[Theodan]

All of the above deserve to be efforted to some degree. However, I chose to afford the captain greater latitude in determining the composition of the team. There is a tremendous hole in this logic, but I will get to that.

My thoughts are that the current quantitative qualification is unreliable beyond the first 5 or 6 players. It does not take into account the momentum of the player, consistency, durability, persistency, or tenacity. Leave us not forget the value of experience, either. If they tracked this statistical process for 5 cycles (heaven help us), I am willing to wager it would show it has no validity in predicting the success of an individual in the Ryder Cup. Of greater importance, it denies the necessary long term "breeding" or perspective of the Ryder Cup institution, which needs to be taken beyond our quarterly earnings per share mentality.

Foremost, it should be explained to the PGA selection committee that denial is not a river in Egypt. Their assumption that stats will devine their Dream Team, obviates the reality that some players thrive beyond anticipated capabilities in the Ryder Cup formats. And quite often it is purely a result of teaming the proper players. A smart captain picks by twos, or picks a wild card who melds with a member of the core. A smart captain also pulls Tiger aside and tells him to make one pick. He tells him to make it good, because that is with whom he is going to be partnered. And he, as the best player in the world, will be held accountable for the outcome.

A smart captain. That's the hole in my selection. Four bad player selections is twice as bad as two. Which nicely scurries me to what I see as the true reason the US teams' effectiveness has smelled like my golf shoes after residing in my car trunk all summer.

As a part of undeniable realities, justice has a way of insisting upon itself. The US will be fighting a karmic uphill battle until Larry Nelson is made captain. Call it bad karma. Call it the Larry Nelson Curse. A pox which that fine man would graciously never wish upon the appropriate PGA demagogues. However, being basically intemperant and lacking Nelson's distinguished character, I most effortlessly wish upon them just desserts for denying the imperative choice. This is until this wrong has been righted, and justice and Nelson have been properly honored.

I hope that's not over the top. The Ryder Cup deserves consideration without politics, and abandonment of the cold statistics which replace thoughtful judgement.