Golfing weekend
The Ryder Cup build up was overshadowed by two comeback kings. Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship after spinal fusion surgery all but terminated his career. At one stage when he was ranked 1199 in the world it looked like he could not get out of a golf buggy let alone win a tourney. Yet it was the old imperious Burgundy polo fourth day Tiger winning by two shots and.playing near faultless golf. The european event was the Portugal Masters . Tom Lewis last victory was there in 2011. Since then he has not trained on but he beat young Aussie Lucas Herbert by two shots yesterday.
I had backed Tiger and Hideki Matsuyama whose fourth place earned me all of 0.83 p. The problem with golf betting is fractional odds. Matsuyama tied in 4th place which fractured his each way price all the more. Justin Rose won the Fedex and must be laughing all the way to the bank though typically generous in his comments on Tiger. In the war of words in the next few days building up to the start of the Ryder Cup you will not be hearing too much bile /banter from the genial Justin. I’m sure Poults will be sticking in his happorth. Let’s hope we do not have the sort of silly comments made by Danny -whatever-happened – to -him Willetts’ brother last time. I simply can’t see other than a sea of American red on singles day with Garcia, McIlroy, Stensen failing to win. If you think one of their debutants Justin Thomas is two time major winner you begin to get apprehensive. Ok it’s away but I can’t see the French golf public generating a Kiawah war – on-the -shore toxic atmosphere.
Tiger does not have an impressive Ryder Cup record but this is the new version of the model, a considerate Tiger anxious to help his teammates. I can see him being paired with “ mad scientist “ Bryson DeChambeau. Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth are as impregnable as the old Olly and Seve combo. I think captain Jim Furyk will be mixing up the experience of Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Ricky Fowler and Dustin Johnson with the less experienced Brooks Koepka , Justin Thomas and Tony Finau. The smart money is on the Yanks.
