The Sports Page -- September 26, 2021

Updates

Later, 2:50 p.m. CT: the US will win the Ryder Cup going away. They may, in fact, set a new record.

• only two things left to watch:
  
• the final score; and,
• which American gets the winning point
• the US needs 14 and a half points, so
• the fourteenth point will be huge (who will get it?), but
• the next US player getting a tie or a win, will score the winning point, sort of like the "first man on the moon" phenomenon
• final matches
• match 1: McIlroy, Europe: gets first point, 11 - 6
• match 2: Cantlay, US: gets first US point, 12 - 6
  
• match 3: Scheffler vs Rahm, huge, US: gets second US point, 13 - 6
• match 4: DeChambeau vs Garcia, also huge, US: gets the fourteenth point; not the win but one tie away; this thing is all but over. Morikawa will get the honors
  
• match 5: Morikawa vs Hovland, US: Morikawa is guaranteed a tie after walking off the 17th hole; he should either get the 14 1/2 point -- the win -- or the 15th point. This is really amazing; if Morikawa doesn't get this done, he will lose the "clinching" shot as they are now calling it. 3:51 p.m. here it is .. Morikawa ... needs the putt for a full point ... misses .... ties, get the half point and it's all over. At 3:52 p.m., the fifth "match," the fifth team; it's over. Morikawa goes down as the one with the "clinching shot
• match 6: Dustin Johnson vs Casey: interestingly, simply because how it plays out, Dustin Johnson may be the "win"; on the 17th ... long, long putt .. if he makes it ... nope, not to be ... back to Morikawa ...Johnson guaranteed a half point but by the time he gets the half point or the full point on the 18th, Morikawa will be the "winner" with either a half point or a full point; doesn't matter. [I'm surprised: the Cup continues; I guess I should have known that based on folks "looking to set a record." Morikawa said it best: Americans have won; it was dominant, but we won't know how dominant until the final score.
  
• match 7: Koepka vs Wiesberger: almost got the "clinching" shot ... just in the order of things could have beat out Morikawa but didn't the putt.
  
• match 8: Finau vs Poulter, my favorite match:
• match 9: Justin Thomas vs Hatton:
• match 10: English vs Westwood:
• match 11: Spieth vs Fleetwood, incredibly important for Spieth who played in the Ryder Cup about six times but has never, never, never won 
• match 12: Berger vs Fitzpatrick, both are new to me, but I should know Berger; he's had some impressive wins:
• the US needed three and a half points
  
• Captain Striker, with order of players
• was looking to give the "win" to Dustin Johnson, Koepka, or Finau
• there was always the possibility that DeChambeau could get the "win"; more likely, DeChambeau would not get the "win" but would get the 14th point
• with Spieth's record of appearing to "choke" -- having never won the Ryder despite multiple changes, he placed Spieth in line well after the Cup would have been decided; taking the pressure off Spieth and maybe giving Spieth his first win
  

Original Post

College football yesterday: a lot of upsets. Great football. And all those stadiums filled with unmasked fans.

NFL today: I'm not following (yet) so don't what to watch, but apparently the evening game will be the one to watch. At least that's what NBC says. 

The Ryder Cup:
Lake Michigan in the background looks like an ocean; cannot help but remind folks how incredibly "rich" our nation is; I never had any idea it was that big; and, environmentalists, appropriately, working hard to keep it a "clean" lake.

The depth of the American team is incredible. 

The American team: the old guard has passed the baton -- or the golf club, I guess -- the new guard. The American team is composed of "young" men who will be representing the PGA a long, long time.

Most exciting golfer to watch: no argument on this one. It's so obvious I won't say who it is. 

Hint: he has hit the green on a par 4 hole fifteen times in his professional career. Today, after hitting the green from the tee on a par 4 hole, and with a very, very long putt, he holed it on the second shot, an eagle on a part 4- hole. 

Who's not there: Tiger Woods. How many times was his name mentioned? More than the names of some of the members on the European team.

Who's there: Mickelson. What a mentor! What a cheerleader!

Perfect weather today, it appears. No one has mentioned the wind yet, but the flags are waving briskly.

This is a nice way to play head-to-head: one wins, loses, or ties a hole. The stroke count is not accumulated. One really bad hole does not ruin the round.

NASCAR: tonight. Las Vegas.