Golf: The Ryder Cup

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I listen to XM radio and have lately been inundated with Ryder Cup commercials. They’re annoying, but mildly compelling. So I went online and looked it up.

Turns out it’s a pretty cute way to make golf interesting to watch. The only time I’ve ever watched golf was when some guy at work started a pool where you drew names and if your player won, you took home $100. That got me watching.

So here’s the deal with the Ryder Cup: It starts September 16 and runs through the 21st.  It’s the USA vs. Europe, which is interesting by itself. The European captain lives in Orlando. Just a side note.

So they play this tourney every 2 years. Looks like 2001 was disrupted by the Sept. 11th tragedy, so now it’s played on even years and the venue switches from America to Europe. It’s in Kentucky this year. Europe has won 5 out of the last 6, including 3 in a row.

Time for America to win one.  Ok, I’ll leave my politics out of this.

The way it’s played is interesting; there are 4 different challenges. Sometimes you play with a partner, sometimes you play alone. (Sounds familiar...) Sometimes you trade shots. Some of it’s confusing but at least it mixes things up.

Here’s my problem: How do you keep score? The winners last year scored 18 and a half. What the hell kind of scoring system is that??? I’m so confused.