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Bamberger: It's match play. Who cares about the course? Valhalla's bland, but that doesn't matter.
Van Sickle: I forget which player nicknamed the green at the par-5 18th hole the Toilet Seat. It's like too many other holes at Valhalla — totally contrived.
Anonymous Pro: Well, the 18th green is quirky. It looks as if it needs to be flipped upside down. Having said that, it's still a better finishing hole than the 18th at Oakland Hills. [At Valhalla] guys can make 3s, guys can make 7s. Look at the 2000 PGA finish — Woods and May birdied 18 in regulation, then hit it into the crap in the playoff and struggled. It's not the ballbuster you usually expect for the Ryder Cup's finishing hole, but I like that. Can you imagine a best-ball match going to 18 with four guys all trying to make eagle? Now that would be exciting.
What makes the Europeans so special?
Anonymous Pro: The Europeans are freaking strong. I look at their lineup and go, He's a stud, he's a stud, he's a stud ... and they lost Luke Donald. With Tiger out, Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia are probably the best players in the world right now. Robert Karlsson could be a silent assassin. He could win three points without anyone noticing. Lee Westwood has been playing fantastic.
Shipnuck: Europe, top to bottom, is way superior as a group of ball strikers. Two or three players left off their team are playing better than anyone in the U.S. lineup. The depth of Europe compared with the U.S. is depressing.
Anonymous Pro: No offense to Ben Curtis and some of these new guys, but there's nobody on the U.S. team who scares anyone. The Euros walk in with their shoulders back like, We own this event. We walk in like, My God, are we ever going to win this thing again? The Euros expect to win. They know they have the secret formula. They all smoke the same peace pipe. They have it figured out. They relax and have fun and kick our butts.
Bamberger: The Euros won't be overconfident. You're never overconfident when you're playing a road game. Plus, it's simply not the European nature. Overconfidence might've been the Americans' problem when they started losing regularly in the mid-'90s. Just look at the personality of the best player in the world, Harrington. He's always saying, I suck, I need to get better, I need to work harder, and did I mention that I suck?
Shipnuck: Padraig missed the cut at the Barclays and spent about eight hours on the range there on Saturday. He keeps his head down, works hard and sets the tone for that team.
