Ryder Cup play is the most anticipated golf competition when it rools around every two years, by everyone including Tiger Woods. Friday in Day 1 at Medinah Country Club near Chicago, Woods played in the morning and afternoon matches, distinguishing himself as the weak link in the a.m. and stellar but not good enough in the p.m.
The morning was ugly, as Woods and playing partner Steve Stricker were dusted off 2 and 1 with ease in alternate shot competition (where one player hits and his teammate advances the ball), a difference more about how pedestrian Ian Poulter and Justin Rose were in the middle holes of the match. Neither Woods nor Stricker inspired much emotion from the crowd that was begging to erupt.
In the afternoon, captain Davis Love III trotted Woods and Stricker back out there in the four ball competition, where each player payed his own ball and the golfer with the lowest score wins the hole. For a long time, after making birdie on the first, Woods struggled. As his teammates were spanking the Europeans’ all over the course to take a 5-3 lead at the end of Friday, Woods was ordinary at best. And then it click for Woods.
Problem was, it was always there for opponent Nicholas Colsaert, who had eight birdies and an eagle in his first Ryder Cup match. His birdies ahead of Woods’ birdies in the late holes – especially the 35-foot bomb he made on 17 — negated Woods’ beautiful shot to within four feet and subsequent birdie.
And so, Woods or Stricker needed a birdie on No. 18 to squeeze a half-point out of the match. It came down to Woods, whose shot into the green left him 12 feet right of the hole for birdie to win the hole and a share of the match. But his putt missed on the low side, hitting the cup and rolling away.
Woods was dejected and the Europeans elated to get the full point. Woods missed a six-foot putt on 14 that was makeable, but he still had six birdies on the day — a big comeback from a deplorable morning effort where he pulled and pushed drives all over the place and missed putts that were in his range to make.
Meanwhile, the team of Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley was the anti-Woods and Stricker, winning in the morning and afternoon matches. Mickelson’s 7-iron on the par 3 over the water to two feet clinched his team’s second win of the day, igniting the crowd into a fury.
The stage is set for an exciting Saturday. America needs 14 1/2 point to win, Europe 14.
