Golf Channel Notable Quotes
Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup (Wednesday primetime)
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016
Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn.
**Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup resumes Thursday at 9 a.m. ET, and continues at 5 p.m. ET with the Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony.**
On the United States team
Frank Nobilo – “Europe has outplayed America. And now that we look in the microscope, we’re trying to find the flaw in the system. Rather than recognize that really Europe some would say have punched above their weight. The United States have not lost a lot of Ryder Cups, rather Europe has won them… Golf is a very imperfect game, and it’s played by imperfect people. And you try and put those people together to make a team.”
Brandel Chamblee – “We too often bestow great attributes on the outcomes. But you still cannot deny that Paul Azinger went to great lengths to know the personalities of all the players on the 2008 team. You cannot deny that Paul McGinley went to great lengths to know all the personalities of the players on the 2014 team. Great leadership is fun to watch.”
On the European team
Colin Montgomerie – “I was in the team room for the Europeans earlier on and they’re up for this. And a lot rests on the rookies. I don’t think they can afford to [pair Rose/Stenson and McIlroy/Garcia together] with six rookies because rookies could well be having to play together. And I don’t think that’s a positive for Europe.”
Montgomerie – “I think Cabrera-Bello and Fitzpatrick would be better fixed in the foursomes and I think enter your Thomas Pieters and your Andy Sullivan in the fourball by giving them more freedom.”
On Ryder Cup distractions, including Phil Mickelson’s press conference comments Wednesday on Ryder Cup captains and the comments posted by Danny Willet’s brother
Nobilo – “On the American side, we are looking for scapegoats. That’s the way it goes… I’m not saying the Ryder Cup is a major championship, but you don’t get that sort of energy anywhere else in the world. But sadly with it comes attention, and everybody is trying to get a little piece of fame this week. Including Peter Willet.”
Nobilo – “Phil has taken central focus. But the late, great [Seve] Ballesteros used to do the same. Whether that’s good or bad for the team, you would initially think it’s not good. But maybe now the focus is off the other 11 players and they can just go and play. But if he’s doing it deliberately he’s trying to shoulder an awful lot that perhaps shouldn’t be his responsibility.”
Chamblee – “[Mickelson] essentially throws every single captain that he’s had for the last 20 years under the bus. His idea of a good captain is somebody that lets him have his way at every single term.”
Montgomerie – “Why rile up the Americans who desperately want [the Ryder Cup] back?”
David Duval – “[Willet] is going to be a stalwart moving forward for Europe. His inaugural Ryder Cup and he’s kind of gotten handcuffed all the sudden by his own brother.”
-NBC Sports Group-