Golf Ryder Cup

Scotland's Sandy Lyle has something countryman Colin Montgomerie doesn't -- a major victory. But Monty, who had a firm grip on the Best Player to Never Win a Major crown until age and Sergio Garcia caught up with him, beat out Lyle for the 2010 Ryder Cup captaincy. Small consolation, perhaps, but also a nod to the fact that he was Europe's best player the last two decades.

Throughout his career, Montgomerie has been known as much for his robot-like consistency as he was for his raging case of between-shots rabbit ears. Notorious for glaring into galleries, now he's having to deal with accusations from his colleagues. Interestingly, it's Lyle doing the finger-pointing.

Last week, after five rain-soaked golf-crazed days at Bethpage Black, Lucas Glover emerged as the 109th U.S. Open champion. This is noteworthy for a number of reasons: Glover had missed his three previous Open cuts, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson -- for different reasons, the two most popular guys on tour -- didn't add to their major totals, and, finally, the fans.

It wasn't your typical outside-the-ropes golf experience, even by U.S. Open standards. But that's what made it different, special (for the most part, anyway). And after the tournament, it prompted Mickelson to suggest that Bethpage would be a perfect venue for a future Ryder Cup.

"The people here are incredible ... the course is terrific, because 16, 17 and 18 are so close together. And the way the fans are, I think we would have a big advantage."

Here is an idea to ponder as the USGA is now working on tearing down all the grandstands at another successful U.S. Open at Bethpage Black -- why not get a Ryder Cup out at the course?

If you think about it, and Phil Mickelson did, it makes perfect sense. It's an amazing golf course that can be played from all sorts of different tees and made to play easy or hard (as we saw, comparably, from 2002 to '09). If the wind blows it's a brute, but if it stays fairly calm and the rough isn't played knee deep, it could yield just about any score.

Mickelson made his case after he tied for second for a record fifth time at the U.S. Open, telling reporters it is the perfect spot for a Ryder Cup in the future.

Oh, Rory. Just when you were starting to make people in the golf world gush over your curls and incredibly powerful golf swing, you go and do this. You have the PGA Tour and European Tour giving you whatever you want to play in their events, and you sit around dogging the Ryder Cup, calling it an exhibition. You can't do that because it bothers people. And by people, I mean golfers, and by golfers, I mean Colin Montgomerie.

I like Boo Weekley. I think he's good for golf in much the same way John Daly was in the early '90s before beer-soaked Twinkies took over his life. Boo's Al Czervik to the PGA Tour's Judge Smails except he's not acting. What you see is what you get. He's Larry the Cable Guy without the shtick.

Which is why this makes perfect sense.

Nice Faldo, step right over there, sir. The Europeans have a new honcho to take over your "captaincy."

Colin Montgomerie, or "Mrs. Doubtfire" to some, was named captain for 2010 on Wednesday, becoming the youngest captain ever for the Euros.

"It's not just an honor but a huge responsibility as well," Colin Montgomerie said Wednesday after being chosen to captain Europe's team for next year's Ryder Cup in Wales. "It is important we do everything we can to claim back the Ryder Cup in Wales in 2010."

Here is news that will make 5-foot-9 guys all around the world more excited than entry on a scary roller coaster -- Corey Pavin, picture above in what is being called the most awkward photo of 2008, is the new United States Ryder Cup captain.

Some probably thought Paul Azinger, Captain Zero to Hero at this years matches, would be back to captain the United States in 2010. He did a fantastic job not only captaining during the week but nearly a year before, changing some of the out of date rules. Azinger did not get a second chance, even after saying he'd be interested in staying around.

Others thought Fred Couples, American golf hero and stand up guy would take the reins for the coming years. Couples had success at the Ryder Cup and has always been a helpful addition to any coaches slew of assistants. Freddy did not.

In 2010, you will get your Pavin fill.

He isn't a bad pick by any means, just surprising. Pavin won the 1995 U.S. Open, along with 14 other PGA Tour tournaments, and had an 8-5-0 record as a Ryder Cup player.

As much as a captain can't go out and hit the shots, a good one does a lot for a team and a bad one (see Faldo, Nick) can kill your chances and ruin team morale. I'm not saying Pavin won't be good or great, but I think Azinger deserved another shot at captaining this team.

That or just have John Daly do it. I promise he won't allow a lot of cameras during team meetings.

Nick Faldo is obviously insane. There are any number of reasons to think so, the latest being his admission that he'd happily reprise his role of European Ryder Cup captain following what happened at Valhalla a few months back.

After leading the Euros to defeat (and handily, I might add), Faldo is eager for more. Hmm, sounds like a horrible idea, particularly since he was roundly criticized for his efforts.

I suspect others' opinions don't phase Faldo -- he was never Britain's most popular player (or close to it, really), despite winning six majors. So this probably won't change his opinion either: Ian Poulter, the same guy Faldo named to the '08 Ryder Cup squad amid some controversy, feigns indifference about the prospects of Faldo returning in '10:

Most of us have moved on from the American Ryder Cup victory last week, but I'm sure European captain Nick Faldo is still smarting from the U.S. upset, as well as the media dressing down that followed.

If there's a bright spot -- other not having to ignore Colin Montgomerie's phone calls now that the Cup is over -- it's that Sergio Garcia, arguably Europe's best player, has his captain's back.

Sergio Garcia leapt to the defence of unsuccessful European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo on Saturday, describing harsh criticism of the Englishman in newspapers this week as horrendous. ...

"Fortunately, [the Ryder Cup] happens only once every two years in golf but it happens all the time in football back at home. When a team loses, it's always the coach's fault.

"They never pick on the players like they should or give enough credit to the other team like they should."

To be fair, I've done my part to make sure the players catch hell for various absurdities. Whatever, Garcia's saying the right things even if his words don't hold true. Granted, Faldo struck gold with one of his captain's selections, Ian Poulter, but his strategery played a huge role in the outcome.

Sitting Garcia and Lee Westwood during the Saturday morning matches, and then sending out three of his best players late in Sunday's singles matches all contributed to the Americans winning the Cup for the first time in nine years.

Of course, Boo Weekley, J.B. Holmes and Hunter Mahan playing out of their minds all had something to do with it, too.

Last week, after the Ryder Cup made its way back into American hands for the first time in nine years, the Europeans commenced with the whinging. Lee Westwood was first up, complaining about Boo Weekley's unseemly on-course actions, and then Ian Poulter, who was one of the few bright spots for Nick Faldo in the three-day event, accused Anthony Kim of body-checking him during last Saturday's fourball match.

Apparently, it did happen, just not as Poulter contends.

"I wasn't even paying attention and I looked up and Ian had just bounced off me," said Kim, who helped the US to their first Ryder Cup win since 1999.

"I didn't even see him, to be honest. I'm a lot shorter than he is, so I'm not going to throw my elbow into him," he added.

"I wasn't out there to bump anybody. That's not the spirit of the Ryder Cup. This isn't football. I'm sorry he took it personally."

Kim added, "I finally tracked down Poulter during the closing ceremonies, walked up to him and slapped him in the face with an open hand. I said, 'See, THAT was on purpose; the forearm shiver yesterday, THAT was an accident. Got it?'" Kim then walked away and Poulter promptly collapsed in a heap and sobbed uncontrollably.*

Back on Earth, no clue if Poulter ever got word that Kim's actions were, in fact, an accident, but I'm quite certain he was over the whole affair as soon as he settled into that comfy salon chair to have those tips re-frosted.

* Fiction. Duh.