The Ryder Cup is one of the only events in golf where you can really mess with someone's psyche. Stories of players jangling change in their pockets, or staring their opponents down do happen, and it even gets to the point where not conceding a short putt is tactical.
Ian Poulter is claiming one American player, who wasn't identified by the Englishmen but was noted as Anthony Kim, ran into him with his shoulder during Saturday's fourball match.
Cameras caught a collision between the two players as Poulter walked out of a tee box. Kim wasn't playing in the fourballs, but decided to walk the course as a spectator and was a boisterous presence as he cheered on Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk in their close fourball tussle with Poulter and Graeme McDowell.
"As opposed to walking around me as I was walking off the tee, he decided to drop his right shoulder into me," related Poulter. "You don't need that when you're playing. It's not what you'd expect from a fellow professional." Footage shows Poulter remonstrating with Kim shortly afterwards. Kim's energy, and his crushing victory over Sergio Garcia in Sunday's singles match, have been praised by the US press as vital to the team's victory.
First, I have yet to see any evidence of this happening. If cameras did catch this, it probably would be all over the Internet and since we haven't seen it yet it probably was unintentional. If it is true, I actually kinda like it. It wasn't like he was trying to hurt Poulter by running into him, and a little bump here or there is pretty awesome. I'm sure if Kim had gone up to Team Visor and slapped him in his teeth, something would have been done about it, but the fact that this might or might not have been a bump that might or might not have been intentional is hardly something to preach to the media about.
Poulter, you lost. I'm sorry buddy but it happened, and rather convincingly. It obviously had nothing to do with your spectacular play all week, but most of the time, if you lose something, you should probably just get on that plane and get out of Kentucky as quick as possible.
If it really is getting to you, might I suggest you bump someone next Ryder Cup? How about Tiger Woods? I heard Steve Williams is really accepting of people bullying up his boy.
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Also, Lee Westwood, who in his attempt to damn Boo Weekley actually called out the entire country, had some prank calls on Saturday night that he wasn't too happy about. The culprits bypassed the "Prince Albert in a can" joke and the always great "refrigerator running" line for that one about good luck. You know, the one where you call someone and wish him good luck. Yeah, that one. Try it tonight, people get so mad when you call and wish them good luck in an upcoming competition. Boy, does that get my chili a-boiling!
"They were trying to ring me but called the wrong hotel and got the wrong Westwood," he said. "It really upset my dad's preparations for walking around the course! I also got a phone call at 12:30am wishing me good luck. I must be taking on the Monty role. Let's pick on the old guy with a few grey hairs!"
And I thought we were a country full of whiners.
