Now we know how long a Ryder Cup hangover lasts

text size

Phil Mickelson kicked off his post-Ryder Cup experience with a solid 68. (Halleran/Getty Images)

ATLANTA -- Perhaps we finally got an answer to the question that has been bugging mankind since the beginning of time: How long does a Ryder Cup hangover last?

By most accounts, it's two days. At least that's how long Anthony Kim said his hangover lasted after helping to lead the U.S. team to victory at Valhalla. He ate a lot. Slept a lot. Watched a lot of TV. Then he went out and made a lot of birdies (eight to be exact) in scorching East Lake for a 6-under 64 in Thursday's first round of THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.

Phil Mickelson, Kim's partner for three Ryder Cup matches, also needed a couple of days before getting back to work. So did Ben Curtis.

"Monday and Tuesday were tough for me," Curtis said. "I definitely wouldn't have wanted to be out here then."

But then, some of the 11 Ryder Cuppers playing at East Lake may have wished they could've had a raincheck Thursday, especially at a course that was playing brutally tough, the firm greens and Bermuda rough making for a mental and physical challenge for the 30 players in the field.

Mike Weir thinks the Ryder Cuppers should have the advantage this week. (Halleran/Getty Images)

How the Ryder Cup

Players fared on Thursday

Pos. Player Score To Par 1. Anthony Kim 64 -6 T2. Phil Mickelson 68 -2 T6. Sergio Garcia 70 E T8. Ben Curtis 71 +1 T12. Chad Campbell 72 +2 T12. Jim Furyk 72 +2 T17. Justin Leonard 73 +3 T21. Hunter Mahan 74 +4 T21. Steve Stricker 74 +4 T27. Kenny Perry 76 +6

Kenny Perry was 6 over. Stewart Cink was 5 over. Hunter Mahan, who produced more points than any other American player, was 4 over. In all, eight of those 11 Ryder Cuppers finished above par.

So how do you explain Kim's performance? Well, he's young, talented and incredibly locked in right now, both with his focus and his game. Thursday's round was just an extension of the way he played in Sunday's singles match against Sergio Garcia, when he blitzed the Spaniard 5 and 4.

Besides, maybe this whole Ryder Cup hangover is more myth than reality. While non-Ryder Cuppers in this week's field basically twiddled their thumbs for two weeks -- Vijay Singh didn't pick up a club for a week, Mike Weir took 10 days off to rest an aching shoulder, Ernie Els spent 10 days at home, Trevor Immelman went 12 days without touching a club -- the Ryder Cuppers were staying sharp, working on their games, keeping finely tuned, keeping that edge.

Weir thinks the Ryder Cuppers should have the advantage this week. He remembers just a year ago when he played at the Presidents Cup, then finished tied for 10th in his first tournament back before winning the next week at the Fry's Electronics Open.

"Especially if you played well in that event, like Anthony did, you have a lot of momentum going, and I think he's carried that in here," Weir said.

Meanwhile, Weir -- who took second at the Deutsche Bank Championship last month -- admitted to having a little rust in his game. With good reason, considering he's only played one round of golf in the past two weeks. That made his 1-over 71 even more impressive.

"For being a little rusty, it was OK," Weir said.

Immelman was also feeling the effects of his layoff, although it didn't show in his play. The reigning Masters champion is tied with Els for second, four strokes behind Kim. In the question of who really has the advantage this week, Immelman sees both sides.

"Obviously, I'm fresh, but I haven't played too much," he said. "I've had to shake some of the rust the first few days, but those guys have come off an incredible week. There's going to be a little bit of an emotional letdown for them -- but some of the guys might just keep riding that. Obviously, Anthony seems like he's just kept going."

But can that emotional high last for 72 holes? Els has his doubts.

"Obviously, they've got their games, but mentally they might get a little bit tired as the week goes on," he said. "They had a great week but a tough week."

For the 10 U.S. Ryder Cuppers at East Lake, winning certainly helped. Garcia is the only European player in THE TOUR Championship and he shot a respectable even-par 70. But it wasn't easy. He was 4 over through his first six holes before finding his groove.

"Winning last week definitely makes it easier to play this week," Curtis said.

Kim made it look very easy on Thursday.

"Just trying to enjoy the moment," he said. "This Ryder Cup hangover doesn't feel as bad as a college hangover."