FanHouse BenCurtis

It was a pretty special week for the Americans and just because it is a team event doesn't mean we can't do a Winners and Losers about the Ryder Cup. Lets dive in and check who did some good and who did some bad.

Winners

The Americans -- From the first guy to the last, from Steve Stricker to Jim Furyk, this was a complete team effort and they made sure to do it with some laughs and high fives. Rejuvenated and with a swagger that's been missing the last three matches, the American team made the putts when they needed to, had a good break here or there and even when they slipped up, bounced back on the next hole.

The Six Rookies -- When you have half your team playing in their first ever Ryder Cup, you hold your breath. When they go 9-4-8, you can exhale with a grin. Hunter Mahan gained the most points for Team USA, Anthony Kim pounded Sergio Garcia in singles and Boo Weekley and J.B. Holmes turned out to be an amazing duo. I bet there weren't a lot of people around this world yesterday that had as much fun as those four. Also, Ben Curtis and Stricker weren't all bad, combining for two points over the week.

No matter your nationality, watching this American Ryder Cup team has been fun. They had flash, they had confidence but the also had a good time. For some reason, Paul Azinger decided that the best way to beat the Europeans was act like the Europeans. Why not counter your opponent with their own medicine?

Today, 228 years ago to the day that Benedict Arnold gave the British the plans to West Point, the Americans decided that they would not just give away this trophy again, winning seven singles matches on their way to a 16.5 to 11.5 victory over the mighty Euros. It was the first time the Americans had held the trophy sans photo ops since 1999, and did it with a lot of weapons.

Young guns Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim were absolutely fantastic, rising to the occasion time and time again and gaining points like they were girl's phone numbers. Never without attitude or a chew, Boo Weekley and J.B. Holmes showed that this is more about golf than flash or style. The two country rookies didn't lose a point all week for Azinger, going 4-0-2 together and apart. If you can look past the Sunday round where Phil Mickelson only had two birdies on a red friendly course, Lefty was rejuvenated. Playing with Kim and Mahan, he smiled, he cheered and he fist pumped like we haven't seen since his 32-waist days. He might not have had his A-game at singles, but his short iron play showed why people are so enamored by his wedge play.

I have a simple rule in team sports, and I think most anyone that likes having their best chance of winning would agree, and that is you don't go on the field without your best group of players. You just don't.

That is why bringing up the outrageous point that the American Ryder Cup team is better off without Tiger Woods is downright farcical. AP columnist Doug Ferguson argued this exact point, saying he thinks the U.S. team might be better off with Woods on the bench. You know, because the best golfer to ever play the game has a bad record. These are the times I'm sad Fire Joe Morgan doesn't write about golf.

"No one will miss Tiger Woods at the Ryder Cup more than the Europeans," Ferguson says.

Yes, the Americans will have to make do without a guy who has won 75 times around the world, 14 majors, and who has been No. 1 in the world ranking for 513 weeks. But they might be better off without him.

For all his greatness when the trophy is awarded to only one player, Woods has compiled a meager 10-13-2 record in his five Ryder Cup appearances. He went 3-2 at the last Ryder Cup, his first winning record. Plus, nothing motivates European players more than beating Woods in the Ryder Cup, which they have done 12 times in 20 team matches."

I'm a fairly sensible guy, so while 98 percent of this introduction bothers me, I would agree that yes, beating Tiger probably pumps the team up. So that is the justification for leaving him off your list? No offense to the 2003 British Open winner, but I'm fairly certain you'd take Tiger over Ben Curtis in your Ryder Cup fantasy draft.

We're all honest people here, so we'd be lying if we thought the Americans were the favorites. They are not. The good news is the Europeans, who have won the last three Cups, have been the underdogs for most of them and snagged the trophy right under our noses (or by winning 18.5 to 9.5, like the last two years).

On that positive note, here is your American Ryder Cup team as we know it, their past record and who we think they will be best paired with this week.

Phil Mickelson (9-12-4) and Ben Curtis (rookie) -- Here is a sad fact about Lefty -- there isn't a single player on this team that Phil has won with. Actually, there is only one player on the American squad this year that he's ever played with, Jim Furyk, and they lost their only match in 1999. Curtis doesn't hit the ball a long way, but he's pretty straight and can make putts. Also, he's 13th on tour in sand saves and 42nd in scrambling, which bodes well when teamed with the sometimes erratic Mickelson. Also, for a guy that will be as nervous as Curtis, playing with the most talented American will sure ease some of the jitters, even if Lefty has won just one point in the last two matches (1-7-1). I heard he's not switching clubs this week, which is probably a good decision.

It was the last chance to see the Ryder Cup teams play before the battle at Valhalla, and some positive came out of the BMW Championship, as our captain's picks look to be in top form.

Last week American captain Paul Azinger picked four golfers to join the American squad and three of the four had impressive weekends. J.B. Holmes might not have had his best ball-striking tournament, but putting has been the concern for the young Kentucky native and Holmes didn't have more than 29 putts all week, finishing t-33.

Both Steve Stricker and Hunter Mahan fired final round 66s, that had the two finish in a t-8 and t-10, respectively.

Stricker said he was way more comfortable after the weight of the Ryder Cup selection process had been lifted.

"I was gearing up all year for this," Stricker said. "It was the No. 1 goal for me to start the year, and I would imagine if I wouldn't have been picked it would have been a big disappointment. But I don't have to think that way."

The only cause for concern with the captain's picks come from Chad Campbell, who shot a first round 73 before leaving because his wife was shooting out their first child, Dax Phillips. I think we can all agree that the 73 isn't really an indication of anything other than the fact that Campbell's mind was in another place. I guess the hope now is Campbell can clear his mind of all the baby thoughts that run through his head and focus on golf for three days.

The best way to comfort someone that has just lost something is to be there for them. That, or tell them they just made the Ryder Cup and then talk about them like they're the second coming of Christ.

That works too.

"I've had my eye on Ben Curtis for a long time and I really believe he is going to add a lot to this team," Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger told a news conference at Oakland Hills Country Club on Monday. "I could not be more excited for him.

"I like the fact he won the British Open and came back, after having a down spell in his career, and won those two tournaments in that one year. I saw a lot of heart in Ben Curtis."

In the wake of the PGA Championship, the eight automatic spots have been filled, and the second place finish by Curtis yesterday at Oakland Hills jumped him into a spot to play at Valhalla.

"Ben has got that kind of demeanor we need on the Ryder Cup team," Azinger said. "He's a little more stoic, a little more subdued, but I like his personality. He's the type of guy that's going to just put his head down and barrel on.

"I've always had my eye on him. I was hoping he played well at some point so I could either pick him or he'd make the team, and he's done it."

The best thing to ever happen to the Detroit Lions will be accompanying Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Justin Leonard and Boo Weekley with four more captains picks coming from Azinger.

I'm not sure if the word clutch really justifies what just happened at Oakland Hills.

On the back nine of a major for the second consecutive time, Irishman and constant lip bitter Padraig Harrington fired another 32 that included one of the better putts you'll ever see to capture the PGA Championship.

Harrington had never finished in the top-10 at a PGA, but that all changed with consecutive 66s on a marathon day in Michigan, topping Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis by two shots.

The cyst of the course at Oakland Hills is 16, 17 and 18, and Harrington made putts on those three that you can only dream about. First came the 16th, where Padraig hit an uncharacteristicly bad iron shot from the fairway, leaving himself a 15-footer for par. Dead center there was strike one. Next came the par-3 17th, where he hit one of the better shots of the day and rolled that right in the heart for birdie. Strike two. Finally, the par-4 18th, that had yielded just one birdie all day, and that was a holed shot from Steve Flesch. A bad drive, an even worse fairway bunker shot followed up with a solid iron shot to 15-feet left him a par putt he cashed for the win. Strike three, Sergio's out.

It seems pretty easy, but Padraig Harrington might start sporting the nickname "Back Nine" if he can pull out this PGA Championship.

After a tremendous back nine 32 on Sunday to win his second British Open, he's singing that same song again, making three birdies in his first four holes on the back nine at Oakland Hills to land in a tie for the lead with Sergio Garcia.

Maybe not much of a dominate golfer to most a year ago, this would be his third major championship in the last six, a stat reserved only for that Tiger fellow up until now.

What initially looked like a ho-hum major has turned into a shootout between two of the best golfers in the world. With Ben Curtis lurking just a shot back, we could be looking at playoff city. If you're not near a television, stand up, leave work and head to the nearest pub. It's Sunday Funday with some great golf to boot.

It has taken us 63 holes to have any idea who actually might win this PGA Championship, but it finally appears the champion will come down to two guys, a previous major winner and Mr. Oh So Close.

Ben Curtis and Sergio Garcia have established themselves on this marathon Sunday as the guys to beat and as others hopefuls have struggled, these two have found themselves tied in completely different fashion.

Garcia went out in four-under 31, with putts dropping a la 1999. Curtis played solid, but gave a shot back on the difficult par-4 8th hole leaving him in a tie with Garcia at three-under.

Garcia, who has never won a major championship in all his glory, has arguably looked as good as he ever has on the links today. Solid tee shots, masterful iron shots and some, gasp, clutch putting has the Spaniard right where you'd like to be placed on a Sunday afternoon at a major championship. It isn't just his game either. Sergio has lurked around the links with a look about him that is different. It's almost like he "gets it" today.

If Curtis claims this title he will cement himself as a "tough conditions" golfer. The cream tends to rise to the top and that is what Curtis is beginning to make of his legacy. Already a major champion in most unexpected fashion at the 2003 Open, this will be one that he took hold of and didn't let go. An incredibly tough golf course, even worse conditions and the fact that you're already jinxing yourself by wearing Detroit Lions gear, Curtis and his new quirky swing seem to be in complete control on a course most would like to irrigate with some yummy, fresh gasoline.

Heading into "Glory's Last Shot!" (worst non-porn-related nickname ever, by the way), Phil Mickelson was the favorite. Partly because he usually plays very well at the PGA Championship, and partly mostly because there wasn't much else to choose from.

But as usually happens, unexpected players emerge, and by Sunday afternoon, the leaderboard looks nothing like we thought it would three days prior.

Philbert begin the fourth round tied for 13th, and he's 2-under through 10 holes this afternoon (2-over for the week). He's currently tied for ninth, but would be in better shape if not for Ben Curtis and Sergio Garcia, who are playing just as well or better.

On the upside, Lefty hasn't shot himself out of contention, something he's been quite good at during his career.

In less rosy news, J.B. Holmes, numero uno heading into the weekend, got off to a dismal start today (well, after completing this third round earlier this morning). Here's his card through six holes: triple, bogey, bogey, par, bogey, birdie. Needless to say, he'll probably have to fire a 20 on the back to have a chance. Which is to say, thanks for coming, dude.

Oh, and for those of you following Michelle Wie's father's round, Charlie Wi is currently at 1-over for the week, even par today, and tied for fourth. If only his daughter had his game. Maybe things would turn around if she dropped the "e." At this point, it can't hurt.