With the weekend behind us and all the scores and stories in, and the European and USA teams now settled in Paris, my thoughts went to what affect would Tiger's historic win at the TOUR championship and Justin Rose's $10m dollar win of the Fed Ex Cup have on the outcome of this week's Ryder Cup.
Further to that what were the results for all the other team members who played over the weekend. We all know form is fleeting but guys who are hot or at least playing well now will play an important role in who wins this year.
USA
Bryson DeChambeau 71 75 66 67 -1 19th
Tony Finau 67 71 67 72 -3 T15
Rickie Fowler 65 72 73 65 -5 T7
Dustin Johnson 69 70 67 67 -7 3rd
Brooks Koepka 69 78 67 70 +4 T26
Phil Mickleson 73 72 76 72 +13 30th
Patrick Reed 72 74 72 71 +9 28th
Webb Simpson 69 70 68 67 -10 T4
Jordan Spieth DNP
Justin Thomas 67 69 70 69 -5 T7
Bubba Watson 70 72 73 75 +10 29th
Tiger Woods 65 68 65 71 -11 1st
Analysis: Obviously Tiger comes to Paris on top of the world after his historic win. He is a changed man after all he has been through, physically and emotionally. We never appreciate our health until we lose it, and Tiger lost it. So he has got a new perspective on life and it's priorities. I believe that will help him this week at an event he has not excelled at, and in all the rest of his life for that matter.
The rest of the team had reasonable weeks form wise except for Watson (29th), Reed (28th), Mickelson (30th) and Koepka (26th) so they are not in form and from that point of view must be a concern for captain Furyk.
Jordan Spieth DNP so we'll see if he has found his game in practice by Friday.
Europe
Paul Casey 68 71 66 71 -4 T11
Tommy Fleetwood 69 69 70 68 -4 T11
Sergio Garcia 66 70 68 65 -15 T7
Tyrrell Hatton DNP
Rory McIlroy 67 68 67 74 -5 T7
Francesco Molinari 70 75 69 68 +1 T21
Alex Noren DNP
Thorbjorn Olesen 68 69 68 67 -12 T20
Ian Poulter DNP
Jon Rahm 68 68 68 72 -4 T11
Justin Rose 66 67 68 73 -6 T4
Henrik Stenson DNP
Analysis : Justin Rose is being lauded by his peers and indeed all of Europe as the world #1 and the winner of the Fed Ex Cup and he is enormously respected by his team mates. His status and quiet resolve will permeate through this team and in my opinion typify their attitude going into Friday against a USA Team that are heavy favourites. This recipe is the same one that has been the key to Europe's recent domination of the Ryder Cup.
The rest of the team who played at East Lake played well enough although Rory slipped up with a 74 playing with Tiger on Sunday, and the site of them hugging each other seemed odd considering the passions that will be unleashed this week. Perhaps a reminder this is a gentleman's game.
Sergio was rock solid T7 in Portugal as was Thorbjorn Olesen with 4 rounds in the 60's, T12. Of note Fleetwood and Noren have both won the French Open at Le National.
Hatton, Noren, Stenson and Poulter were practising individually and have now joined the rest of the team in Paris, where they all were presented with their new outfits and a hilarious 10 minute team bonding video to kick their week off.
Final: All things considered there are enough red flags being raised for me on either side to make this year very finely balanced. There are no absolute locks as there was when the likes of Seve and Sergio or Seve and Jose were paired, or when Faldo and Monty were at their best. Spieth and Reed were a sure thing but Spieth has struggled all year and Reed was off this week.
So Tiger and Rosey lead their teams into the week, and like a great horse race, it seems a bit too close to call.
That's why it's the greatest 3 days in golf !!!. Perhaps in sports..
Bryan Angus
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