Throughout
the summer, people engage in various activities to occupy their
time. Some travel, work, go to school, or play and watch sports.
During the summer is when my favorite two sports have the gist of
their seasons, but this last weekend and starting Tuesday are the
most exciting times.
The sports I enjoy the most are baseball and golf, and the events
are the Ryder Cup, which was played Friday through Sunday, and the
Major League Baseball playoffs, which begin with the division series
Tuesday.
For the uninformed, the Ryder Cup is a golf tournament that pits
the United States against Europe in a team play format that inspires
unity and patriotism only rivaled by the Olympics. In the most individual
of sports, the Ryder Cup is the closest thing to an all-star game
as possible.
Each team has a captain who is usually a Ryder Cup veteran as well
as a stand-out player throughout their career. For the United States
this year, it was Curtis Strange. He is a two-time U.S. Open champion
and was the first man to earn $1 million in a season. As a member
of five Ryder Cup squads, he owns a less than stellar 6-12-2 record
in these matches.
Sam Torrance headed up the European team. His career has spanned
30 years and includes 22 victories and 8 Ryder Cup teams.
Torrance used a strategy that worked to the T. For Sunday’s
final round of match play, he frontloaded the team. This means he
put his best players (Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington, Sergio
Garcia and Darren Clarke) first in the day to try and draw first
blood or deliver the “knockout blow” before the Americans
could gain any momentum. Montgomerie set the tone for the entire
day when he defeated American Scot Hoch in convincing fashion; Harrington
was also able to gain a victory, and Clarke halved the match with
David Duval.
The fourth of the European regulars was the only one not to gain
either a point or half a point for his team. American Ryder Cup
rookie, David Toms, turned in an excellent performance over the
weekend. His victory over Garcia was one of only two victories for
the Americans on Sunday, the other coming from unlikely victor Scott
Verplank.
While the loss suffered by the Americans can only be blamed on them,
I still feel cheated. The only thing I do not know about is who
to be angry with.
Should we pin blame on Curtis Strange for not playing Tiger Woods,
Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III against the European elite? Or
could Torrance’s strategy be construed as a way of running
from the top American players?
Whoever you feel is at fault I know one thing: I didn’t get
to see the matches I had anticipated (Woods vs. Montgomerie, Mickelson
vs. Garcia, Harrington vs. Toms and Love vs. Clarke) and this upsets
me.
These pairings would have put the best Americans against the best
Europeans as well as players of similar styles dueling to see who
could do it better.
The other thing missing from this year’s competition was the
play of three of the world’s best, 2002 British Open champion
Ernie Els, 2000 Masters champion Vijay Singh and 2001Tour Championship
winner Mike Weir. Why? Weir being from Canada does not make the
American squad; Els from South Africa and Singh from Fiji do not
fit into the European category either.
Until all the best players from around the world can play and the
captains take it upon themselves to provide the best matches, the
Ryder Cup, golf’s elite competition, will still be lacking.
As far as baseball is concerned, who could ask for more? The possibility
of a 2001 World Series rematch is ever present but in my opinion
unlikely, with the Yankees and Diamondbacks both in the playoffs
again this year. For all the fans from the South, the Braves are
back again and have possibly their best team since the 1995 World
Series champions. For the sentimental, St. Louis, who lost a team
captain and fan favorite Darryl Kyle this season, is trying to make
their mark. The Athletics and Angels are the hottest teams of the
last three weeks and have already given us a gem of a series last
week. Barry Bonds and the Giants are back trying to add the only
thing missing from his resume, and finally the Twins. Not even a
year ago, they were in danger of being contracted and now they will
compete in the playoffs.
Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, you must admit this is
a very intriguing year for the fall classic.
With the PGA Championship, MLB playoffs, college and professional
football in full swing, the start of training camp for the National
Hockey League and National Basketball Association and college hoops
on the horizon, what sports fan could ask for more than the month
of October. |
