Ballesteros' move puzzles Americans
By PATRICK McMANAMON
Scripps Howard News Service
SOTOGRANDE, Spain -- U.S. captain Tom Kite used all his 12
players on the Ryder Cup's first day, but Seve Ballesteros left
three Europeans on the sidelines.
Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and Ian Woosnam did not play --
and some of the U.S. players second-guessed Ballesteros' decision.
"Seve knows his players and what he's doing, but I know
it would be tough for us if we didn't play," Fred Couples
said. "It has to be tough for them."
"Tom told us from day one that everybody would play on
the first day," Brad Faxon said. "In something like
this where you're nerves are jumping, it's crucial that you get
out."
Ballesteros has been criticized also for not telling his players
in person who would play Thursday and who would not. Some learned
from TV, some from talk among players.
Ballesteros said he went with the best pairings, and he hoped
to use the three in Saturday's morning matches.
"That's my idea now, but it may change overnight,"
he said.
TIGER TALES -- Tiger Woods learned in a television interview
that he and Mark O'Meara would be paired in the afternoon foursomes,
and again would face Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer.
"Perfect," Woods said, smiling.
After all, Woods and O'Meara had just won their morning fourball
match, 3-and-2. And Woods again would be facing Montgomerie, who
has had some choice words about Woods this week. One highlight:
"I rather fancy my chances against (Woods)."
But Woods said it added nothing special to the match, and said
his first Ryder Cup experience was pretty good.
Woods and O'Meara won in the morning because Montgomerie and
Langer made only one birdie in a best-ball format. Montgomerie
visited Bill Ferguson, his coach, between matches, and Ferguson
gave him advice that Montgomerie said made a huge difference.
The two beat Woods and O'Meara 5 and 3.
"Bernard and I jelled and it was a wonderful, wonderful,
wonderful afternoon," Montgomerie said.
"(Woods and O'Meara) didn't play well in the afternoon,"
Kite said. "Really, Tiger was not right on in the morning.
He was not as sharp as he would want to be."
THE COSTA DEL AGUA? -- The rain in Spain was a definite morning
pain.
The "Coast of the Sun," was hit with a deluge about
5:30 a.m. It was the first heavy rain in this part of Spain since
May.
Rooms where visitors were staying flooded, electricity went
out and backhoes were called in to help dig out flooded areas.
The rain soaked Valderrama, filling bunkers and forcing the
start of play to be delayed by one hour and 40 minutes.
For some reason, the folks running the tournament advised spectators
not to come to the course, even though it had stopped raining
by 7:30.
That kept the early crowd down. People who had been heading
to the course on the E15 highway made U-turns and went back to
the hotels and apartments where they were staying.
The windy, overcast British-style weather is forecast to last
through Sunday.
CHIP SHOTS -- Nick Faldo is 0-6-1 in fourball matches since
his last win in 1989 ... Since 1983, the Europeans have won the
first-day fourball matches by a combined score of 19 1-2 to 9
1-2 ... Play in suspended matches resumes Saturday morning at
9 ... Pairings for Saturday's matches will not be announced until
just before the start of play ... The Ryder Cup in 2005 will be
held in Ireland.
(Pat McManamon is the national sportswriter for Scripps Howard
News Service.)
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