Hallam's Journal

1) Well yes, there it went, the Ryder Cup. It was always going to be wrong in one way or another. Had Europe won, it would have been bad for the Ryder Cup. Had the USA won, it would have been bad for Nick Faldo. And so it is. Nick was always going to get damned by the press and their sidekick, YourTextsAndEmails. To be fair, I think he did make some mistakes. Pádraig Harrington needed to be rested on the second day, and it would have been better to have weighted the line-up for the singles towards the earlier matches. But all in all, we lost mainly because of things the Americans got right rather than because of things we got wrong. Having four captain's picks was a huge change and a huge step forward for the American team. The thing that the Americans need to do now is ban Tiger Woods from the Ryder Cup completely. He's a legend, for sure, but I am among those who believe he destabilises the team. Team USA had a great spirit this time, and to be honest I would have been rooting for them if they'd been playing anyone other than us.

2) I don't mind it when people are busy and preoccupied, but I do mind it when they a) are outright rude about it, and b) expect me to be put on the pause button so that the "five minutes" they say they need can turn into half an hour, forty minutes, and *click* on the button and I pop back into existence: ready, pronto, eager and alert for the next command or instruction. I know that when a person is busy with something difficult, they can become both preoccupied and stressed, so that they do not always remember 100% of their best manners. But there is a limit to my understanding. I am maybe nearly half way through my life now, and when it's gone it's gone and over, and maybe I don't want to be spending much more time on the pause button.

3) 7 cetirizine hydrochloride tabs for 50p? Result!

4) 3 100g bars of proper chocolate for £1? Result!

5) I am getting better at the Tiger Woods game on the PS3.

6) There is little quite so glee-inspiring as the moment when one sees life imitating art.

7) I think I am going to get a new pair of glasses. Probably black with red arms.

8) Marcus says it's a 50-50 chance! And Timo says he's up for it if Marcus is!

What about Pádraig Harrington, eh?
Two majors on the bounce, first European to do that since the 1930s I think, or maybe ever.

He's suddenly become one of the best golfers in the world. Not just a European contender any more. It's that "knowing how to win" thing, I think. Once you've won something big, you know that you can do it, and the uncertainty is removed. What Pádraig has done in this year's Open and now in the US PGA tournament is to make sure that in the final two rounds he keeps on going steadily and carefully in order to keep in touch, to be always there or thereabouts up with the leaders - even if he's had a not so good round on the first couple of days. Far too often, European golfers in majors have a tendency to make a mistake and then lose their footing, instead of regrouping and carrying on - or instead of that, going too hard for maximum attack, which is how you end up in trouble. To watch the precision and self-control of Harrington as a golfer now is quite something. Reminds me of Nick Faldo.

Again, I'd have quite liked to see Sergio Garcia win it, but he made a mistake on the 16th that cost him. And you just can't begrudge Harrington winning like that with such a superb, precise, error-free round.


We just need another 90 odd runs to beat South Africa, all ten wickets remaining. Not bad. Keep on in there.

All sport all on at the same time, makes it difficult even with Sky+.

A run through of the day so far:
Hungover. Cup of tea. Breakfast (sausage, bacon, egg, mushroom, tomato, toast). More tea. Hang washing out. Cricket (By heck Vettori is very good at the moment. And if you just stand there and waft your bat you will get out. Buggering hell.) Short walk in the teeth of a gale. Monaco Grand Prix (very exciting, bad luck for poor Heikki on the grid especially given how ridiculously fast he was in the later stages, Adrian Sutil must be inconsolable, well done Lewis). Follow cricket via online text commentary. Nice work from Monty Panesar. BMW PGA golf at Wentworth. Short nap. Wake up to see Miguel Angel Jimenez win the tournament on a playoff. And now another short walk before dinner I think.

Oh, for pete's SAKE, Justin Rose.

ETA: Good lad! Get in!

Ooh, I do like the Ryder Cup.

Come On The Europe!

Not sure about the brown tank tops/sweater vests being worn by the European team in the afternoon's foursomes. Not a colour that men wear well, IMO.

Much love for Sergio. Monty and Padraig's putting let them down this morning, but I expect better things this afternoon.

In other news, my hair is a) greasy and b) falling out. I also have "grain of sand" blocked pores all over.