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It`s a long way off... ...but if you had to choose two possible/likely Ryder Cup rookies from each side, who would you choose? For Europe I`d choose Graeme McDowell & Brian Davis. However, Greg Owen, Henrik Stenson, Marcel Siem, Nick Dougherty, Justin Rose would also stand a very good chance too!

For America maybe Tim Petrovic & Sean O`Hair.

C-B...ole,ole,ole,ooooooole C

Be very careful of picking your team this far in advance based on performance. That's one of the reasons the US team has played so poorly. More than one team member had a hot streak early in the qualifying process and it was enough to put them on the team. The trouble is that when it came time to play these "early qualifiers" were no where near the form that earned them their spot.

This is not an excuse for the US losing. We got our tails kicked. However, I sure would like to see the players who performed the best in the year the Ryder Cup is held take precedence over those that were hot 2 years prior. I believe the US is either looking into changing or have actually changed the qualifying guidelines to take more recent form into consideration. That still might not be enough!

I think an outsider for Euro Ryder cuo rookie could be Steven Dodd, if he can maintian his recent form through next season.

A year`s supply of CHEESE or HOTDOGS (if I can find a sponsor ) to anyone who can correctly guess one of the two team line-ups by 31st July 2005.

Here`s my team the C-B-C`sCHEESE-WINNERS`

Monty
D.Clarke
P.Harrington
S.Garcia
L.Westwood
M-A Jimenez
I.Poulter
G.McDowell
B. Davis
D.Howell

Captain`s picks,
F.Jacobson
P.McGinley

What`s your team called ?...and who do you reckon?

Go team `C-B-C`s CHEESEWINNERS`

C-B-C

...oh man...I forgot about Luke Donald ...too late


C B C

1. All teams must be listed by 31st July 2005.
2. It is the team that counts, actual captain`s picks are irrelevant.
3. Ian Woosnam & Tom Lehman are not allowed to list a team
4. Michelle Wie can be listed...(just incase someone wants to list her).
5. Jackamo must accept the cheese prize, (sponsors request).
6. Vegetarians will be offered a meat substitute Hotdog...if they can find one.
7. Fish are not allowed to enter a team (I don`t like fish).
8. There is no cash alternative to the winners prize. In fact there is no cash for the winners prize at the moment, so don`t push it.
9. The Judges (me) decision is final. Not just about this competition, but also about your choice of car, career, wife/girlfriend and your dress sense.
10. There are more rules to follow but it`s late over here, so don`t rush me .

C-B-C

CBC.....you are a funny man! #7 tells me all I need to know about your sense of humor. If I can stop laughing long enough I will try to respond by entering my team.

Looking at the world current ranking s the top twelve would be (with World ranking):

USA Europe
2 - Tiger 8 - Sergio
4 - Phil 10-Padraig
7 - Chris DiAMrco 12-Luke Donald
9 - Kenny Perry 14 - Darren Clarke
11 - David Toms 19 - Migel Jimenez
13 - Stuart Cink 22 - Thos Bjorn
17 - DL3 30-David Howell
18 - Jim Fuyrk 33 - Lee Westwood
20-Scott Verplank 40-Graham McDowell
21 - Tom Lehman 47 - Ian Poulter
24 - Chad Campbell 48 - Paul Casey
25 - Fred Funk 50-Thos Levet

I think this will change significantly over the year, with Scott Verplank,Tom Lehman ,Chad Campbell and Fred Funk struggling to stay in the frame.Young players like Chas Howell 3 need to come through, as USA have three old men in red who will struggle to play four rounds in three days, let alone five if needed.
I think Levet will fall away and am worried about Casey's future. Monty is next on the list ,with Dodd ,Davis and Rose to consider. Not sure about Jacobsen........

Intersting looking at the bubbling under top twelve for each side.

For USA ,the next in line are Justin Leonard,Tod Hamilton, Freddie C, Zach Johnson,Big JD,Jay Haas, Jerry Kelly,CH3 and Tim Herron .You would have to hope that Zach Johnson and CH3 emerge, with J Kaye as an outsider.The rest are yesterday's men or one hit wonders.

For Europe, there are Monty,Dodd, JMOlazabal,Greg Owen,Stenson, McGinley,Davis,Rt Hon B. Langer ,Jacobsen ,Cekja and Rose. Similar mix with Dodd,Owen Stenson Davis Jacobsen and Rose as the preferred improvers.


The youth is definetly in Europe, and the strength in depth is beginning to change .

The qualifying process also didn't deal with another issue. Tournaments such as the B.C. Open and Reno carry as much weight as The Player's Championship, Bay Hill, and Memorial. Any opposite field event such as B.C., Southern Farm, Tucson, and reno should not carry Ryder Cup points. The Players Championship needs to hold more weight in Ryder Cup points than a regular tour event. I also think Bay Hill and Memorila need a bit more weight, but not as much as The Players Championship.

I wonder if Tiger and Phil both hurt the chemistry of the team. To me, both are prima donnas. Why does everyone have to play with Tiger's NIKE ball rather than Tiger play a Titleist? Oh yes, it's business (maybe that's the problem). Why does the captain feel like he has to play Tiger in every match even when he's playing poorly (TV ratings?) And Phil, why does he change equipment within a month before the Ryder Cup? He wouldn't have done it that close to the Masters or U.S. Open.

I believe that we might perform better as a team without Phil and Tiger.

I'm not so sure about Phil and Tiger. On one hand, they seem better off alone than with a partner and I see no reason why any captain should have to play anyone each and every match. Tiger's 0-fer in the fourballs (not sure if it continued this past Ryder Cup or not...I'd rather not have to think about that embarrassment ) is puzzling to say the least. Yet he has an OK record in the foursomes and is as close to a sure thing in the Sunday singles as anyone on the US team (I think his loss to Rocca in '97 remains his only singles defeat in Ryder and Presidents' Cup play). Phil would seem to be a good fourball player with as many birdies as he makes, but he's not been up to snuff there nor in the Sunday singles lately. All in all, I think the team is better off with the two most talented players playing the matches. If either decided to not play one year, or a captain decided that they wouldn't be playing until Sunday to preserve chemistry, then the offending party would certainly be grilled by the press, yet when they show up and have a sub-par performance, they get grilled as well. Sounds like a can't win to me. ...unless of course they win and then all will be forgiven.

Seems crazy to suggest that Tiger or Phil should not play, almost as crazy as putting them together. They both need to find partners they gel with,preferably rookies ,and play all four matches before the singles.

I would think that Tiger and CH3 , and Phil with Zac Johnson would be a formidable match up. If the captian told Phil and Tiger to 'find' a choice of partners over the next twelve months , they could turn up ready.

The Ryder Cup was won by LAnger off the course as much as on it.

I agree with you there Lefty. :faintthud Tiger fared pretty well with CH3 in the Presidents' Cup in 2003, plus they are good friends, so I think they could have some potential as a pairing. Phil and Zach Johnson sounds like a winner too...now all Howell III and Johnson need to do is play their way onto the teams!

Hey Lefty.....where were you when the US team needed your help and leadership? Your suggestion that our best players find a player that they feel comfortable with (that door swings both ways) and spend some time playing and practicing together just prior to the next Ryder Cup just makes too much sense. :faintthud