Ryder Cup buzz strengthens resolve to be involved
Playing in the Ryder Cup is one of my major career goals and after my PGA Tour win last year, playing at Celtic Manor went from a pretty unrealistic goal to a reasonable one.
Sadly, I just didn't play well enough this year to be under consideration for the European team. I guess that's nothing to be ashamed of when you consider some of the names that may still miss out.
The strength of European golf right now is maybe better than it has ever been and I'm more disappointed at how I played for a large portion of the season than I am at not being in contention for a Ryder Cup spot.
I'm the type of person that tries to take care of all the small things in my game, knowing that if I do that and keep improving then at some point I will be on Ryder Cup teams.
The decision to play in the FedEx cup or go to Gleneagles this week is such a hard one for guys like Casey, Donald, and Harrington. They haven't secured qualification and aren't certain picks given the strength of other players in contention.
I know how hard it is to schedule your year. It's impossible to play in all the tournaments that you want to and you're going to have tough decisions to make at some point.
I'm sure these guys had this part of their schedule locked in for a while. The FedEx Cup Playoffs are the most important part of the year on the PGA Tour, so it's tough to take them off. Especially if you're near the top of the rankings and have a shot at winning the $10m first prize!
I'm on the fence with regard to the choice these players have made as there are good arguments for both sides. I don't think it reflects any lack of interest in playing in the Ryder Cup. I guarantee they are as excited as everyone else about representing Europe.
Sometimes you just have to make tough decisions and stick to the schedule that you've planned. They're probably more frustrated at the fact that they haven't played their way onto the team. A good showing this week well may be enough to get the pick that they need.
For me, the Ryder Cup definitely hasn't lost any of its sparkle in the players' eyes. You still hear a lot of the guys saying that making their respective team was the main goal this year. You also see a lot of the guys on the bubble maybe playing a little more often in the second half of the year, trying to get as many points on the board as possible to secure their spot. The Ryder Cup is definitely the biggest event in golf.
There's a lot of hype over here in the US, largely helped by the "will Pavin pick Tiger?" question. I haven't been back home for over 10 years to catch the pre-Ryder Cup build-up in Europe, but I think that it's maybe a little more intense.
It's still a huge event for the US but I think that Europeans maybe look forward to it just a little bit more and have more passion. It's pretty clear though that once the competition gets underway both teams will do everything they can to win. You just can't beat the intensity; it's what makes it the most exciting sports event to watch in the world.
There has been a lot of talk over here about the US being underdogs due to the fantastic strength of the Europeans and the great year that European golf has had. That's something that scares me a little bit as it was the same two years ago and we all know who won that one!
The European team is a little stronger on paper. However, both teams are so unbelievably close and talented that what it says on paper doesn't mean anything. It's possibly an advantage to be the underdog as it takes a lot of pressure off.
This European team has already been labelled as maybe the strongest of all time. All that does is add extra pressure to the guys. There's a big difference between being expected to win and believing you will win.
So, will Pavin pick Tiger? I don't think there's too much doubt about that to be honest. It's an incredibly hard thing to leave out the number one ranked player in the world, and maybe the best player to ever play the game.
Even if Tiger hasn't been at his best this year he still is Tiger Woods. A lot has been said about how he played at Firestone last month, but I think if you look at his major results this year (4th, 4th, 23rd, 28th) it shows that his game is still pretty good despite all that's going on.
We're just used to him having a chance to win every week he tees it up. If you gave those major finishes to someone that's in the running for a captain's pick, it would only help their cause.
I hope Pavin does select Tiger as it would definitely bring an extra edge to the competition. I just can't wait to see how it all turns out. I really hope it's a close battle with Europe just clinching it at the end of the singles, with someone forever remembered as the player who sank the winning putt. I will definitely be watching...
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~49~RS~)
I was born and bred in Glasgow, but now I live in Scottsdale, Arizona, and make my living on the US PGA Tour.
I won my maiden Tour event in October 2009 - the first Scot to do so on US soil since Sandy Lyle won the Masters in 1988.
I want to win again and play in this year's Ryder Cup, so I'll be letting you know how I'm going about it, as well as providing you a behind the scenes look at the PGA Tour.
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Martin,
You've now had a chance to play your "own" schedule, rather than have it dictated by tournaments you might be able to get into.
Any tweaks for next year, courses you felt you weren't suited to, others you'd want to return to that you might have omitted in 2010?
Super first round Thursday, keep it up!
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I feel sure you will be a member of the next European Team which will then lead to your second (and most significant) appearance at Gleneagles in 2014.
A fantastic finish to your round today which bodes well for an exciting weekend.
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Great second round. Putting looks to be high level. Have a great weekend. I will be at Hilton Park next week and would love to be part of a celebration.
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Fabulous third round. Everything looks to be high level. Good luck Sunday!
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Fantastic 3rd round! Have a great Sunday.
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Fabulous 3rd round, your putting was red hot. Bring it home tomorrow and maybe wear some blue for extra luck....not that you need it.
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Always enjoy your blogs, and have been following you since I started reading them. Great to see you in contention again. Well deserved after the hard work you have put in. Remember how you played last time to win and do the same again today. You know you can. I won't wish you luck, you don't need it- just play well!
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All the best for the final round Martin, will be rooting for you all the way!
If you continue your fine form I'm sure you can do it.
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Good fortune wasn't your friend today Martin but still a brilliant performance. You made some wonderful putts and magnificent wedges and had a tremendous week of which you must be proud. Onward to next week with great confidence.
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Martin,
You played terrific golf. It is a cruel game, and you must be shattered. You have shown that you have the game to be at the very highest level and at your age success is just beginning. I look forward to nervously watching you in contention many times in the future. As a fellow Scot and an ex member of Hilton Park, it was all too much!
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Consolation prize is almost certainly going to be a Masters invitation and entree into all the 2010 season's Majors.
Terrific week, Martin, lots more golf to be played.
Congratulations.
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Unlucky Martin, hope you learn from this week and take your form into the next event. Great performance in a strong field, unfortunately Kuchar is probably the form player over there just now, and his shot into the playoff hole was something else.
Good to see the saltire at the top of the leaderboards over there, makes us scots proud!
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Martin,
Congrats on your finish, move forward with your head up, like the proud Scot you are! We're pulling for you all the way. Alba Go Bragh!
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Congratulations to Martin Laird. You nearly even got a mention on the BBC website.
So you take your fabulous second place forward and lets hope this streak continues. In your previous tournament you could not buy a put but yesterday you were super solid. The last green three put was a bummer but heres hoping for the next tournament Martin.
All the best
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Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch the final round last night, but I think the nerves would have been too much for me anyway! Just watched the highlights and some of your iron play in particular, was superb.
Still a fantastic week, despite the disappointing conclusion.
Here's hoping for further success in the Fed-ex Cup. Keep doing Scotland proud!
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Martin, Just saw parings for Deutsche Bank. How do you feel about playing with Matt K on the first round? Is there someone you prefer or oppose to play with? (No names please!)
Good luck this week! We'll be watching.
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