BY: RORY SPEARS
RYDER CUP WEEK IN SCOTLAND IS HERE
It’s here, Ryder Cup week. One of the most exciting weeks in golf. Some people compare it to Super Bowl week, others feel like it’s a super bowl style game with all the cheering and booing going on. Either way it should be a fun event to watch. It all wraps up on Sunday right before the Bears and Packers kickoff at Soldier Field. It will be a super Sunday.
After the crushing loss at Medinah in 2012, Team USA wants this Ryder Cup badly. Can they pull it off, maybe or maybe not. Some of the experts expect it to be a team Europe blowout win. I don’t think so. Some of the Euro’s didn’t show much this past week on the golf course, the American’s had the week off.
Captain Tom Watson, the last USA captain to win on foreign soil will be hard pressed to pull off the feat again. Watson is already being second guessed for his captains picks, and not adding to of the hotter players from the Fed Ex Cup playoffs, winner Billy Horschel and Chris Kirk who both played their best golf after the selections were made. Let’s hope they continue to play well and make the team at Hazeltine in 2016.
Prediction here, no blow out win by the Euro’s. 14-14 tie wouldn’t surprise me, or 15-13 one way or the other. Who plays better in cooler weather. The temperature is supposed to be a high of 61 the 3 days of the matches, and the players and the fans might not see the sun all 3 days either. Welcome to Scotland. The USA is due to win again, maybe they finally will.
CONGRATS TO Carlos Sainz Jr. of Elgin for earning his PGA Tour card from his efforts on the Web.com tour. The Web.com tour championship was in Florida this past weekend and Sainz just made barely made it to the next level. How many PGA Tour events will he get into, hard to say but that next level experience will be good for him.
ILLINI ALUM D.A. Points was going to play in the Web.com final, but then did a WD aftersome players complained about him being there. Points who struggled on the PGA Tour this year, but is exempt for 2015 because of his win at Houston in 2013, decided to break up an 8 week layoff by playing. He wanted to break in a new caddie too. Points has been getting the tip of the cap from public opinion, by pulling out and letting the regular web-tour guys trying to move up play for the money that was available.
ILLINOIS made it two wins in a row, when they blew out the field at the Wolf Run invite this past weekend by 30 shots. Senior Brian Campbell lead the way, with Jr. Charlie Danielson right behind. Thomas Detry was back from the World Team Amateur event and Illinois looks to be a top competitor for the NCAA title come next spring.
Northwestern is playing at Evanston Country Club today in it’s own invitational the Windon Championship. if your free head out to see some top college golf right here in town.
Our weather is getting better as we head into the weekend and early next week, so say the the weather forecasters around town. Get out and tee it up at some great prices at several golf courses. The Sentry World golf Course in Stevens Point Wisconsin, home of the famed flower hole, reopens later this week.
See you on the links. Go Play RS.