FanHouse J.b.Holmes

Every Monday during the PGA Tour season, Monday Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend's action. Basically, we'll focus on what you missed while you were out grinding on the putting green.

Houston, We Have Weather Problems -- Professional golfers have two ways of preparing for major championships. You can go the Tiger Woods route of taking the week off prior to the major and spend that time practicing, resting and getting yourself mentally prepared for such a grueling week, or you can take Phil Mickelson's advice and play the week before to keep yourself in shape.

There was exactly one person that was glad they signed up for the Shell Houston Open this week after winds pounded players for four straight days, and it was the man holding the trophy late Sunday evening.

Paul Casey won his first PGA Tour title on Sunday after a marathon three days of golf after play was suspended on Thursday due to high winds. Casey's win came in a playoff against J.B. Holmes, who posted a 3-under 69 in the final round and sat in the clubhouse for more than two hours and 40 minutes waiting for Casey and Fred Couples to finish their rounds.

Holmes' tee shot on the first playoff hole found the water and Casey needed just a bogey for the title a week before the Masters. It was his 10th career win worldwide but first on American soil.

Every week, Monday Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend's action, with a little commentary mixed in. This past weekend, FanHouse was out at the FBR Open, a tournament known more for its party atmosphere than its golf.

Kenny Perry Nearly Made Me Emotional -- On Friday, Kenny Perry walked in the press room after a smoldering 63 that got him back in a tournament that he nearly shot himself out of on Thursday with a 1-over 72. When he started chatting, it was the same old story you get from any golfer. "I made birdie here, I missed an eagle putt there, I felt I hit the ball solid, it was a good day for me around the greens." Yawn. We've heard all that before, Kenny.

What I wasn't ready for was this. Perry started talking about his ailing father and how he felt he needed to play good golf just keep his father alive.

Golf is resting from a long, grueling season and rest it shall; it was a doozie of a 2008. We had some of the same old names winning consistently, some of the same old names losing consistently and a list of new golfers sure to find their way in golf conversation for years to come. Without further ado, here are your winners and losers of the 2008 PGA Tour Season.

Winners

Padraig Harrington -- With all respect to Tiger Woods and what he accomplished early this season, Harrington is our player of the year and for good reason. Padraig won two major championship in a row, making it three of the last six, and trying his best to accomplish what Sergio Garcia once said his goal was, to top both the PGA Tour money list and the Order of Merit in Europe. Harrington's second shot on the 17th hole at Royal Birkdale was one of the better executed shots of the year considering the pressure, setting up a Claret clinching eagle and repeating at the Open.

Most of us have moved on from the American Ryder Cup victory last week, but I'm sure European captain Nick Faldo is still smarting from the U.S. upset, as well as the media dressing down that followed.

If there's a bright spot -- other not having to ignore Colin Montgomerie's phone calls now that the Cup is over -- it's that Sergio Garcia, arguably Europe's best player, has his captain's back.

Sergio Garcia leapt to the defence of unsuccessful European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo on Saturday, describing harsh criticism of the Englishman in newspapers this week as horrendous. ...

"Fortunately, [the Ryder Cup] happens only once every two years in golf but it happens all the time in football back at home. When a team loses, it's always the coach's fault.

"They never pick on the players like they should or give enough credit to the other team like they should."

To be fair, I've done my part to make sure the players catch hell for various absurdities. Whatever, Garcia's saying the right things even if his words don't hold true. Granted, Faldo struck gold with one of his captain's selections, Ian Poulter, but his strategery played a huge role in the outcome.

Sitting Garcia and Lee Westwood during the Saturday morning matches, and then sending out three of his best players late in Sunday's singles matches all contributed to the Americans winning the Cup for the first time in nine years.

Of course, Boo Weekley, J.B. Holmes and Hunter Mahan playing out of their minds all had something to do with it, too.

In the wake of the European Ryder Cup loss, a lot has been said about Nick Faldo's approach to the captaincy. That is, he sucked at it.

Now four days removed from the Cup, Ryder Cup snub Colin Montgomerie is calling for a change in the European system, most notably adding four captain's picks instead of two.

"I think Paul Azinger was very strong to go to the U.S. PGA and demand a change," Montgomerie said. "Having lost five of the past six Ryder Cups, a change had to be made for their setup and I'm sure that change will remain for the next captain. I think that for the future, eight and four is the way to go."

The "change" Monty talks about is what allowed Azinger to pick four guys for the team instead of two, most notably J.B. Holmes and Hunter Mahan, who combined for a 4-0-4 record. The point of the change was to allow the American team to pick from a larger pool, not subjecting the captain to a handful of players on the top of their game come Ryder Cup time and only two to choose from.

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.

For the first time in these Ryder Cup matches, the American team looked like the inferior group, but still managed to maintain the lead over the Europeans.

In the morning foursomes, where the Americans won 3 to 1 yesterday, the Europeans gained some ground, winning 2.5 points to the U.S. 1.5. The biggest blow came to the solid group of Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson, who choked their way to their first lost point of the week. The victors over the Lefty and Belt Buckle were none other than Ryan's cousin Oliver Wilson and Henrik Stensen, who were four down to the Americans after six holes but scratched their way back hole by hole until 17, where Wilson cashed a 20-footer for birdie to take the full point (awkward fist pump accompanying picture).

Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan also didn't dominate, splitting the point with that guy with a ponytail and Graeme McDowell on the pivotal 18th hole. After Leonard made another clutch putt on the 17th to go one up, Mahan hit a bit of a pull off the tee on 18 and put their team in a tough position.

The afternoon matches are already underway, and on the first hole J.B. Holmes hit a 373 yard drive. Also, Boo Weekley has already made a birdie and annoyed Lee Westwood, so make sure you tune in.

You know how good the first day of the 37th Ryder Cup was for the United States? In the last match of the afternoon, both J.B. Holmes and Boo Weekley deposited their tee shots into the drink on the 18th, and would go onto lose the hole, but they still earned a half-point for their efforts. And nearly 12 hours after the first group went off, the Americans now lead the Europeans 5 1/2 - 2 1/2, their largest margin after the opening day in almost 30 years.

And while I don't disagree that the Ryder Cup captaincy might be the most overrated title in sports once the matches begin, filling out the lineup card should require something more than a list of names, a blindfold, and some darts.

Unfortunately for the Euros, that's apparently how captain Nick Faldo decided who would play in the Saturday morning foursomes:

Sergio Garcia, who hasn't lost a foursomes match in nine tries, and Lee Westwood, who rallied to salvage a pair of halves on Friday, won't be playing when the Euros try to bounce back from a 5 1/2 -2 1/2 deficit.

Faldo will send out two of the same alternate-shot teams he sent out Friday, but he mixed up the two others and benched two of his strongest players in Garcia and Westwood.

Hmm. Going out in a blaze of glory immediately comes to mind here. Honestly, I have no idea what Faldo's scheming, but I can't envision a scenario where leaving your two best players to follow Saturday morning's action in a golf cart somehow makes the Euros better.