What if they stopped playing the Ryder Cup?

[BIG STU]

7 hours ago, BNGL said:

I’d be the one person who’d honestly say “eh whatever”

Naah I am right there with ya---- IMHO one of the great things about getting older is not giving two hoots

[chillybilly]

Against long odds, the Ryder Cup has:

-Demonstrated the excitement and uniqueness of match play to people who assume stroke play is how golf is played everywhere, all the time, even in a weekend foursome or club tournament

-Avoided a title sponsor (perhaps its greatest feat given the grasping hands involved)

-Maintained its Goldilocks frequency - every 2 years (with two notable exceptions) is not too often, not too rare

-Remained competitive despite the oft-claimed disparity in talent, rankings, wins, majors, etc

-Kept the interest of the players who strive to make the team, win matches and win or retain the cup without much thought given to prize money, endorsements etc

-Defined careers for some players

-Given some otherwise anonymous individuals a lasting, even permanent spot in history for good or ill

-Provided moments of brilliance, anguish and shock for players and viewers alike

-Given the US and European Tour memberships a common goal and point of discussion

 

It's not without its flaws.

-Some of the pro wrestling gee-up-the-crowd stuff is over-the-top and unnecessary but then so is having 20,000 persons in a sky-high scaffold grandstand surrounding a single tee box as they hoot like drunken simians.

-US TV coverage is the usual ADHD-addled hopscotch affair with announcers who will simply not shut up despite being part of a visual medium.

-Treating the captains as if they have ascended the Mt Olympus of Golf

 

It's not a major but it's treated like one and rightly so.  The case for abandoning the Matches is nearly nonexistent.

Edited September 22, 2021 by chillybilly

[Rapidcat]

On 9/21/2021 at 8:45 AM, Go Cougs said:

I approve of these cat posts...my brethren.

[Rapidcat]

22 hours ago, BNGL said:

Every single one of the people on here knows about how he made his wealth. You pass by them every time you go to the garden center in any WalMart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target (maybe?). 
 

He made his fortune selling seeds in packages for a penny. His other competition had to mail them which upped their prices, since he lived next to a mainline railroad he was able to eliminate costs. He wasn’t really a golfer until later in life when he and his brother started sponsoring golf tournaments. Although a good player himself, he was captain at two clubs Stratford Upon Avon and I forget the other (fun fact Shakespeare was from Stratford Upon Avon) he was less known for ability but rather his enthusiasm and ability to promote the tournament's. 

Well with the mainly distain for this event displayed in this thread and the above history, maybe it should be renamed 'Sow what?'

[imakaveli]

1 hour ago, chillybilly said:

Against long odds, the Ryder Cup has:

-Demonstrated the excitement and uniqueness of match play to people who assume stroke play is how golf is played everywhere, all the time, even in a weekend foursome or club tournament

-Avoided a title sponsor (perhaps its greatest feat given the grasping hands involved)

-Maintained its Goldilocks frequency - every 2 years (with two notable exceptions) is not too often, not too rare

-Remained competitive despite the oft-claimed disparity in talent, rankings, wins, majors, etc

-Kept the interest of the players who strive to make the team, win matches and win or retain the cup without much thought given to prize money, endorsements etc

-Defined careers for some players

-Given some otherwise anonymous individuals a lasting, even permanent spot in history for good or ill

-Provided moments of brilliance, anguish and shock for players and viewers alike

-Given the US and European Tour memberships a common goal and point of discussion

 

It's not without its flaws.

-Some of the pro wrestling gee-up-the-crowd stuff is over-the-top and unnecessary but then so is having 20,000 persons in a sky-high scaffold grandstand surrounding a single tee box as they hoot like drunken simians.

-US TV coverage is the usual ADHD-addled hopscotch affair with announcers who will simply not shut up despite being part of a visual medium.

-Treating the captains as if they have ascended the Mt Olympus of Golf

 

It's not a major but it's treated like one and rightly so.  The case for abandoning the Matches is nearly nonexistent.

 

Agreed 100% but the title sponsor, it used to have one 😉

 

[MountainKing]

1 hour ago, chillybilly said:

 

-Avoided a title sponsor (perhaps its greatest feat given the grasping hands involved)

 

 

I'm not an expert on the ins and outs of the Tour - but I would assume they are able to do this since they don't have to put a purse together to pay the players.  

[VNutz]

What if they stopped making chocolate?

What if pizza were no longer delicious?

What if women stopped wearing yoga pants other than to yoga?

 

I'm not sure these are questions we really want answers to.

[chillybilly]

1 hour ago, MountainKing said:

 

I'm not an expert on the ins and outs of the Tour - but I would assume they are able to do this since they don't have to put a purse together to pay the players.  

 

It's a PGA of America event (at least in the US) so the Tour as a sanctioning body isn't directly involved - TV cash and ticket/merchandise sales are the revenue generators and there is no prize money per se.

 

There's all manner of 'presented by' advertisers but so far no name above the title.

[ShowMe]

14 hours ago, BNGL said:

Well it’s actually named for him because he donated the trophy, hence Ryder Cup.

 

So the trophy was already in existence, and he donated it to the tournament?  What was it being used for previous to that?

[gvogel]

15 hours ago, BNGL said:

Well it’s actually named for him because he donated the trophy, hence Ryder Cup.

For what it's worth, Lord Stanley didn't play hockey.

[ShowMe]

22 minutes ago, gvogel said:

For what it's worth, Lord Stanley didn't play hockey.

 

Wait.  What???  We need to stop playing hockey, then.  🙂

[gvogel]

35 minutes ago, ShowMe said:

 

Wait.  What???  We need to stop playing hockey, then.  🙂

And Wanamaker owned a department store.

 

Should we get rid of the PGA Championship, or stop shopping?

[ShowMe]

3 hours ago, gvogel said:

And Wanamaker owned a department store.

 

Should we get rid of the PGA Championship, or stop shopping?

 

Or maybe rename the trophy, since his store has gone out of business?  How about The Sears Trophy?  Wait.  They're gone, too.  The KMart Trophy?  Nope.  Also gone.  Are there any department stores left?

[Cpk23]

This is my favorite week every two years. Nothing compares. I'd be really upset if they canceled it.

[PorkChopExpress]

They should kill it

 

[grm24]

14 hours ago, chillybilly said:

 

It's a PGA of America event (at least in the US) so the Tour as a sanctioning body isn't directly involved - TV cash and ticket/merchandise sales are the revenue generators and there is no prize money per se.

 

There's all manner of 'presented by' advertisers but so far no name above the title.

There sure are. 

 

https://www.rydercup.com/commercial-family

[randywildman]

If they got rid of the Ryder Cup , Poulter's eyes would bulge out and hit the floor.

 

Seriously, It's the battle of people who mostly live in Florida with a little Georgia and Arizona and Texas. 

[Hankshank]

If 17 and 18 are rebuilt, Augusta National or more correctly Masters is the only golf event you can deem as indispensable.

[i*windows]

There was talk in Europe after US lost again that the US were thinking of pulling out of future events, because they were sick of loosing. If they loose again this week it would be interesting to see if that is talked about again.

 

I think it's treated completely differently on both sides of the pond, in Europe it's seen as an ambition a career highlight to play in the Ryder cup, and I don't think that is the case in the US. So if it is abandoned then I don't really think the Americans will care, they have the FEDEX cup after all 😉

[grm24]

8 minutes ago, i*windows said:

There was talk in Europe after US lost again that the US were thinking of pulling out of future events, because they were sick of loosing. If they loose again this week it would be interesting to see if that is talked about again.

Sure there was. Complete BS. The RC is the PGA of America's largest cash cow. The US team could lose the next 10 consecutive RC and it wouldn't change anything. That said the PGA of America OWNS the RC. Why would that change? As always follow the money. 

[i*windows]

11 minutes ago, grm24 said:

Sure there was. Complete BS. 

pretty much agree it would never happen, however it was reported in a couple of news papers (I'll try and find the article). 

[BNGL]

18 hours ago, ShowMe said:

 

So the trophy was already in existence, and he donated it to the tournament?  What was it being used for previous to that?

I’m not sure that it was already in existence but rather he commissioned it and donated it to the event. 

[BNGL]

18 hours ago, gvogel said:

For what it's worth, Lord Stanley didn't play hockey.

Larry O’Brien didn’t hoop either, he was the commissioner of the NBA during the ABA/NBA merger. So your point is?

[BNGL]

3 hours ago, i*windows said:

There was talk in Europe after US lost again that the US were thinking of pulling out of future events, because they were sick of loosing. If they loose again this week it would be interesting to see if that is talked about again.

 

I think it's treated completely differently on both sides of the pond, in Europe it's seen as an ambition a career highlight to play in the Ryder cup, and I don't think that is the case in the US. So if it is abandoned then I don't really think the Americans will care, they have the FEDEX cup after all 😉

LMFAO yeah right source for that please?

[imakaveli]

1 minute ago, BNGL said:

LMFAO yeah right source for that please?

Remember the task force?

[BNGL]

2 hours ago, imakaveli said:

Remember the task force?

I remember that but I’m not sure that was ever to pull out of the Ryder Cup. 

[ian-500]

On 9/21/2021 at 12:04 AM, ShowMe said:

 

Orange Tabby!

 

First time I've ever heard a cat like this referred to as an orange tabby. Most of the UK would call it a ginger tabby. Learn something new everyday 🤪

[PorkChopExpress]

Where are the cat pics?

 

Cat pics > RC

[Titleist99]

9 hours ago, i*windows said:

There was talk in Europe after US lost again that the US were thinking of pulling out of future events, because they were sick of loosing. If they loose again this week it would be interesting to see if that is talked about again.

 

I think it's treated completely differently on both sides of the pond, in Europe it's seen as an ambition a career highlight to play in the Ryder cup, and I don't think that is the case in the US. So if it is abandoned then I don't really think the Americans will care, they have the FEDEX cup after all 😉

The U.S. didn't quit when they won I think, don't quote m......22 of the first 25 and they won't quit  now. The Ryder Cup is the goose that lays a golden egg so why discontinue that. The format might change but not the event. IMO

[Golferpaul]

On 9/18/2021 at 8:35 PM, ShowMe said:

Time to spin up another, but differently themed, Ryder Cup thread.

 

What if they stopped playing the Ryder Cup?  Would anybody care?  Would anybody miss it?

 

 

It's my favorite event in sports so I would miss it.  If they stopped playing the Super Bowl I wouldn't even notice.