All Rory All The Way

[Sam Lord]

It has nothing to do with the EU, Sam. It just made sense back in the 80s to change the format and expand Great Britain & Ireland to Europe to make it more competitive and since the change it has been an event that has provided a great level of excitement for those who like golf.

I guess I was deceived by all the EU flags I saw on the course.

As for your comment about it being all about "hitting a little ball into a hole", I think that is a rather petty comment unworthy of you. You like cricket, which I find tedious, but that is just me. Each to his own, as they say, but I try to refrain from disparaging the choices in sport of others.

Point taken. I actually watched the last three hours or so and found it quite enthralling.

As for yesterday's play, this was immense stuff from the European team. Ian Poulter is a captain in waiting. His passion for the Ryder Cup is limitless and his 4-0 weekendmade up almost a third of the European score. Fabulous stuff.

Yes. Also the Yanks seemed to choke.

[DCon]

ESPN were a tad premature

t's over. Olazabal can click off the walkie-talkie and take the IFB out of his ear. Time for the Europeans to fire up the private jets and head back home to Florida.

I wish it were different -- I really do. But overcome a 10-6 deficit? Win eight of 12 singles matches?

"It's been done in the past," said Ian Poulter, the only European with a winning record (3-0) this week. "It's going to be done again. That's all we can ask."

It has been done in the past. Once.

It happened in 1999, when American captain Ben Crenshaw wagged his finger at the media and said, "I've got a good feeling about tomorrow. That's all I'm gonna say."

That Sunday, the USA scored 8½ points and won 14½-13½.

"You know," said Sergio Garcia, who was playing in his first Ryder Cup that year, "it would be nice to kind of give it back the way they did it to us in '99."

If you're Garcia, it would be nice. But like Crenshaw, I've got a feeling too.

I've got a feeling Team Europe is doomed. I've got a feeling that Tiger Woods isn't going to go 0-for-Medinah. I've got a feeling that the eight veterans in that USA team room are reminding the four rookies it's time to step on a few throats.

If Mrs. Poulter had had quintuplets and they all played golf, then Team Europe might have won this thing. But there's only one Poulter and he can win only once on Sunday -- that is, if he beats Webb Simpson in the second match.

The Europeans have to do too much with too little. They won't phone it in. That's why Olazabal front-loaded his Sunday lineup with Team Europe's heavy hitters (Luke Donald, Poulter, McIlroy, Justin Rose).

But eventually you get to Lawrie (0-2) and, in something of a surprise, Graeme McDowell (1-2) and later, Hanson, Westwood, Kaymer and Molinari.

"Individually, I wouldn't want to play anybody on our side," said a confident Love.

http://espn.go.com/golf/rydercup12/s...-all-locked-us

[DCon]

Yet another win. Some season for Rory

World number one Rory McIlroy capped a sensational 2012 by birdieing the last five holes to win the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

The Northern Irishman won his fifth title of the year after a 66 took him to 23 under, two clear of Justin Rose.

Rose holed eight birdies and an eagle in a course record 10-under-par 62.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/20485805

[DCon]

After beating McIlroy in the last round, Lowry is now through to the last 16.

Not bad for a BIFFO

Independent.ie ‏@Independent_ie

Shane Lowry rampant as 6&5 win over Petterson puts him into last 16 at Accenture World Matchplay Championship

[Baron von Biffo]

After beating McIlroy in the last round, Lowry is now through to the last 16.

Not bad for a BIFFO

Our biggest challenge is trying to make sure the rest of ye don't fall too far behind.