All entries in this category: Matt Slater
The Ryder Cup Rogers
- 24 Sep 06, 09:31 PM
K CLUB 鈥 So much has happened here in the last two hours that I almost don鈥檛 know where to start. What I do know is that the much-maligned Weston Aerodrome car park is scheduled to close in an hour and a half so I better get on with it.
Perhaps the biggest revelation of the last two hours is that the rumours were true 鈥 Guinness really is free in the press tent. Can you imagine how rude about the opening ceremony I would have been if I had known that earlier?
Anyway, back in July at Hoylake, Rob and I inaugurated a younger, hipper rival to the very staid Association of Golf Writers. We called this thrusting new body the Royal Order of Golf Editors and Reporters (ROGER) and we dished out some awards, .
We all know that Ian Woosnam and but who else will be leaving here with an award? Read on for the full list of Ryder Cup Rogers.
Sorry Darren, we couldn't wait!
- 24 Sep 06, 03:46 PM
K CLUB - So there is to be no this time...but who cares!
The soft, rookie underbelly of the US team always looked vulnerable and once their top order had been dealt with it became a race to the line for Europe's middle order.
The crowd wanted an Irishman (and ideally a certain Northern Irishman) but . Well done Henrik Stenson.
Having won "only" half a point prior to the singles and struggling early on against opponent Vaughn Taylor, the 30-year-old from Gothenburg finally started to open his shoulders and justify his world ranking of 11.
K Club eyes Clarke conclusion
- 24 Sep 06, 03:12 PM
K CLUB - Oh Woosie, you old romantic, you!
Sharon Ni Bheolain, the single saving grace of the opening ceremony, said you were "a Celt..from across the Irish sea!" and she was clearly on to something. Talk about giving the paying public they want.
In putting Darren Clarke you sent out a message to your top six - get our boy into position for the story and photo that will define this weekend.
As things stand, , and Luke Donald and Paul McGinley are scrapping away to tee Clarke up for yet another Irish victory jig at a Ryder Cup.
No Brookline blues for Woosie's army
- 24 Sep 06, 11:17 AM
K CLUB 鈥 Top of the mor鈥(only kidding, Irish readers), how is everybody feeling today? Confident? Nervous? Depressed?
Rob and I have just walked past Colin Montgomerie doing his cabaret act on the practice range 鈥 the Scot is first up today and watching him stride around like it seems that everything is right in the world.
Not that my American compadres would agree. I have just walked past one who was giving a very forthright interview to Irish television. Over-paid, over-hyped and it鈥檚 so over seemed to be the gist of comments on the US team.
I think he鈥檚 right鈥ith one caveat, the 鈥淏鈥 word.
What no JJ?
- 23 Sep 06, 03:28 PM
K CLUB 鈥 So what have we learned since lunchtime (there鈥檚 another meal reference for you, Garrett!)?
One, Tom Lehman doesn鈥檛 read this blog. Or if he does, he doesn鈥檛 care for its opinions.
And two, either NBC Sports or the staff in the media centre do because our audio feed to the US TV coverage has been stopped. This is a shame because and the gang agreed with me about giving Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson some Ryder Cup rest.
So what did Cap鈥檔 Tom do ?
Be bold, Tom, be bold
- 23 Sep 06, 11:53 AM
K CLUB 鈥 Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, JFK, Richard Nixon, Mike Tyson, Oprah Winfrey, we are beating them all! George Bush, can you hear me? George Bush, One hell of a beating!
I have just returned to the media centre after watching two hours of the worst golf played by Tiger Woods in these islands since the world number one got blown off course at the .
After 27 holes of fourball, the American superstar has carded only three birdies. There have also been at least three bogeys. And that is with matchplay 鈥済immes鈥. But he is far from being the only US banker to fail to show up for captain Tom Lehman this weekend. Phil Mickelson has delivered only one birdie in 28 holes with his own ball.
Tom, time to think the unthinkable, old chap. Bench your top two and unleash .
Quotes of the day
- 22 Sep 06, 08:07 PM
K CLUB 鈥 Seven of the eight games go to the last, all 12 of Europe鈥檚 players feature, all of them contribute at least a half and Monty holes a clutch putt on the 18th. What a day!
Sergio Garcia was at his sparkling best, Tiger Woods toiled and Darren Clarke delighted the home fans with an emotionally-charged display of skill and determination.
European captain Ian Woosnam could hardly contain himself he was so excited at the end, but he will know the Americans showed plenty of quality and heart themselves on this first day 鈥 there is plenty more meat on the bone of this Ryder Cup.
But if the Europeans shaded the matchplay honours on Friday, who won top chat award? Here are our quotes of the day:
Clarke鈥檚 class, Garcia's genius
- 22 Sep 06, 04:21 PM
K CLUB 鈥 We鈥檝e just kicked off again after the interval on day one and there are a few things I noticed out on the course.
One, the Americans are here. They had been a bit scarce during the practice days but they鈥檝e pitched up today. I know, I was standing behind two of them at the 12th as they billowed cigar smoke into my face.
And I鈥檓 fairly sure they were Cohibas鈥h well, getting a decent smoke is probably worth the journey, never mind the golf.
was chugging away on an enormous cheroot too as he watched Tiger & Jim take on Monty & Porridge. But I couldn鈥檛 get close enough to tell if he was busting any sanctions or not.
Gentlemen, start your engines
- 22 Sep 06, 07:41 AM
K CLUB - Oh lordy, here we go.
Channel 4's inspired scheduling of last night has teed things up perfectly at a K Club that is becalmed weatherwise but utterly bongo golfwise.
Just scoffed a bacon roll but before I dash off to see let's get a few things down in black and white.
Rob is going for a 15.5-12.5 win for Europe with Sergio top-scoring for us and Tiger for them...the git. I, obviously, have to say something different so I'm going for 15-13 to us with Padraig and DiMarco leading the way. Let's get it on!
Krazy Club opens for business
- 21 Sep 06, 07:18 PM
K CLUB 鈥 It seems a sporting event can鈥檛 start these days until 60 dancers have re-enacted a piece of literature, a crazy-looking 鈥渨orld musician鈥 has performed a medley of his or her 鈥渉its鈥 and a local television personality has spent an hour telling us how great the host country is.
When even last weekend鈥檚 game had some -type abseiling from the top of the stand to deliver the ball I suppose was always going to be more than a brass band and handshakes.
But did it meet its objective of 鈥渆stablishing the benchmark against which all future opening ceremonies and host nations of the Ryder Cup will be judged鈥? Wales might be worried but I think America, with its legions of Disney employees, will be OK.
Somebody asked us earlier to call things as we see them, so here is my blow-by-blow account 鈥 and tribute to Irish writer Ulysses 鈥 of Thursday鈥檚 extravaganza (fans of art installations or contemporary dance may want to stop reading here).
Pairings and pageantry
- 21 Sep 06, 11:08 AM
K CLUB 鈥 A couple of weeks ago I immodestly claimed this was the blog that moved markets, as the price on an American win plummeted after my plea for Europe to return to their time-honoured underdog status.
Well, given yesterday鈥檚 鈥K Club chaos鈥 kerfuffle, I can now claim this is the blog that moves car parks. In this, case from to .
But after a lengthy editorial meeting in our Dublin HQ 鈥 鈥淚reland鈥檚 largest genuine Irish brewery鈥, The Porterhouse 鈥 we decided that we would no longer write about traffic, tickets, security or the weather. We also decided to wait a bit longer before retiring as it was 鈥80s night鈥 and they still hadn鈥檛 played 鈥淕hostbusters鈥.
We should, however, close this chapter by giving credit where credit is due. Today鈥檚 鈥淣orth Car Park鈥 experience was first-rate. No idea if we had anything to do with that 鈥 we did make the Irish press and radio, after all 鈥 but well done to all involved. Now let鈥檚 get on with the golf.
Woods, words and Wetterich
- 20 Sep 06, 07:21 PM
K CLUB - It wasn't all queues in the car park, American golfers skimming golf balls off the water like pebbles and , there was some excellent chat too.
With actual golf being not such an attractive proposition for the players today the assembled press were treated to a steady diet of press conferences and interviews.
The general themes? The Americans are having "a bunch of fun", nobody wants to be favourites and is actually a bit of a card.
Here are some of the best quotes that Rob (when he wasn't appearing on national radio programmes to defend his comments about the organisers' door policy this morning) and I heard at Ryder Cup HQ.
Wily Woosie wins one back
- 20 Sep 06, 05:25 PM
K CLUB 鈥 To many British golf writers and commentators , in his current capacity as European Ryder Cup captain, is an accident waiting to happen.
To the rest he is even worse than that.
Flailing and failing, the general consensus has been that any success the Europeans enjoy here this week will be despite Woosie rather than because of him.
But now, midway through the pre-event practice sessions, could the Welsh wizard have finally pulled a trick on his seemingly savvier American counterpart?
Scraps from the captains鈥 table
- 19 Sep 06, 05:53 PM
K CLUB - The for the 36th Ryder Cup is almost over so it is time to jot down a few things we have learned in Straffan on Tuesday.
First, Tom Lehman and Ian Woosnam may well have plenty in common 鈥 golf, for starters 鈥 but they speak completely different languages. Never has 鈥檚 adage about two nations being divided by a common language been better proved than at press conferences held by these two men.
Second, 鈥檚 wife Amy is, according to A&R man Lehman, a phenomenal singer 鈥 鈥渞ecording quality鈥.
And third, Woosnam spent 鈥渟ix months鈥 just getting the Europeans鈥 water-proofs 鈥渞ight鈥. We did not learn if Glendryth Woosnam helped her husband with the sewing.
Tweed off
- 19 Sep 06, 11:23 AM
STRAFFAN - I promised not to talk about the traffic in the Dublin area so I won't say anymore about the French farmers' style roadblock that is the M50.
I will say, however, that this is . I wouldn't want to be here - in any kind of a hurry - any other week of the year.
But far more interesting than traffic is the Irish reaction to the arrival of the two teams on Monday.
That reaction, as far as I can tell, is a mixture of amusement and horror. But I don't blame them...did you see the Americans were wearing?
Porterhouse booze for blessed Brian
- 18 Sep 06, 11:57 PM
DUBLIN - Did you notice that? "Dublin", as opposed to "London"....it's the blog equivalent of the wedding standard, "my wife and I...."
Yep, we've made it. I won't go over the same ground as Iain in his earlier post but yes, the traffic is going to be an issue this week (that 900 euros by helicopter to Straffan is going to look more and more reasonable - is that a crescendo of reasonable-ness? - as the week goes on).
But that's it for traffic talk. I promise not to mention it again. Unless we're late for something. And then it wasn't our fault.
First impressions from Ryder Cup central? Loads.
Chocks away, Dublin here we come
- 18 Sep 06, 10:01 AM
LONDON - The final pre-event tournaments have been played, the Sunday papers have made their predictions, has been to Stamford Bridge - the Ryder Cup silly season is finally over and a week of crescendoing excitement awaits in Ireland.
I've just been going through the pre-journey "passport, press pass, pants" mantra and can now consider myself ready to report for Ryder Cup duty.
Just waiting for the armoured van full of 主播大秀 spending money to arrive now. Apparently, the Celtic Tiger is hungry for licence-fee cash. Let's hope we - and the golf - are worth it.
But before I set off here are a few things that struck me during this weekend's golfing action:
Still favourites, but for how much longer?
- 11 Sep 06, 11:31 AM
LONDON - As much as I would like to bill this blog as the one that moves markets, I'm not sure I can. What I can say is that my prayers for Europe not to be favourites for the Ryder Cup might have been answered.
Most Ryder Cup-related talk in the last two weeks has been about one of two things: will Ian Woosnam join Hal Sutton in the Mainwaring Museum of calamity captaincy and are Europe really the pre-event favourites?
For what it's worth, I'm plumping for a maybe-maybe double (and no, there is no fence in Christendom too slender for this hack to perch on).
But what I will say with rather less jesuitical ambiguity (you'll have to forgive the religious tone...I went to a wedding at the weekend and it was the full Catholic monty) is that Europe's status as favourites is under siege in the betting markets...and it is a development that neither surprises nor alarms.
Continue reading "Still favourites, but for how much longer?"
Can we be the underdogs again?
- 8 Sep 06, 04:20 PM
LONDON - It's tee minus 14 days to the K Club clash and we have already seen/heard the American team dismissed as callow nonentities and then hailed as brothers in arms, and European morale destroyed by a disappointed Dane and then patched up again with an apology and under-the-radar bonding session.
Not bad for less than a week since the cast was finalised.
So where does the hullabaloo of the last week or so leave us? Exactly where we were before.
In the red corner, one half of an excellent matchplay team and six makeweights. In the blue corner, 12 good men. I know where my money is going.
About Matt Slater
- 1 Sep 06, 09:55 AM
I (with lots of help from Rob) look after the golf coverage on the 主播大秀 website, although I also sometimes update the baseball tables and speedway results on Ceefax so I'm something of a Renaissance-style all-rounder.
I wasn't really into golf as a nipper as none of my immediate family or friends were (although I do remember caddieing for my uncle once as a "present" from my mum on his birthday and then playing pitch and putt til the wee hours in The Greyhound in Chalfont St Peter) but the sport, like my hairline, has crept up on me to the point where I often talk about little else.
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