Pros and Cons of 2010 Ryder Cup's
New Schedule
The query of the day here at Celtic Manor, as rain turned the Twenty Ten Course into a swamp and even the ducks seemed annoyed, was as follows: What if they held a Ryder Cup and it never finished?
This atrocious opinion became a real prospect when play was suspended for seven hours and 18 minutes on Friday, raising the possibility of a Monday conclusion.
According to a somewhat surreptitious agreement between the two captains as reported by the media, 2010 Ryder Cup will be sidelined on Monday at 6:43 p.m. in the evening even if there are some matches left. The score of both teams
will then be halved without taking into consideration the actual scores if the players don’t finish on time. Just imagine what would happen if a team leads by one point but the lagging team wins last two matches and the bewitched hour arrives? This would surely
be a Ryder Cup controversy for centuries to come.
But, that kind of scenario isn’t expected to happen, despite unfavorable weather forecast for Sunday also. Whether it rains heavily throughout the day like Friday or torrential winds post tons of bogeys on the scorecard, both teams
will try to complete the undone task before time.
Meanwhile, organizers say that a Sunday finish is possible despite the delay. As Friday's Four-ball matches terminate on Saturday morning, six foursome matches start. The session will be chased by an alternative round of four Four-ball
matches and two foursomes , which will quite expectedly end by Sunday afternoon. The 12 singles matches will follow and if they aren’t halted, then chances are that the Ryder Cup might finish by Sunday eve, utmost Monday.
The new schedule looks feasible and could have some positive outcomes. The players who sat out of Friday's Four-ball matches such as Furyk and Mahan will now play only three matches. All 12 players will sit in the next two sessions
followed by the singles, which signifies that no player will be exempted.
The European captain looks happy with the new schedule, although he had a tough time choosing 12 players but he won’t mind using even eight. This new set up certainly means that the players who were initially left out of the foursomes
will now play and hence the captains of both teams will have to think of new pairings.
Phil Mickelson commented on this by saying, ”I think it's great. With the 12 best players here, it's hard to have four guys sit. The fact that everybody's playing is well deserved. Both teams are strong; it doesn't favour one team
or the other."
Mickelson's analysis might be appropriate. According to a record, the Americans have had commendable performances in previous foursomes plays but they were using only eight players. This time everyone has a chance.
While talking to the media, Colin said, "I think I have more of a foursomes team than a four-ball team and I am very confident and remain so." The European captain seems right but there is no strategy to comprehend the consequences
of the scheduled games. The American team has some big hitters whose problem is accuracy. So, foursome session would not be their strength. However, the course is playing long because of the rains which means that the Americans can counter off accuracy with
distance.
This is also a sign of relief for the American striker as according to him, the new schedule has made things much easier. Moreover, fans will be happy as well to see their players out on the field and playing six matches instead
of four.
Finally, while considering all the aspects, it's an excellent compromise that offers the chance of a Sunday finish, which is pretty much everyone's preference right now.
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