Gala Dinner: Alan Shipnuck's Red Carpet Report

Alan Shipnuck braved the Ryder Cup gala dinner and was pleasantly surprised by Justin Timberlake's hosting effort and the overall decency of the evening.

The best look was definitely Dustin Johnson’s faux-hawk, if you don’t count the perpetual bedhead of Jason Dufner and Brandt Snedeker. The wives were free to pick their own gowns and they looked stunning. Bonus points to Kim (Mrs. Zach) Johnson for rocking blue satin while very pregnant. I would strongly encourage male readers to Google pictures of Amanda (Mrs. Jason) Dufner, Diane (Mrs. Luke) Donald, and Amanda Caulder, Dustin Johnson’s special friend. Jason Dufner looks increasingly like Alfred E. Newman; I tweeted from the red carpet about him being "overmarried" and before the night was out he replied, "Why would u ever under marry...DUH!!!"

This was also a fun image...

The players were then sequestered backstage and I returned to my seat to catch the musical stylings of Chicago, the classic rock group comprised of guys who are as leathery as Amy Mickelson’s dress. The set went on for an excruciatingly long time, but everyone else seemed to love it. I even peeped PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem boogeying in his seat, lip-synching a few lyrics. Which explains a lot, I think.

Golf.com has a 31 page gallery from the red carpet, including a shot of what Shipnuck called the hardest working button in golf: the one on Darren Clarke's dinner jacket.

Update on 2012-09-27 16:52 by Geoff

**Another excellent Gala slideshow from my colleagues at GolfDigest.com.

Viewer Discretion Advised: Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony Must Go On At 4 CT

Yes the 4 pm Central start means East Coasters can get home just in time for the Captains speeches while Pacific Time zone fans will just have to DVR Golf Channel's live telecast (you can also watch at RyderCup.com or on the Ryder Cup app).

However, The Guardian's Scott Murray reminds us, the ceremonies have been the source of some fantastic moments.

In 2004, the freewheelin' Hal Sutton went one better, forgetting how many children he had. Having thanked his fourth wife Ashley for providing him with three kids, Halimony was forced to quickly backtrack as Mrs Sutton held up four fingers as a prompt. That she didn't configure those fingers in two groups of two is to her credit. Sutton, clearly not at the races, spent the rest of the week gadding about in an outsized cowboy hat, and pairing Tiger Woods with Phil Mickelson. The US were thrashed.

But perhaps Nick Faldo's efforts in 2008 did the most to give the opposing team a boost. He referred to Soren Hansen as Soren Stenson, suggested Padraig Harrington had hit more practice shots than there are potatoes in Ireland, and told Graeme McDowell it made little difference whether he came from Northern Ireland or the Republic.

Davis Chokes Up On Wednesday; Historians Believe It May Be Earliest Tear-Shedding In Ryder Cup Captaincy History

This has to be a new record, no?

Richard Williams in The Guardian on how the Ryder Cup does strange things to people.

Yesterday Davis Love III, a man seemingly imperturbable with a golf club in his hand, teared up – as they say in these parts – while answering a perfectly mundane question about Phil Mickelson's role in the United States team.

An unbylined ESPN.co.uk story on Wednesday's show of emotion by Captain Davis Love.

"I love being around them," Love said on Wednesday, struggling to get his words out.

He then spoke of his team's group viewing of Ryder Cup highlights on Tuesday, which prompted yet another moving response. Both Love and Bubba Watson were reduced to tears, the captain revealed.

"Bubba and I are going to cry a lot," Love said. "It's intense. Do we want to pummel them? Yes we do. We want to win.

He also predicted an inevitable row with European Captain Olazabal over something meaningful, like cart traffic over bridges.

"You know what, Ollie (Jose Maria Olazabal) and I will go toe-to-toe at some point because it's intense. It'll be about carts going over a bridge or he has more carts than me or something.

Now we're talking! This is the Ryder Cup we love: petty grievances over testosterone fueled, first-world feuds. Let the games begin!

Medinah's Driveable 15th Isn't Sounding Very Driveable

I know it's hard to believe that an architect who specializes in stripping strategy from architecture was not able to design a fun, sexy, tempting and interesting short par-4. But after today's remarks from Phil Mickelson, arguably the most aggressive player in the Ryder Cup who isn't the least bit tempted to go for the green, it sounds like Rees Jones came through again!

First, Cameron Morfit tries to figure out if it's wise for the U.S. team to drive the short par-4 15th, looking back at Celtic Manor's short par-4 15th for guidance. He also has a guide from Rees where there is a lot of description of risk and not much mention of reward.

CHUTE TO THRILL: The opening to the green is 20 yards wide, but it plays more like 12 yards. "Anything on the left side of it falls off into the bunker," Jones says.

HERE'S THE SKINNY: Even the cautious play from the tee is no gimme. "If they play it safe—2-iron, wedge—it's the narrowest landing area on the course," Jones says.

And Phil in today's presser:

PHIL MICKELSON:  My take on the 15th hole is that it's a reachable par‑4, but it's not really drivable.  I think most guys are going to lay up.  I just think it's over done as a hole that would try to entice you to drive it, unlike, say, the 10th at Riviera, which really entice is you and gives you options.

I think that it's an easy birdie laying up, and as disappointing as the fans are going to be to see that, we have to play what's there in front of us and try to shoot the lowest score, and the lowest score will be shot by laying up.

Where's Marty Hackel When You Need Him Files: Europe's Wednesday Ryder Cup Shirt

Wednesday's Team Europe shirt designed to "#winthecrowd" according to Graeme McDowell. Paging Marty Hackel.

Whoa: Tiger Shoulders Blame For Recent USA Ryder Woes

Not that I don't trust Steve DiMeglio, but I did have to go read Tiger's transcript to see that I wasn't hallucinating when he took some of the blame for the U.S. losing six of the last eight Cups.

"Certainly I am responsible for that, because I didn't earn the points that I was put out there for," said Woods, who is 13-14-2 in the Ryder Cup. "I believe I was out there, what, in five sessions each time, and I didn't go 5-0 on our side. So I certainly am a part of that, and that's part of being a team. I needed to go get my points for my team, and I didn't do that."

Sheesh, next thing you know he's going to be apologizing to the fire hydrant, nominating Hank Haney for a Pulitzer and announcing that he's joining the Peace Corps.

"Greenkeepers have played a starring role in home-team preparation since at least the 1980s when the Ryder Cup became more competitive after decades of U.S. dominance."

Mark Peters files an excellent WSJ look at the various course setup tactics, fetishes and other neurotic acts of Ryder Cups past, whether they really matter and how Medinah super Curtis Tyrrell will be doing his part for Team USA.

On a recent afternoon, Mr. Tyrrell, the director of golf-course operations, was zipping around Medinah in a cart overseeing last-minute preparations as corporate tents and concessions rose around the course. Even as players and fans start to see some of the gamesmanship Mr. Love has planned, other plans remain private.

"Some of it is real obvious, with the mowing heights in the rough," Mr. Tyrrell said. "But there are a lot of things that are meant for the team only."

There is also an audio segment featuring Peters talking to Tyrrell.