Momentum is important in championships, and I think it's perplexing that Pavin would end morning play with two rooks vs two vets. Donald and Harrington are both excellent scramblers and putters, so the rooks better get the jitters out early or this one could be a blowout.

Pavin left out three of his strongest players: Furyk, Mahan, and Zach Johnson. Interesting strategy. No wonder he's been so mum about it all week.

The Ryder Cup is about taking chances, but if Pavin's chance doesn't pay off early, it could be long, hard weekend for the Americans.

Could Irish Eyes Be Smiling Once More at the Ryder Cup?

For the second time in three years, the European Ryder Cup captain's picks are controversial. Two years ago Nick Faldo chose Ian Poulter over other players many critics felt were more deserving.

Now, two yeas later Colin Montgomerie has chosen Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, and Edoardo Molinari, leaving out Paul Casey, a great Ryder Cup and Match Play player, and Justin Rose who won two big tournaments here in the States this season.

The Donald pick seemed solid, but the Harrington pick left many scratching their heads. Why chose Harrington, who hasn't won since the PGA Championship in 2008 and who missed 3 out of 4 cuts at the Majors this year?

All I can say is that sometimes you get a feeling about someone. Sometimes a guy is due for a big moment. Sometimes you need an upbeat, happy go lucky Irishman to bring a team composed of players from seven different countries together.

Even more important, sometimes you need a guy who has something to prove. Harrington knows he's seen as a controversial pick and will use that to help fuel his competitive spirit.

Harrington is coming off a solid week at the Vivendi Open outside Paris finishing in 8th place and a shot off of 3rd at -13. After Tuesday's practice session at Celtic Manor it was clear Harrington is playing some of his best golf of the season. He'll certainly need it if he is to be any kind of factor this week.

The 2010 course at Celtic Manor is long, narrow, and demanding. Thick rough just off the fairways makes accuracy a must. And as usual, it will all come down to who can make a putt. With slow greens rolling even slower due to wet and heavy weather in Wales, Europeans who are used to playing on these slower greens could have a real advantage over U.S. players, used to 12 and 13 on the stimpmeter.

So don't be surprised on Sunday, with the Ryder Cup on the line, Harrington stands over a crucial putt and with Irish ice water in his veins, rattles it home. I know at least one man who won't be surprised - Colin Montgomerie.

Insider's Perspective from an Amateur Tournament: A Q&A with Michael Nofs

Growing up in Calhoun County, Michigan, my golfing dreams and goals were pretty minimal. Conventional thinking was that most business deals were actually made on the golf course, not in some fancy board room or office, so my mom and I thought it would be a good idea to learn the game. As a sophomore, I joined my high school golf team, although I only practiced and never actually played in a match. Otherwise, my golf experiences were with buddies on the local courses.

I never took it serious and briefly quit the game because I wasn't any good, not to mention the expense involved. But a few years ago my wife decided she needed to learn how to golf so she could play in a tournament at work. Teaching her to play coupled with attending my first professional golf tournament and suddenly I was hooked...big time.

I began watching golf every weekend, not just the big tournaments. I started practicing my swing in Target while my wife shopped for shampoo and scented candles. I noticed the way people dressed and whether they looked like golfers or not.

I even began writing about golf! Yes, I was hooked.

But there was one thing I couldn't do, something all of us amateur hacks wish were possible. I couldn't make my millions traveling the world playing in golf tournaments. Sure I could play in a league at the local golf club, but that's just not the same.

Then last summer my good friend, Michael Nofs, told me he was thinking of playing in the Calhoun County Amateur. I didn't even know our county had an amateur tournament, or that weekend warriors like us could actually play. After some encouragement, he decided to play and followed that up with another appearance this past August 21-22.

The two day event was played at scenic Binder Park G.C. in Battle Creek, MI. Afterward, I had a chance to talk with Michael about his experiences playing in the tournament.


Ryan: So Michael, when did you first hear about the Calhoun County Amateur tournament?

Michael: I first heard about the CCA in the summer of 2008. At the time, I thought there is no way I could play in a tournament. I didn't think my game was to the level it needed to be...whatever that means!


Ryan: And when did you decide you were going to try playing?

Michael: The following year some friends from my league were talking about it and asked if I wanted to play as well. After thinking about it, I thought why not. (It) can't be that bad. Even if I shoot a high 90, so what. Golf is a game against the course not against other contestants.

(You) have to have some background here. I was coming off doing five or so 5K runs where I had tempered myself that running wasn't against the person in the race with me but against my own personal time. So I thought the same here. I would just go play the tournament like it was a regular round and see what score I could get. Then hopefully the following year play better and so forth.


Ryan: Did your goals change from playing in your first tournament last year to this year, having experienced it once and with a better understanding of what to expect?

Michael: My personal goal this year was to beat my score from last year. My first year goal was just to have fun. Last year I shot a 90 on opening day and a 95 on the second day. The first day you get to choose your foursome so I played with three buddies. The second day you are flighted based on your first day score. So the second day I played with three guys I didn't know. So I attributed a 95 to playing "average" and didn't feel comfortable cause I wasn't with anyone I knew. This year I shot a 95 first day and a 96 on the second day. I got to play with my league partner and two other guys I didn't know the first day, and the second day I got to do the same.


Ryan: Did you have a totally different feeling playing in this type of tourney as opposed to your normal league or a normal outing with friends?

Michael: Completely different feeling than when you play with league buddies or out for a recreation round. Not because things are different, but just because I put pressure on myself.

Very first day of year one I played it as I was out with buddies and just having fun. Shot a 90 with a lipped putt on the last hole. Ah oh well. On to tomorrow. The next day I was with three people I didn't know and thought I had to put pressure on myself and boy did that backfire.

I shot a 95 with a bunch of scramble bogeys. Where the day before I would just lay up and hit a nice pitch into the green and get a par or bogey, the second day I was trying to hit greens from all over the place, anywhere from 150 to 190 yards. Not really unattainable goals, but as I would have a mistake or a failure to reach the green in 2 I would get more upset and pretty soon I had a number of double bogeys that were hurting my game.

So I backed off at the end of the round and just played like I normally do and the scores turned around.

This year was completely different. All year I have had issues with driver. Really all my life I have had issues. Some rounds it is on and I "feel" right with the driver. Other days I just don't know how to swing it. When I am not feeling it I should just learn to put it away and hit my hybrid club...my favorite club by the way.

Of course I didn’t (hit it) and I had a number of lost balls with these rounds. I probably accounted for at least 6 strokes this year on both days where I lost a tee shot and had to hit a provisional.

I really should have hit in the eighties this year, but couldn't get away from the driver. Lesson learned I guess.


Ryan: What level do you feel you were on compared to the other players in the tournament?

Michael: I was easily in the bottom quarter. More than half the flights were under 82 scores. The other half were mid to high 80s with about 20 of us in the 90s and then about five or 10 in the 100s. (I was) easily over matched, but again, the score is against yourself not the person you are playing with.


Ryan: Now Binder Park is your home course and where your league plays weekly. How different was the course set up and the way the course played from when you normally play it during league compared to the tournament?

Michael: The course was much tougher than normal. The greens are notoriously slow for this course and both years the greens have been quite speedy. So that takes getting used to. Also, for tournament play every flag is in the front part of the green, so you have to spin the ball to stop it and keep it close to the hole. Of course that is something I can't do at the moment, so I found myself just trying to get on the green and then 2-putting from there.

Really I was pretty happy with my putting this year, but like I have detailed before, the problem was getting on the green and I should have just opted to lay-up, pitch it close and hope for a 1-putt to get par, not try to land the green and get a 2-putt for par.


Ryan: So how do these first two experiences help you going into the 2011 CCA?

Michael: Next years goals are to play without pressure, try to have fun and play smart. I hate to put a number as a goal because I know that backfires on me more times than not, so I just want to have a good time and see if my ball striking is better. Maybe see if I can have a 30 putt round.

The only real part of my game that I am confident in is putting and I consistently two-putt almost every hole. If my chipping is going well, I have a few one-putts on my card as well.


Michael's experience shows us that no matter what your age, your skill level, or your goals, golf gives us new challenges, new obstacles, and new successes each time we play, and that is why it is a game to be cherished.

"Captain" Redding's Ryder Cup Picks

The Ryder Cup is a month away and Corey Pavin will make his captain's picks in less than a week. Much ado has been made about whether Pavin will choose Tiger Woods for the team, despite the lack of success Tiger's had since his return this year.

Europe's team looks like the prohibitive favorite on paper with highly ranked players like Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, and Luke Donald, and 2010 major champions Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell. But predicting success based on paper can be a big mistake.

That's why, despite Europe having the hottest players in the game, home course advantage, and the desire to take back the Ryder Cup from the U.S., I'm going out on a limb and predicting . . .

. . . ah, who am I kidding? Europe is going to win this thing in a landslide.

Not that that's what Corey Pavin is thinking. Let's all hope he's not. But it is why deciding on his captain's picks should be both easy and difficult all at once. Difficult because, besides guys who qualified for the team like Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson, no one from the U.S. is having a really standout season. Play has been inconsistent at best. Sean O'Hair, Nick Watney, and Hunter Mahan, all young and up and coming players, have been up and down like a teeter totter this season. Tiger Woods looks like....well, Tiger Woods one day, and Elmer Fudd the next. And despite Mickelson's assurances that he's feeling OK health wise, the stresses and rigors of a PGA season along with his and Amy's health issues have clearly taken a toll on the #2 ranked player in the world.

So who would I chose as my four captain's picks?

• Rickie Fowler - Fowler is young, brash, and confident. You have nothing to lose with him. Throw him out there and let him get his feet wet on European soil. If he plays poorly, you can chalk it up to lack of experience and all will be forgiven; but if he plays well, wins a match perhaps, he could be just the spark that ignites the U.S. team and gives them that fire to keep the Ryder Cup.
• Zach Johnson - With five rookies on the team including long hitters Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson is precisely the type of guy this team needs. Level headed, cool under pressure, great short game, and brilliant putter, plus a great locker room guy, which again, with five rookies and playing in Europe, is never a bad thing.
• Nick Watney - Well, guess we'll make that six rookies. Another young, confident player, Watney is hungry and ready to prove that his final round collapse at the roller coaster PGA in August was an aberration. With the right combination of rookies and veterans, this team could certainly find a way to bond and come together at just the right time.
• Tiger (Tiger) Woods - Why not? I believe Tiger indeed wants to be on this team. He wants to earn back the respect he feels he's lost and might be losing with every poor performance. We've seen flashes of brilliance this season, including the first round at the Barclays, and if he can continue to put together golf rounds like that and play with a chip on his shoulder, he could provide the ultimate spark for Team U.S., igniting one of the greatest upsets in Ryder Cup history.