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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "September 21, 2008
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "An Inspired Performance
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Jim Furyk carries himself with a quiet intensity. He is a \n" ); document.write( "driven, consistent, excellent player who has proven his meddle over the course \n" ); document.write( "of his career. When he clinched the Ryder Cup for the United States on Sunday, \n" ); document.write( "though, Furyk became emotionally effusive. In speaking with NBC Sports about \n" ); document.write( "what it meant to be the man to clinch the first USA victory in nine years and \n" ); document.write( "three tries, Furyk choked up with tears. He said that he knew he would even \n" ); document.write( "after having several minutes to celebrate and appreciate the moment with his \n" ); document.write( "team and the fans. After having been pasted in each of the last three cups – \n" ); document.write( "and being in the losing match in 2002 – Furyk was overwhelmed to regain the \n" ); document.write( "Ryder Cup.
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The reaction of Furyk is an example of the kind of passion that \n" ); document.write( "the United States team had for this Ryder Cup. From the moment the team was \n" ); document.write( "formed by Paul Azinger’s four Captain’s picks, the media and many fans were not \n" ); document.write( "wondering if the USA could win. Rather, they doubted by how much the USA would \n" ); document.write( "lose. With the last two results looming and Tiger Woods absent from the \n" ); document.write( "proceedings, that seems like a reasonable assertion.
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The players, though, did not react that way whatsoever. Instead, \n" ); document.write( "they embraced the team that they had. Through extensive personality testing and \n" ); document.write( "plotting, Paul Azinger made the most experienced players on the team into \n" ); document.write( "captains of their own small teams. These guys – Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, and \n" ); document.write( "Stewart Cink – managed their own team of four. These pods then were used to \n" ); document.write( "form teams with the help of Azinger. Knowing what they had, and didn’t, they \n" ); document.write( "took a page from the Europeans’ playbook and paired together guys with known \n" ); document.write( "chemistry. While they did not have decades of playing experience together to \n" ); document.write( "verify this, they took a page from corporate America to figure it out quickly. \n" ); document.write( "It worked.
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "With Woods out of the equation, the players had to find \n" ); document.write( "confidence and trust in each other. That seemed to have happened by embracing \n" ); document.write( "the underdog role that they played entering the Ryder Cup. Paul Azinger had a \n" ); document.write( "quiet confidence in his players and his method. The players seemed excited to \n" ); document.write( "face the challenge but also very alive with belief that they could achieve the \n" ); document.write( "task at hand. In their remarks to the media through the week, it was apparent \n" ); document.write( "that they were not only playing for themselves and this patriotic concept, but \n" ); document.write( "also for each other.
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "After all, a team is only as good as the sum of its parts. For \n" ); document.write( "all of the parts to come together into a cohesive unit, the team needs to \n" ); document.write( "believe that each person will play their part. The six rookies did just that \n" ); document.write( "and contributed on a more than equal plane with the veterans. The Captain’s \n" ); document.write( "Picks were brilliant for both sides, but the four US picks contributed to 7.5 \n" ); document.write( "points and were critical to the victory. When the veterans struggled at times, \n" ); document.write( "the rookies picked things up to keep moving. In the team matches, at least one \n" ); document.write( "player seemed on their game in every match. The unit responded to its \n" ); document.write( "weaknesses and made them strengths.
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In the end, this team is going to appear brilliant and its \n" ); document.write( "captain genius. Make no mistake, those adjectives are not that misplaced. For \n" ); document.write( "the USA to accomplish this feat was quite remarkable given everything they \n" ); document.write( "faced.
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Still, though, this match was much closer than the five point \n" ); document.write( "margin of victory. The quality of play by the Europeans was good enough to win \n" ); document.write( "the Cup for the fourth time in a row. Though the biggest superstars for Europe \n" ); document.write( "– Harrington, Garcia, and Westwood – struggled and didn’t win a single match, \n" ); document.write( "the other nine Euros were strong.
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "It all came down to timing. Timely teams, timely shots, and \n" ); document.write( "timely putts determined the difference. With so many team matches going to the \n" ); document.write( "18th hole – 9 of 16 – it was a fraction of the shots played that were \n" ); document.write( "most critical. Fortunately, this team and its captain were right for the \n" ); document.write( "situation and that’s why they’re probably still partying in Louisville.
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Ryan Ballengee is the operator of The Golf News Network and host \n" ); document.write( "of The 19th Hole Golf Show and LPGA on GNN. \n" ); document.write( "Having graduated from the University of Maryland \n" ); document.write( "in 2004 and 2006, Ballengee brings the perspective of the younger golf fan to \n" ); document.write( "the microphone and his columns. Over the nearly five years he has been \n" ); document.write( "broadcasting and writing, Ballengee has developed a reputation for a unique \n" ); document.write( "interviewing style that asks both the difficult and fun questions. He \n" ); document.write( "can be reached at \n" ); document.write( "ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
\n" ); document.write( "| \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " 19th Hole Archives 2004 - to present | \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " | \n" ); document.write( "
| \n" ); document.write( " 2008 | \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " | \n" ); document.write( "
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document.write( "What a Tie Means at the Open \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "A Lousy Beginning \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Time to Step Back \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Tiger, the Prophet \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "A Super Alternative \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The Next Wave \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Seriously, This Is Ridiculous \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Els’ Comeback Win Marred \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "It’s In His Head Now \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Something Else to Showcase \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Knowing How to Spot a Lock \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now Is The Chance \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "A Great Weekend of Golf \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The LPGA Triumverate \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "It’s a Different Day \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The Stage is Clear | \n" );
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document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " All is Not Lost \n" ); document.write( " Without Tiger \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " The Perry Parade? \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " No Asterisk Here \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " Win Some, Lose Some \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " This Is the World’s Best? \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " The Void is Filled \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " Still Learning \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " Azinger Announces Additional U.S. Ryder Captains \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " Bivens’ Tenuous Tenure | \n" );
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