Ryder Cup Special Supplement

RYDER CUP 2020 Special 20-page supplement

MEET THE TEAMS

AWAY THE LADS!

All 24 players in profile

Can Europe win on US soil again?

+ Exclusive interviews with Lee Westwood, Tyrrell Hatton & Tony Finau

WHISTLING STRAITS Your hole-by-hole guide to the Ryder Cup course

CAPTAIN'S CALL Padraig Harrington in the spotlight

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AWAY THE L ADS! Happy to play the perennial role of underdogs, Padraig Harrington’s European team will have to draw on all of its battling instincts if they are to pull off an away win against a US team packed with proven winners at the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, writes Golf News Editor Nick Bayly

■ SEVEN OF THE 12 PLAYERS FROM EUROPE'S BIG MARGIN WIN IN PARIS ARE BACK FOR 2021, INCLUDING IAN 'THE POSTMAN' POULTER, WHO IS ONE OF SIX ENGLISHMEN IN THE TEAM

A

lthough Europe has won four out of the last eight Ryder Cup matches played on US soil since 1987, the American team’s collective might and the absence of travelling support make the odds of Padraig Harrington’s band of brothers bagging an away win look increasingly long.

While Europe has only lost a home Ryder Cup twice since 1981, it’s fair to say that ‘our’ away form hasn’t been quite so stellar, although a 50% per cent win record since 1987 still makes for good reading for those that enjoy sporting statistics.

Most bookmakers have Team USA as 8/15 favourites and Europe at 2/1, but for a two-horse race that has only ever had two draws in its entire history, Europe represents some excellent value for those who bet on raw stats rather than heartfelt sentiment.

But the mood music is very much in the host team’s favour, with the US team stacked with major champions, Olympic gold medallists and recent PGA Tour winners, while Padraig Harrington’s team, barring world No.1 Jon Rahm,

is looking a little lean when it comes to recent winning form of any kind.

Should Harrington lead Europe to glory at Whistling Straits, his career will have an outstanding team achievement alongside his epic personal highs. The role of a Ryder Cup captain can sometimes be wildly overplayed, but should Europe upset Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson et al on their own patch, the Irishman might not to have to buy a beer, or a Guinness, in bars at home and across the entire continent of Europe for the rest of his life.

Lost, but not entirely forgotten, in the build-up to the 43rd staging of the Ryder Cup is the dynamic that will shift things heavily in favour of the United States. With travellers from Europe still currently barred from entering US borders, the likelihood is that the only support that Harrington’s men can expect will

come from those hardcore European golf fans already living and working in the States who can be bothered to take a week’s holiday in Wisconsin.

With no Barmy Army, or golf’s equivalent, to cheer every European shot or boo Bryson DeChambeau’s every move, the atmosphere will be like no Ryder Cup there has ever been.

Well, certainly in the modern era of almost constant chanting and Mexican Waves.

With Joe Biden unlikely to loosen restrictions on UK arrivals any time soon, TV viewers can expect the Stars & Stripes to dominate the backdrop at Whistling Straits, with any renditions of ‘Olé, Olé, Olé’ likely to be drowned out by the repetitive strains of “U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A!” While there’s no doubt that the absence of the verbally combative rival crowds will rob the

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matches of much of their spectacle, there is also a danger that the matches themselves could be one-sided affairs if the current form of the US and European teams plays out.

So full was Steve Stricker’s hand that he had the luxury of being able to overlook a handful of Ryder Cup stalwarts for his team, including Patrick ‘Captain America’ Reed, who had his end-of-season push for Ryder Cup points curtailed by a bout of pneumonia that apparently had him at death’s door. Webb Simpson was also swerved in favour of rookies such as Daniel Berger and Scottie Scheffler, who boast much better recent good form, and whose memory banks aren’t quite so full of past Ryder Cup defeats.

With questions arising over the US team’s dynamics – i.e. can Koepka and DeChambeau keep out of each other’s way for a week? – there remains the feeling that the US squad has enough raw firepower to overcome whatever Europe has to throw at them. With six captain’s picks over Harrington’s three, Stricker has been able to strengthen his team still further with the addition of his choices, opting for players like Tony Finau and Xander Schuaffele who are bang in form and have recent wins to their names.

Without ‘Uncle’ Phil Mickelson in the squad – ‘Lefty’ was handed the poisoned chalice of being drafted in as a late vice-captain – the US team has an exceptionally youthful look about it, and there don’t look to be too many natural born leaders amongst them. You know, the types to stand up in the team room and deliver a Churchillian rallying cry should heads begin to drop. Then perhaps that’s where the vicecaptains will earn their stripes (and stars), as all of them have been there and got the t-shirt, even though it has often been the loser’s t-shirt.

Stricker’s decision for half of his team to earn automatic qualification may well prove a masterstroke, and one that may ultimately lead to both sides going further down that route in years to come. With so many top Europeans playing an almost exclusively PGA Tour-based schedule these days, it feels like it can only be a matter

43RD RYDER CUP TIMETABLE

LAST 10 RYDER CUP RESULTS 2018 EUROPE WON 17½-10½ - Le Golf National 2016 USA WON 17-11 - Hazeltine 2014 EUROPE WON 16½-11½ - Gleneagles

WITH NO BARMY ARMY, OR GOLF’S EQUIVALENT, TO CHEER EVERY EUROPEAN SHOT OR BOO BRYSON DECHAMBEAU’S EVERY MOVE, THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE LIKE NO RYDER CUP THERE HAS EVER BEEN of time before the European team is selected entirely on world rankings, rather than on points gathered from playing in European Tour events whose fields are often less than stellar.

But that debate is for another time. Right now, Harrington has to coax his team into doing what Europe does best – ignoring world rankings, tour wins and major victories and focus on the detail of what it will take to unsettle a home team that will not only be expected to win, but to win big. Do that, and they stand a good chance of completing a rare double-away win following the European Solheim Cup team’s stunning win earlier this month. Now that would really give fans of the blue and yellow something to cheer about. Olé, Olé, Olé….

FRIDAY SEPT 24 4 Foursomes and 4 Fourballs

■ "NO, IT'S MINE!" RYDER CUP VETERANS STEVE STRICKER AND PADRAIG HARRINGTON WILL BE LEADING THEIR TEAMS AT WHISTLING STRAITS

SATURDAY SEPT 25 4 Foursomes and 4 Fourballs

2012 EUROPE WON 14½-13½ - Medinah 2010 EUROPE WON 14½-13½ - Celtic Manor 2008 USA WON 16½-11½ - Valhalla 2006 EUROPE WON 18½-9½ - K Club 2004 EUROPE WON 18½-9½ - Oakland Hills 2002 EUROPE WON 15½-12½ - The Belfry 1999 USA WON 14½-13½ - Brookline

SUNDAY SEPT 26 12 Singles

F I N AU KEEPS THE FAITH

this grip and with this putter. I actually changed putter heads. I’ve been using a new PING putter for a couple of months and it’s played a big part in my recent improvement.

■ Did you feel like you needed a big

performance to get you into the Ryder Cup team and validate your selection? Yeah, no question about it. Starting the year, and every week that has gone by since, I told myself that if I didn’t win, I wasn’t going to make the team. Simple as that.

Although I’ve always been high in the rankings, I wanted to be on the team as a winner and playing good golf going into the Ryder Cup, rather than having just accrued some points along the way.

■ You switched to playing PING clubs in 2017

One of the most consistent performers on the global tours over the last five years, Tony Finau finally captured his second PGA Tour title when winning last month’s Northern Trust. An automatic qualifier for this year’s US Ryder Cup team, the 31-year-old from Utah looks destined for further glory ■ Although you got your first win in only your

can beat them, man, it’s just an uphill battle. That’s why I believe in myself and I believe in my team. second full season on the PGA Tour, how tough has it been to have to grind it out for another five years to win your second?

■ Given that most of your near misses have not There’s no doubt about it, it has been tough, come because of losing a lead or shooting a high especially for those around me who know how hard final round score, do you think the criticism of I’ve been working to get to this point. But I never your five-year winless run was a bit unfair? stopped believing in myself, and that’s the bottom Yeah, no question. But that’s how it is in sports, line. I’ve worked extremely hard, not only on my when you don’t seal the deal, as time goes by nogame, but on my body and my mind one is prepared to give you the to put myself into contention, and benefit of the doubt. So I knew I eventually I knew it was going to needed to prove people wrong by WHAT’S happen. It’s hard losing and it’s hard winning. That’s the bottom line and IN TONY losing under such intense scrutiny. that’s what sport is all about.

FINAU’S BAG? I’ve done it already a couple of times I knew that I was a closer; the this year, including in play-offs. It way that I play on Sundays tells me DRIVER: could discourage some people, I that I’m a closer and when I look PING G425 LST (7°) know that, but, if anything, it made at my scores, I’ve made plenty of me even hungrier to win. Having clutch putts. Just sometimes this FAIRWAY WOOD: PING G400 STRETCH said that, I hope I don’t have to wait game is funny. I feel like I’ve got 3 (12.5°) another five years for the next one! the short end of the stick for the most part coming down the stretch IRONS: PING and having a chance to win a golf ■ Do you feel like now that the BLUEPRINT (4-PW) tournament. In the Northern Trust pressure has been lifted you WEDGES: PING things went my way for a change can go out a win a lot more GLIDE FORGED and I was able to capitalise when tournaments? I’ve played really (50°, 56°), TITLEIST I needed to and I got the breaks well in a lot of big tournaments, but VOKEY DESIGN SM8 (60) when I needed them, so I ended up to chase down the world No.1 [Jon on top.

Rahm]on the final round of a FedEx PUTTER: PING But as far as a little bit of Cup play-off event, under those PLD ANSER 2 unfairness goes, I feel like when conditions, will certainly go into the PROTOTYPE it comes to looking at my record, old memory bank and hopefully I’ll BALL: I’ve played really nicely on Sundays continue moving forward and have TITLEIST PRO V1 for the most part. We don’t have more successes. to look too far from other than my last playoff. I shot 64 at Riviera. Say ■ You’ve had several close calls what you want, but that sounds like a pretty good in recent seasons, but what was the hardest player to me. defeat to take? I would say the toughest loss I had was against Webb Simpson at the 2020 Waste Management. I played beautifully all week. I had ■ You’ve been experimenting with a few the lead with a couple of holes to go, but Webb different putting styles this season. Have you birdied the last two in regulation and then birdied settled on one now? I actually changed my grip a the playoff hole to win it. Only a few weeks later couple of months ago. I had some success early in the pandemic struck and I had a long time to the year putting conventionally, but I went away think about that loss and what I could have done from it for a few months and now I’m back to it. differently.

Obviously, there’s something there, and I was able I have an extreme belief in myself – I have to. This to make some clutch putts at the Northern Trust, so game is hard enough as it is. If you can’t believe you that’s going to give me some great confidence with

after Nike exited the club business. How did you find the transition and how are you getting on with your current set up?

Funnily enough, prior to 2017, I had never even hit a Ping club, not even when I was an amateur, and now I’m on its tour staff. I’m now kicking myself that I didn’t try their clubs before, as I attribute a lot of my recent success to making the move to PING. I had the opportunity to try a lot of different brands of clubs, but PING’s gear was the best fit my game. There is so much great equipment out there, but their clubs performed at a high level, and I really didn’t skip a beat as soon as I put them in play.

The launch window is everything for me. I’m more of a feel player, and to be honest, I don’t really know a whole lot about TrackMan or Flightscope, because I don’t really use those things. I know enough to know where I need my numbers to be. For me, PING clubs come out in a high window, with not a lot of spin, which is what a lot of guys on tour are looking for.

I’m using Ping’s G425 LST driver. It comes out in a nice, high window with low spin. I currently averaging 305 yards off the tee, which is down five or six yards what I was in 2018, but I'm working on my ‘fairways hit’ stats, which still aren't quite where I want them to be. As far as spin is concerned, I’m right in the 2,2002,700rpm range. Anything lower than that and I know I’m not launching it high enough.

I put PING’s Blueprint forged irons in the bag at the end of 2018 and they feel great through the ground and at impact. They have the feel and workability of a normal blade, with even more forgiveness. My irons are a half-inch longer than standard and one-degree upright. I’m a little bit taller than most guys, and benefit from them being a bit more upright for consistent contact.

THE FINAU FACTFILE AGE: 31 HEIGHT: 6ft 4 WEIGHT: 14 St BORN: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA LIVES: Scottsdale, Arizona TURNED PRO: 2007 WORLD RANKING: 9 PGA TOUR APPEARANCES: 190 PGA TOUR WINS: 2016 Puerto Rico Open, 2021 Northern Trust CAREER TOP 10S 47 (8 2nds) BEST MAJOR FINISHES: Masters – 5th, 2019; PGA Championship – 4th, 2020;

US Open – 5th, 2018), The Open – 3rd, 2019.

CAREER PRIZE MONEY: $25.3m AVERAGE SCORING (2021): 69.9 (9th) AVERAGE DRIVING DISTANCE: 305 Yards (31st) DRIVING ACCURACY: 56.8% (160th) GREENS IN REGULATION: 67.1% (65th) PUTTS PER ROUND: 28.41 (19th)

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PADDY POWER Padraig Harrington has played in six Ryder Cups and been vice-captain three times. This year, he captains Europe for the first time. Here are his thoughts on the challenges that lie ahead at Whistling Straits, how he likes the shape of his team and what he has learned along the way

ON THE MAKE-UP OF HIS TEAM….

I'm really pleased with the whole balance of the team and I couldn't really have wished for a better group of players, whom I geninuely believe are best collection of ball strikers the Europe has had in a long time. I'm delighted Bernd Wiesberger played his way in. He's a great player and anybody who makes it into the team fully deserves it. He’s great ball striker, a great person for the golf course and he’ll be a great asset for the team.

ON THE DIFFICULTY OF CHOOSING HIS CAPTAIN’S PICKS…

It's given me a few sleepless nights and I even forgot to have lunch on the final day at Wentworth as I was all over the place trying to keep up with what was going on; but yes, I'm very happy with my picks.

Sergio was always going to get my vote after his season and his history with the Ryder Cup, while Ian [Poutler] was another 'must have.' He's undefeated in singles, and he brings an unbelievable passion to the team room and to the matches. He lifts himself, he lifts his playing partners, and he lifts the team, but you can’t pick a player just because of that.

He has played great all year. His stats are great, he has had the best ball striking year of his life, I’m thrilled because not only am I getting a player like Poulter who delivers, but also a player who is probably the best form of his life. I’m looking forward to having him there, and having him bring the heart and passion to the team.

Shane [Lowry] has been the name right on the edge and he has performed well over the summer under that pressure. He is well suited to the golf course and the conditions. His stats are great and they show he is one of the leading players. He is well suited to the team environment, there’s plenty of players in the team who are looking to play with Shane. Good consistent form has brought him to this position.

ON LEAVING JUSTIN ROSE OUT...

The fact of the matter is, with the quality of players Justin was going up against, the consistency of Shane Lowry, what Ian and Sergio have brought

over the years, somebody had to lose out and it really is as close as that. Ultimately somebody has to lose out. If you don't play your way in, it's a tough place to be and it easily could have been JR [Rose], He came to Wentworth under pressure and he performed, but maybe he needed a couple of more weeks like that, but it was just a step too far.

ON LIMITING HIS NUMBER OF CAPTAIN’S PICKS TO JUST THREE...

I didn’t want any more than three. I believe players should be given the right to qualify. Those who qualify deserve to be there. I think that’s another reason we’ve been so successful, because of the system. We give everybody a chance. You’ve got to give rookies a chance to qualify. That’s very important for the morale of the team, everybody feels they’re part of it. Plus, giving me six picks would have given me a huge headache.

ON THE PRESSURE TO WIN...

We’ve had so much success in recent times, it’s tough to be a captain now because there are expectations – years ago it wasn’t so bad, but that’s all changed now. There’s nothing like it.

There’s unbelievable pressure, tension, excitement.

It’s very much them against us and we’re the country cousins with a point to prove and chip on our shoulder. It’s tough playing away matches, especially to typical US-style venues like Hazeltine and Valhalla. Thankfully, Whistling Straits is a bit different; it’s a tough golf course, but it can be neutralised and our players should feel pretty comfortable with the set up.

ON EUROPE’S RECENT RYDER CUP DOMINANCE....

I think there are two reasons why we have done so well in recent years. Firstly, the players are good, and secondly, we are exceptionally motivated. It’s a big deal for Europe to win the Ryder Cup, it really is. The greatest achievement the European team can take is that we’ve made the Americans care about the Ryder Cup. They’re

■ PADRAIG HARRINGTON BELIEVES HE HAS ONE OF THE STRONGEST SET OF BALL STRIKERS THAT EUROPE HAS EVER ASSEMBLED

trying really hard to win it now, whereas during their years of dominance it didn’t grab their attention in quite the same way as it does now.

ON PICKING THE RIGHT FOURBALL AND FOURSOMES COMBINATIONS...

The statistics show that certain players are great when they’re paired with young rookies, and that certain players can’t carry anyone – they need somebody to carry them. There are all sorts of egos going on, and that’s what a good captain has to figure out – how can he get his players to play their best whenever they take to the course. Getting the pairings right is going to play a huge part in the outcome, as well the order of the Sunday singles.

ON THE ROLE OF VICE-CAPTAINS...

The vice-captains have the best seat in the house.

The captain is under pressure, the team and players are under pressure, but the vice-captains can just take it all in.

ON SWAPPING A MAJOR WIN FOR A WIN AS A RYDER CUP CAPTAIN...

I can only assume that the experience of winning a Ryder Cup as a captain will be up there with winning a Major as a player, but I’ll just have to wait to find out. If I go become a losing captain, I’ll endeavour to bury the experience somewhere.

That’s just human nature. I want to be a winning captain.

ON WINNING HIS FIRST RYDER CUP POINT IN 1999....

I’ll never forget winning my first full point against Mark O’Meara at Brookline. I hit a driver down the fairway on the last, hit a wedge on to the green and two-putted. It doesn’t sound that much now, but I had 152 yards to the flag – I normally hit a wedge 132 – and I put it two yards past the flag. That’s how pumped up I was. I two-putted from about 12 feet; the relief as the first putt stopped a foot by the hole was absolutely immense.

TEAM USA CAPTAIN: Steve Stricker VICE-CAPTAINS: Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Davis Love III, Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson AVERAGE AGE OF TEAM: 29 AVERAGE WORLD RANKING: 8.6

COLLIN MORIKAWA

JUSTIN THOMAS

AGE: 24 WORLD RANKING: 3

AGE: 28 WORLD RANKING: 6

Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie Morikawa shined at Royal St George’s, winning his second major title at The Open to go along with his PGA Championship breakthrough last summer.

It’s hard to believe that he was still in college when the last Ryder Cup was played, but now he’ll bring perhaps the best iron game in the world with him to Whistling Straits for his debut.

DUSTIN JOHNSON AGE: 37 WORLD RANKING: 2 Ryder Cup appearances: 4 (‘10, ‘12, ‘16, ‘18) Ryder Cup record: P16 W7 L 9 D0 Johnson started the year as the top-ranked player in the world, fresh off a Masters win in November, and he added to that margin with a European Tour victory in February. He hasn’t quite been himself since, with no top-5 finishes in the last eight months. But his form has shown signs of a turnaround in recent weeks, notably a T8 finish at The Open, and given his Ryder Cup experience Johnson will likely play a significant role in Stricker’s squad.

Ryder Cup appearances: 1 Ryder Cup record: P5 W4 L1 D0 Thomas was a standout performer three years ago in Paris, leading the team in points won as a rookie. The high point for Thomas this season came at The Players Championship, where he shot 64, 68 over the weekend to win. His recent form has been solid, but not spectacular, with just one missed cut, but a tied fourth at the Northern Trust is his best result since his triumph at Sawgrass.

TONY FINAU AGE: 31 WORLD RANKING: 10 Ryder Cup appearances: 1 Ryder Cup record: P3 W2 L1 D0

Finau returns to the US team for the second time after Jim Furyk made him a captain’s pick in 2018, when he went 2-1-0 in Paris. Finau joins Stricker’s team in top form, having won the Northern Trust last month in a playoff, ending a five-year wait for a second PGA Tour win. Long off the tee - although not always the straightest – he will make an ideal four ball partner with a stunning

PATRICK CANTLAY

XANDER SCHAUFFELE

AGE: 29 WORLD RANKING: 4

AGE: 27 WORLD RANKING: 5

Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie Needing to win the final qualifying event to have a chance at bagging the last automatic spot, Cantlay did just that by beating Bryson DeChambeau in a play-off at the BMW Championship. He then went on to win the following week’s Tour Championship and comes into the Ryder Cup as arguably the most in-form player on the planet. His brilliant putting will be a major asset in all formats, as will his laserlike irons play.

Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie Another Ryder Cup rookie who seems like an old hand, the current Olympic champion went 3-2-0 in the 2019 Presidents Cup, when his singles victory over Adam Scott helped fuel America’s comeback victory in Australia. With three runnerup places this season and a third in the Tour Championship, he arrives in terrific form and has the all-round game to make an impact in all match play formats.

BROOKS KOEPKA

DANIEL BERGER

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER

AGE: 31 WORLD RANKING: 9

AGE: 28 WORLD RANKING: 16

AGE: 25 WORLD RANKING: 21

Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (‘16, ‘18) Ryder Cup record: P8 W4 L3 D1 Koepka missed six weeks of action this spring while recovering from a knee injury, but the four-time major champion got back into the winner’s circle in Phoenix and added a runner-up finish at the year’s first WGC event. Koepka saves his best golf for the biggest stages, finishing T6 or better in each of the last three majors, including runner-up at the PGA Championship.

Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie Berger will also be making his Ryder Cup debut, yet he will lean on valuable match play experiences gained in 2017, when he went 2-1 for the victorious US Presidents Cup team. One of the PGA Tour’s most consistent performers this season, he is coming off top-10 finishes in the US Open (7th) and Open Championship (8th), and was 8th in this month’s Tour Championship.

Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie Another Ryder Cup debutant, and the lowest ranked player in the team at a still impressive 21, Scheffler has been one of the most consistent performers in the top events during the qualifying period, finishing top eight or better in four of his five Major starts dating back to 2020. He represented the victorious US squad in the 2017 Walker Cup so is not stranger to match play..

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU

HARRIS ENGLISH

JORDAN SPIETH

AGE: 27 WORLD RANKING: 7

AGE: 32 WORLD RANKING: 11

AGE: 28 WORLD RANKING: 15

Ryder Cup appearances: 1 Ryder Cup record: P3 W0 L3 D0 DeChambeau has had a turbulent summer, including near misses at the BMW Championship and Torrey Pines, and went nearly three months without a top-10 finish, but his performance at the BMW showed just how explosive his game can be, and now the Tour’s longest hitter will have a chance to turn some heads in front of a home crowd – providing he doesn’t have a punch up with Brooks Koepka at the first team meeting...

Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie Another rookie, English has earned the nod from Steve Stricker with a strong 2021 campaign, during which he won twice (Sentry Tournament of Champions and Travelers Championship) to double his career victory total., while he also enjoyed a third place finish at the US Open. He will be playing in his first team competition since the 2011 Walker Cup, but doesn't lack for match play experience.

Ryder Cup appearances: 3 Ryder Cup record: P14 W7 L5 D2 Spieth will be playing in his fourth consecutive Ryder Cup when he tees it up at Whislting Straits, the longest current streak among the American contingent. After a period in the doldrums, the three-time Major champion’s resurgent 2021 season featured a victory at the Valero Texas Open. His career Ryder Cup stats make for good reading and he has only lost once in six outings in fourballs.

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TEAM EUROPE CAPTAIN: Padraig Harrington VICE-CAPTAINS: Luke Donald, Robert Karlsson, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell AVERAGE AGE OF TEAM:34.5 AVERAGE WORLD RANKING: 30

JON RAHM AGE: 26 WORLD RANKING: 1 Ryder Cup appearances: 1 Record: P3 W1 L2 D0 With 15 top-10s from 21 cuts made in 2021, Jon Rahm has arguably been the best golfer on the planet over the last nine months, as his ranking suggests. Amazingly, he only has one win to show for it, but it was a pretty big one – the US Open at Torrey Pines. A fiery competitor, JR could pair up with everyone and anyone and bring home the points, but Sergio Garcia would seem an obvious choice in the foursomes.

RORY MCILROY AGE: 32 WORLD RANKING: 15 Ryder Cup appearances: 5 (’10-’18) Record: P24 W11 L9 D4 Rory has experienced an inconsistent year. After missing the cut at the Masters, he came back to win the Wells Fargo for the third time in his very next start. He has shown better form at the end of the PGA Tour season, including a recent 4th at the BMW Championship.

A Ryder Cup veteran, Rory will be something of a leader for the European side and may well play in all five matches if early results go his way.

MATT FITZPATRICK

BERND WIESBERGER

AGE: 27 WORLD RANKING: 27

AGE: 35 WORLD RANKING: 61

Ryder Cup Appearances: 1 Ryder Cup record: P2 W0 L2 D0 After winning the Dubai World Championship in 2020, Fitzpatrick has produced a mixed bag of results either side of the Atlantic in 2021, with five top-10 finishes and five missed cuts from 19 events. A sole Ryder Cup appearance at Hazeltine in 2016 resulted in two defeats from two matches. A much more experienced campaigner now, the Yorkshireman looks sure to do better this time around,.

PAUL CASEY AGE: 44 WORLD RANKING: 23 Ryder Cup appearances: 4 (04, 06, 08, 18) Ryder Cup record: P12 W4 L3 D5 Casey has been back to his consistent best in 2021. He played in 20 events on the PGA Tour, making the cut in all but two, and finishing in the top 25 in over half of those. He won the Dubai Desert Classic in March and finished fourth in the US PGA. He was paired up with Tyrrell Hatton twice in Paris in 2018, winning one and losing one, and may well be paired with his fellow Englishman again.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD

LEE WESTWOOD

AGE: 30 WORLD RANK: 36

AGE: 48 WORLD RANKING: 34

Ryder Cup Appearances: 1 (’18) Ryder Cup record: P5 W4 L1 D0 Fleetwood was a force of nature at the 2018 Ryder Cup. Playing alongside Francesco Molinari, the pair won all four of their matches through the first two days. His form this season has been patchy, with only three top-10s, however, he’s shown how he embraces the Ryder Cup atmosphere and saves his best form for this format of the game.

Ryder Cup Appearances: 10 (‘97-‘16, ‘18) Ryder Cup record: P12 W4 L3 D5 Back for a recordequalling 11th time, Westy will be bidding to add to his 23-point tally after enjoying a stellar season saw him return to the world’s top 20 for a time following back-to-back runner’s up finishes on the PGA Tour. His form has tailed off a bit since, but he won’t be lacking in motivation to round off his Ryder Cup playing career in winning style.

VIKTOR HOVLAND

TYRRELL HATTON

AGE: 23 WORLD RANK: 13

AGE: 29 WORLD RANKING: 19

Ryder Cup record: Rookie Norway’s first Ryder Cup player, Hovland is one of the most exciting talents to emerge in the pro game. He won the Mayakoba Classic in December and the BMW International in Germany this summer, and added six more top-five finishes, including a T4 at the Tour Championship.

With so much expectation being put on his young shoulders, expect Captain Harrington to pair him up with an old hand rather than a fellow rookie, but he will get plenty of game time.

Ryder Cup appearances: 1 Ryder Cup record: P3 W1 L2 D0 Hatton gave his chances of following up his debut appearance in Paris a jump start when winning in Abu Dhabi back in January, but since then things have gone a bit quiet for the Englishman, barring a tied second in the PGA Tour’s Palmetto Championship in June. He played well in Paris three years, earning a point on day two when paired with Paul Casey, but he got rolled over by Patrick Reed in the singles.

Ryder Cup Appearances: Rookie The main beneficiary of the decision to include the BMW PGA Championship in the qualification process, Wiesberger battled his way into the team with a 20th place finish at Wentworth. A win in Denmark and a second place in Switzerland earned him vital qualifying points, but missed cuts in the US Open, The Players and the US PGA point to a player who might not be quite up to mixing it in elite company Stateside just yet.

SERGIO GARCIA AGE: 41 WORLD RANKING: 41 Ryder Cup Appearances: 9 Ryder Cup record: P49 W22 L12 D7 Teeing it up for his 10th time in the blue and yellow colours of Europe, Sergio lives and breathes the Ryder Cup and will be buzzing to add to his tally of 25.5 points. He has run into some form at just the right time for a captain’s pick, with T6th and a 10th in the last two FedEx Cup events showing Padraig that he can still mix it with the best. Could form a dream Spanish foursomes team with Rahm. Vamos!

SHANE LOWRY AGE: 34 WORLD RANKING: 40 Ryder Cup Appearances: Rookie Riding on the coattails of his Open win in 2019, Lowry will be one of the most experienced Ryder Cup rookies ever, with the Irishman being a seasoned campaigner on both tours. He has been in consistent form in 2021, with his best result coming at the US PGA where he finished fourth, with further top-ten finishes coming at The Players, the RBC Heritage and the Memorial. He hasn’t missed a cut since March.

IAN POULTER AGE: 45 WORLD RANKING: 49 Ryder Cup Apps: 6 Ryder Cup record: P22 W14 L6 D2 It’s hard for any captain to leave out ‘The Postman’, but surely his selection has been based mainly on past performances for the blue and yellow, rather than anything he has achieved this season, which includes just three top-10s. He’s been very consistent inside the top 30 (11 times), but a lack of winning form leaves a question mark over his ability to take on America’s might. But then again, he constantly defies the odds in these matches.

WESTY’S LAST HURRAH After enjoying a renaissance in the twilight of his impressive career, LEE WESTWOOD is hoping to go out swinging in what looks likely to be his last appearance as a Ryder Cup player before his thoughts turn to the captaincy

■ LEE HAS CUT A MUCH HAPPIER FIGURE ON AND OFF THE GOLF COURSE FOLLOWING HIS MARRIAGE TO HELEN STOREY EARLIER THIS YEAR

S

ix months ago, Lee Westwood stood on the 18th green at The Players Championship knowing that the biggest victory of his 30-year career had just slipped agonisingly through his fingers. He smiled, laughed and lifted his arms in the air. Ten years ago, he might have snapped his putter over his knee or tossed it in the lake, but the 48-year-old former world No.1 has a much more carefree air about him these days, and one that has helped breathe new life into his nigh on 30-year career as a tour pro.

To watch him play now is like night and day compared to the gloomy cloud that seemed to follow him around a few years ago when, after hundreds of events and dozens of victories, Westwood began to lose sight of what he was chasing. Although his ambition hadn’t wavered, his happiness hinged on results and such a way of thinking can have a tendency to leave come back and bite you. The key to his finding his way back, he says, was a near-total restructuring of his outlook on life and golf, breaking down the burdens of pressure to unearth the foundations

that spurred so much of his early success.

“I don’t know whether you can quantify happiness, but I’m able to view the game as it should be viewed now,” he says. “I was treating golf too seriously, I needed more perspective and clarity, and to look at golf for what it is again. It makes me laugh when I listen to people and read stuff. At the end of the day you’re just trying to put a little white ball into a hole, I mean it’s stupid really the seriousness people put on it. I get to do something I enjoy every day, travel the world doing it and earn a lot of money, and I’m lucky to be in that position. I’m still doing all the preparation but, after that, I’m just having fun.”

Westwood’s renaissance can be traced back to 2017, the year he split from his long-time manager, Chubby Chandler, and his caddie of ten years, Billy Foster, shortly afterwards, and settled his protracted divorce. After sinking to No.125 in the world rankings and admitting ‘golf doesn’t mean as much’, he found a way to hit the reset button. The results have been immediate and impressive in equal measure.

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At the Nedbank Challenge in 2018, Westwood won his first event in over four years, with his then-girlfriend, Helen Storey, carrying his bag.

Since then, he has won again in Abu Dhabi, was crowned the European Tour’s best player in 2019 - and the oldest at 47 – and now secured his place in the Ryder Cup team five years after his last appearance. Storey has remained his caddie – although the role is occasionally rotated with Westwood’s son, Sam – and they were married in a Las Vegas ceremony in June.

“I’m in exactly the place I want to be and surrounded by the people I want to be surrounded by,” he says. “I enjoy being able to spend more time with my family and share what I do with them on the big stage. They get to experience that and I get to learn more about them as they learn about me. I wouldn’t change anything. That’s probably the definition of being in a comfort zone.”

The last few years have also led Westwood to re-evaluate what success means. At the heights of his powers in 2011, when he toppled Tiger Woods to become the world No.1, Westwood admitted he’d harbour some form of regret if he failed to win a major in his career. He has endured some agonising near-misses,

IN MY HEAD I STILL THINK I’M 25. IT’LL COME TO A POINT WHEN I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH, BUT RIGHT NOW I FEEL LIKE IF I PLAY MY BEST I CAN STILL CONTEND with nineteen top-10 finishes since he turned professional in 1993, but has never been more adamant that such a record will not define him.

“You know what, if you walk around a graveyard and look at the tombstones, I don’t see many people where it says, ‘Oh yeah, he won six majors, he won 10 majors or whatever’,” he says. “They put down what kind of person you were and what kind of dad and husband you were. Golf results and finishes and tournament wins won’t dictate how I’m remembered.

Whether I win majors or not, in 20 years’ time, that’ll definitely not bother me. It won’t change my life.”

But if winning is far from a necessity, then what does success look like? “Just to keep enjoying what I’m doing and having the fortitude to keep working hard at it,” he says.

“I’m proud that I’ve always put the work in and I’m bearing the fruits of the hard work I put in 10 or 15 years ago. I’m still committed mentally to go out and practice hard, I still hit the gym to stay on top of my fitness and work on my strength. I’ve not sat back in later life. In my head I still think I’m 25. It’ll come to a point when I’m not good enough, I’ll be too old, but right now I feel like if I play my best I can still contend. But whether I am or not, I’ll enjoy what I’m doing.”

Right now, there is no doubting that Westwood still has what it takes to win more tournaments, and he certainly has the ability to add to his impressive tally of Ryder Cup points, which currently stands at 23 from ten appearances stretching back all the way to 1997.

After failing to qualify for the team in 2018, and failing to get on the scoreboard during Europe’s heavy defeat at Hazeltine in 2016, an in-form Westwood, with all his experience, will be a welcome addition to Padraig Harrington’s team in this month’s delayed matches.

Although he has given his all to the yellow

LEE WESTWOOD'S FAVOURITE RYDER CUP MEMORIES

"My debut came at Valderrama in 1997 and I was playing with Nick Faldo, who was competing for the 11th time. That calmed my nerves to a point, but then I realised Seve [Ballesteros] was looking on and I was playing against Brad Faxon and Fred Couples, players I’d admired for years, not to mention the massive crowds. I think my opening drive went down the middle, but I honestly can’t remember – I was just so pleased to make contact with the ball."

■ LEE WESTWOOD'S RYDER CUP CAREER STRETCHES BACK TO 1997 AND INCLUDES SEVEN WINS FROM 10 APPEARANCES AND 23 POINTS. HE SERVED AS A VICE-CAPTAIN UNDER THOMAS BJORN IN 2018

INSIDE LEE WESTWOOD’S BAG DRIVER: PING G425 LST (10.5°) FAIRWAY WOOD: PING G425 MAX 3 (14.5°) HYBRID: PING G425 (19°) UTILITY: PING G CROSSOVER IRONS: PING I210 (4-UW) WEDGES: PING GLIDE FORGED (60°) PUTTER: PING SIGMA 2 FETCH

and blue, Westwood has some unfinished business when it comes to his long and storied relationship with the biennial match play event, and he would dearly love to end his playing career by making a significant contribution to an away win, especially in front of what is expected to be heavily partisan crowd with European fans kept from travelling due to Covid restrictions.

An 11th Ryder Cup cap will also see him tie Nick Faldo’s record of appearances.

Once the action is wrapped up at Whistling Straits, the conversation will no doubt turn to the 2023 matches in Rome, for which Westwood has already thrown his hat into the ring as a potential captain - a role that he looks like he was born to fulfil.

“I’d love to have it [the captaincy] in Italy. I’ll not lie to you,” he says. “Although I’ll be 50, I still feel that I will have a good idea what’s going on on the tour and know a lot of the players.

I’ve played in 10 Ryder Cups under 10 different captains, shortly to be 11, and I was vice-captain to Thomas (Bjorn) in 2018, so I’ve seen how the captaincy has been done, and I’ve seen a lot of good captaincies and things that I like. A lot of those captains are friends who I can get the opinion of. So, yeah it would be a massive honour to a Ryder Cup captain and there’s no doubt that it’s a job I would love to do.”

But before he has to start worrying about wildcards and team outfits, Westwood is focusing his attentions on bringing the cup back from America.

"I’ve been involved in a lot of good matches over the years. One that stands out is when Darren Clarke and I beat Tiger and Phil at Oakland Hills in 2004. We were three down after three holes and right up against it, but we fought back and secured a 1up victory on the final green."

"Another one that springs to mind was playing with Nicolas Colsaerts in the Friday afternoon four-balls at Medinah in 2012 against Tiger and Steve Stricker. That was a 'sit, watch and admire' job, It was Nicolas’ first ever Ryder Cup match and he shot ten-under away from home. It was remarkable."

"The best I’ve played in would have to be Medinah in 2012. Coming back from that far behind is probably never going to be repeated. When Poulter holed that putt late on Saturday afternoon, we went from thinking were out of it to believing we had a genuine chance.

It switched the momentum completely in our favour."

43RD RYDER CUP PREVIEW

Whistling Straits course guide A

three-time host venue of the US PGA Championship, the Straits Course is also ideally set up to stage match play golf, with the 7,790-yard Pete Dye design offering plenty of risk-and-reward holes that will sort out the men from the boys Carved out along a two-mile stretch of rugged Lake Michigan shoreline, the links-style Straits Course at Whistling Straits is wide open to the elements and has a reputation for causing merry havoc off the tee when the wind picks up. So, what more could you want from a venue for an intercontinental team match play event held at the end of September?

Although the Pete Dye-designed course has plenty of stroke play pedigree, having hosted the PGA Championship in 2004, 2010 and 2015, the Straits course has yet to be tested as a match play venue, but with so many risk-and-reward holes, some heart-in-mouth par threes, some reachable par fours and some reachable and unreachable par fives, its look sure to prove a superb venue to sort out the merely good from the brilliant.

Eight holes hug the lake, while vast rolling greens, deep pot bunkers, grass-topped dunes

and lake-sweeping winds encompass the entire course. Plenty of holes are sure to be won with pars, maybe even bogeys, but there are also a decent number of birdie and eagle opportunities out there, even more so when the wind is helping.

As ever, bombers will be at distinct advantage on some holes, but only if they find the fairways.

Anything offline is either in a bunker, of which there are over a thousand, deep rough, or in the lake. Take your pick.

As ever, combining the right mix of players and settling on a strategy for each hole will be key to deciding the outcome in the foursomes and fourballs, but the US team having a history of doing better when they’re in control of their own ball, Harrington’s men will have to hope that the US squad has a major meltdown in the alternate shot format if they are to have a hope of retaining the cup.

2nd PAR 5 | 593 YARDS

1st PAR 4 | 364 YARDS

4th PAR 4 | 489 YARDS

Something of a gentle opener, and a chance to register an early birdie, many will chose to hit a long iron or a hybrid off the tee to leave themselves with a wedge into a green which is protected short left and long by deep bunkers.

Only reachable in two for the biggest hitters, and with a favourable wind, the second hole represents another decent early birdie opportunity, although deep pot bunkers some 35 yards short of the green presents an obstacle for players going for it with their second shot. The approach is slightly uphill to a narrow green guarded by deep bunkers to the left and a large run-off swale to the right.

3rd PAR 3 | 181 YARDS

The first of the four par threes plays slightly downhill to a large green with two different sections and a big mound on the right side that feeds the ball left. Sitting right on the shore of Lake Michigan, anything hit left will either catch a bunker or get wet.

A demanding par four that features a fairway landing area that narrows to about 20 yards. Anything off the short stuff will make it hard to reach the green in two. Par might often be good enough to win the hole here.

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5th PAR 5 | 603 YARDS

The second par five boasts a double dogleg and can be played two ways. The aggressive approach will require the drive to carry a pond - but come up short of a second pond – to potentially leave a long-iron in. The safer route is to play it as a three-shotter that will leave a short approach to a long, narrow green that is designed to accept a more lofted club.

6th

PAR 4 | 355 YARDS

A classic match play hole, and even more so in the four-ball format, the sixth is reachable with a big drive providing the wind is helping and you avoid the big pot bunker that bisects the green to the right. If the wind is in the players’ faces then it’s just an iron and a simple wedge in. Either way, a par probably won’t be winning the hole here.

7th PAR 3 | 221 YARDS

One of Whistling Straits most iconic holes, the 7th is a long par three with an enormous green and Lake Michigan on the right. Players will hit a hybrid, utility or long iron and try to land it a little left of the pin to let it roll down to the hole.

8th PAR 4 | 507 YARDS

One of the toughest par fours on the course, a driver is required off the tee to set up an intimidating long-iron approach to a narrow green that juts out into Lake Michigan.

Several bunkers and a rough will catch shots that go long, but anything right is dead in the water.

9th PAR 4 | 446 YARDS

A decent birdie opportunity closes out the front nine, with a driver to a generous fairway leaving a short iron into the smallest green on the course, which is guarded by

a bunker on the right side and a deep pot bunker front left.

short as 360 yards if they use the forward tee.

If wind conditions allow, the bold shot is a driver right at the green, which will have to carry a series of bunkers, although the sensible play is a 3-wood or hybrid to the fairway and leave a wedge into the green. The 13th and 14th play in opposite directions, so if one is driveable the other won’t be.

10th PAR 4 | 361 YARDS

The back nine opens with a potential driveable par four, but the raised green and small, deep bunkers short left means that most players will hit a driver or fairway wood to leave a 50-75-yard nudge in.

11th

15th PAR 4 | 518 YARDS

One of most demanding holes on the course, the 15th is a long, straight par 4 that offers a narrow landing area off the tee, with a well struck driver leaving a long iron or hybrid into a green which offers no margin for error on the left, but is a little more forgiving on the right.

PAR 4 | 479 YARDS

Another hole where par might be good enough to win, there’s a wide landing area off the tee and if players catch a little down slope it can run down the hill to leave them a shorter shot in.

The shot into the green is uphill, with a huge 100-yard, 16ft deep bunker short of the green and a smaller bunker short-right.

16th PAR 5 | 552 YARDS

Wind behind, and a decent drive and accurate approach will set up the potential for a game-changing eagle or birdie. Wind against and it will be a battle of the wedges with the third shot.

12th PAR 3 | 143 YARDS

The shortest hole on the course is back on the picturesque Lake Michigan. The green features two distinct sections; front-left is the bigger portion with lots of undulations, while back-right features a small flat area where a pin can be tucked away to create a bit of drama. Miss to the right and the ball can kick down into a bunker or the lake.

13th PAR 4 | 404 YARDS

Staying lakeside, big hitters will be able to get close to this green if the wind is helping and the drive finds the downslope.

Otherwise, it’s a long iron or lofted wood off the tee and a 120-yard wedge in to a green that also seems to hang out over the water.

14th PAR 4 | 401 YARDS

With the green hidden from view from the tee, this dogleg hole could play as

17th PAR 3 | 223 YARDS

■ LAKE MICHIGAN PROVIDES A STUNNING BUT DANGEROUS BACKDROP TO MANY OF THE HOLES, INCLUDING THE PAR-3 7TH (TOP) THE PAR-4 13TH (BOTTOM), AND THE PAR-4 4TH (MAIN IMAGE)

The last of the short holes is a downhill number which sits right on Lake Michigan. There’s a huge drop on the left side of the green and a significant drop-off down to a series of bunkers. Anything hit left is virtually dead, with a 25ft high wall of sand 25ft high to overcome, so hitting the green is essential at this late stage in the round.

18th PAR 4 | 515 YARDS

A superb closing hole in all formats the game, with a driver down the right side of the fairway leaving a 220-yard downhill approach to a huge, multi-levelled green that is a guarded by a creek at the front of the green and plenty of bunkers.

“The best week of my life” In an exclusive excerpt from Tony Jacklin’s brilliant new book, ‘My Ryder Cup Journey’, the four-time Ryder Cup captain gives an insight into the 1987 matches at Muirfield Village, which resulted in Europe’s first ever victory on US soil

T

he first thing I think about when I recall the 1987 matches is that we were playing in Jack’s backyard at Muirfield Village — the venue that had hosted his Memorial Tournament for years.

When we arrived, a press man stuck a microphone under my nose and demanded a prediction. “We’ll win,” I said. He asked, “How can you say that with such confidence?” My reply was, “Because… because… because.” Nick Faldo was walking behind the pair of us, and he started to babble the words “because… because… because”.

The vast bulk of the galleries were Memorial patrons, and they weren’t like the partisan crowds that had caused some of the American players to complain at The Belfry two years earlier. On the first day, both teams received polite applause; there was no special atmosphere for the home team. It was like the local decorum you see when the Memorial comes around every year.

My two powerhouse pairings — Ballesteros and Olazabal and Faldo and Woosnam — set the tone for their performances that week with victories in the morning foursomes. Then, remarkably, we hammered the Americans 4-0 in the afternoon fourballs — the first time they had ever been on the receiving end of a clean sweep in any Ryder Cup session — and it was to happen once more on the first day fourballs in 1989.

Seve and Ollie won again, as did Nick and Woosy, who

were absolutely on fire. They gelled brilliantly as they stormed to the turn in 29 shots, leaving Hal Sutton and Dan Pohl struggling to live with them.

It was 6-2 to us at the end of the day. I guess Jack thought he needed to do something drastic at that stage.

He ordered thousands of little Stars and Stripes flags and told the PGA of America to distribute them among the crowd for the second day. Jack urged the fans to be more patriotic and to make more noise, but it was a bit like shutting the gate after the horse had bolted. We were already operating at a steady gallop in our team room.

The Americans wanted the crowd to be more vociferous, but they just wouldn’t go there. The strategy would probably have worked in Boston or New York — it’s not tough getting the New Yorkers excited about their own.

I recall Faldo, who had won The Open at Muirfield a couple of months earlier, calling the second day gathering ‘rent-a-crowd’. He thought it was embarrassing to have 25,000 Americans suddenly waving Stars and Stripes flags.

It had no real effect on the matches because my guys were on a mission to conquer Everest by winning in America for the first time. At the start of the week, everyone thought the super-fast greens would work in the home team’s favour, but it turned out to be completely the opposite.

Lanny Wadkins, typically, tried to stir it up at the start of the week by pointing out that 1985 Masters champion Bernhard Langer and Seve, a four-time Major winner at

that stage, had not won in the States for two years and that they both really needed to play more in the US. I had so many world-class players in my team by then and they lapped it all up. Faldo and Woosnam maintained their unbeaten sequence by halving their morning foursomes against Hal Sutton and 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize.

I’ll never forget the last hole as Seve and Ollie faced Ben Crenshaw and Payne Stewart. Needing to get down in two from 10 feet to clinch victory, Seve sent a curling effort racing six or seven feet past the hole.

“Uh-oh, that could be a mistake,” I thought as I watched from the side of the green. But Ollie showed nerves of steel and rammed the return putt straight into the middle of the hole. Seve’s relief was palpable. Grinning from ear to ear, he strode up to his fellow Spaniard and gave him a great big bear hug, something I repeated seconds later.

What a combination they were turning out to be — three victories from three matches in their first Ryder Cup together.

They had such an indomitable spirit and a feeling of togetherness. Little wonder they would go on to prove one of the greatest partnerships in the history of the competition.

Seve and Ollie suffered a rare defeat in the afternoon fourballs, going down 2&1 to Sutton and Mize, but Faldo and Woosnam made it 3½ points from four matches by romping to a 5&4 victory over Strange and Kite. Theirs was a bit of an unlikely pairing, and I remember Woosie in particular being somewhat surprised when I announced they would be playing together, but they complemented one another so well that week.

Woosie was an up-and-at-’em, attacking type of player, while Faldo could be relied upon to be rock solid. It’s probably fair to say they weren’t exactly bosom buddies off the course, but on it, they dovetailed perfectly. It was a leftfield pairing, and it worked. It was an instinctive decision to play them together. All I did was watch everyone as closely as I could, trying to gauge body language, and I wasn’t afraid to act on a hunch.

Armed with a huge lead at 10-5 going into the singles, the pundits thought it was all over. I never entertained those sorts of thoughts — I’d been in the game too long.

You never think it’s all wrapped up. The Americans have produced several phenomenal last-day performances, and I knew golf far too well to believe that the Fat Lady was clearing her throat just yet.

I certainly felt comfortable with the lead, but you always have to wait and see what happens. That guy Murphy is never far away. Murphy’s Law can take care of a helluva lot — I can vouch for that following my experiences with Trevino in The Open at Muirfield in 1972.

It’s the easiest thing to say and the hardest thing to do but you just have to stay in the present. You’re on a slippery slope to nowhere if you allow your mind to start wandering. That’s the case with all sports, the central thing to being a winner. You have to stay in the moment and avoid going to that make-believe land of the If-ahs, the Would-ahs, the Could-ahs and the Should-ahs.

You might think you deserve it, but sport has nothing to do with deserving. It’s about staying in the now and remaining in your own bubble until you cross the finish line.

Often, as a sportsman, the more you want something, the more difficult it is to stay in the present. I strayed for a moment when I won The Open at Lytham in 1969. I was going down the 14th hole and I said to myself, “I wonder in an hour from now what it’s going to be like”. Instantly, I physically slapped myself around the face. No one knew, ■ THE EUROPEAN TEAM CELEBRATED A LONGED-FOR AWAY WIN WITH THEIR FANS IN THE PUBLIC BAR AT MUIRFIELD VILLAGE

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When we got there, all we could hear was the noise of knives and forks clinking on crockery. We walked in with the Ryder Cup trophy and the place absolutely erupted.

my caddie didn’t, the fans didn’t, but I told myself, “Stop that right now! You can’t go there”.

Going into that final day at Muirfield Village in 1987, all it needed was an early momentum surge from the Americans to put us under pressure, and, sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.

We came close to cocking it up when the score got to 12-11 in our favour, but an incident in the Eamonn DarcyBen Crenshaw match would prove pivotal — comparable perhaps to Craig Stadler missing his tiddler of a putt at The Belfry two years earlier.

Crenshaw, furious with his touch on the greens, slammed his putter into the turf at the sixth hole and broke it. Forced to putt with a one-iron the rest of the way, the odds were very firmly on a Darcy victory. Now, Eamonn had never won a full Ryder Cup point in 10 previous attempts, so if he was ever going to break his duck, this was the moment. Crenshaw did wonders to stay with him while using a makeshift putter, but I was ecstatic when my man rolled in a treacherous, downhill six-footer to pull it off at the 18th. It was an extremely difficult putt on those slick greens. The ball could have rolled 10 or 12 feet past the hole if he had missed.

A proud Eamonn punched the air in delight when it disappeared into the cup.

It was then left to Seve to secure overall victory for us by defeating Curtis Strange by a 2&1 margin.

It was time to start another party. We had great team unity again that year and everyone was whooping and hollering as twinkle-toes Olazabal began to show off his dance moves on the green. We were grateful to the couple of thousand European fans who had travelled over and backed us so well all week and Lord Derby spoke highly of us in his speech later. He said to our supporters, “You’ll always be able to say you were here for this historic moment.” I thought that very profound, right on the nose — it was a great thing to tell our merry bunch of golf enthusiasts.

I was quite emotional when it came to my turn to make a speech. I took it upon myself to introduce every player on each team and to thank them for entertaining everyone so much. It was only right to start with Jack Nicklaus. I went all the way down the line, asking for applause for every individual before I suddenly had a mental block when I got to one of the American players.

Faldo was right behind me, and he whispered, “It’s Payne Stewart, Payne Stewart.” I think I was already deaf at that stage, but eventually I got his name out. Payne showed he had taken it all in good heart because when I got back to my hotel room later that night, under my door was a picture of him with the words, “Best wishes, Payne Stewart”.

It was a very special week, in fact, I think it was more

■ SEVE BALLESTEROS AND JOSE MARIA OLAZBAL WON THREE OF THEIR FOUR MATCHES OVER THE FIRST TWO DAYS

SEVE AND OLLIE WERE AN INSPIRATIONAL PARTNERSHIP. NOT ONLY DID THEY PUSH EACH OTHER ON BUT THEY HAD A GALVANISING EFFECT ON THE WHOLE TEAM special than The Belfry had been. It was beyond even that; it was simply the ultimate. There’s only one first time and we did it at Muirfield Village. We went to see our fans in the tented village to thank them for their efforts and ended up having a few beers and celebrating with them.

I felt so strongly about the contribution our supporters had made that, when we got back to the hotel, I felt we should do even more.

I called all the guys together and said, “Look, I know you won’t want to do this, but we’ve got to go and thank the fans again.” _ ‘Oh, bloody hell,’ _was the collective response, but our cars were waiting out at the front, and we drove over to where the supporters were staying.

I TOLD THE PLAYERS that we only needed to spend a short while there to show our appreciation. I recall saying to Seve after 10 or 15 minutes, “OK, we’ve done our duty, shall we go back now?” He said, “No, no, we want to stay.

We’re happy here.” That moment, and Seve’s reply, sticks out in my mind and we continued partying with the fans for quite some time.

My players had been in command all week. Previously, it was always our team that wilted under pressure near the end of matches, but an awful lot of American balls finished up in the stream at the 18th on the final day, showing that it was now happening the other way. Jack’s guys now knew my players were supremely confident.

A different home captain might have struggled to recover from the stigma of losing in America for the first time. Not Jack, though. He was untouchable after all the Major victories he had amassed, including his sensational victory at the Masters the year before. Being beaten on home soil was never going to harm him too much. He had enjoyed such a remarkable career until then, that it would just go down as a blip on his radar screen.

Jack agreed that the 18th hole had proved pivotal to our 15-13 victory, with Crenshaw, Mize and Pohl all succumbing there. “Our guys are not as tough as the Europeans,” I recall him saying, and there was no argument about that.

For us, it seemed like we had gone through a seamless transition from 1983 to 1985 and then to 1987. We hit the ground running from the start and simply picked up where we left off at The Belfry.

I went with instinct a lot of the time when it came to the decision-making process. You can’t necessarily always explain the logic of everything you do — you haven’t got time either. It’s often all about just going with your hunches and, I’ve said this so many times in the past; you pray a lot. You go to bed at night and pray that you get everything right.

A lot goes on in a captain’s mind during a Ryder Cup week and, more than anything, you’ve got to be prepared to make snap decisions, live with them and move on.

Look at the idea to put the six-foot-two Faldo and the five-foot-four Woosie together. I don’t really know how that one evolved; maybe it was a little and large thing. I was just looking for a spark, some magic.

I always liked to keep the Spanish players together if I could, for reasons of patriotism and the simple fact that they spoke the same language. Seve and Ollie were an inspirational partnership. Not only did they push each other on, but they also had the same galvanising effect on the other ten players in our team.

That was undoubtedly the best week of my life. When it comes down to captaining a Ryder Cup team, there’s so much more on the line than when it’s just you and your performance. Winning the 1969 Open and the 1970 US Open were obviously wonderful personal accomplishments but there’s so much more attached to things when you’re leading a team of twelve men.

Hillary and Tenzing famously did it in 1953 and beating the Americans in their own backyard for the first time 34 years later was our version of climbing Everest.

We flew back to the UK on Concorde and there was a great reception for us when we landed at Heathrow Airport — a lot of people turned up to welcome us home, and it was a grand occasion. Our victory had gone down well with the public; it was clear to see. It also did wonders for the European Tour, gave our rank-and-file a lot of momentum and served to inspire many young, aspiring golfers — what more could you ask?

TONY JACKLIN: MY RYDER CUP JOURNEY is available to buy from all good bookshops for £9.99 or online from www.pegasuspublishers.com or by calling 01223 370012

[16] SEPTEMBER 2021

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PING’S RYDER CUP HIGHLIGHTS PING players and PING equipment have played a pivotal role in the Ryder Cup down the years, from Christy O’Connor’s iconic 2-iron to Seve’s magical Anser putter and Lee Westwood’s 11 appearances CHRISTY O’CONNOR JNR, 1989, THE BELFRY After failing to record a point for the team in 1975, and being overlooked for the matches in 1985, Christy O’Connor’s selection for the European team in 1989 was met with surprise from many quarters. Losing his only match before the singles, O’Connor had plenty to prove on that final day at The Belfry.

Paired against Fred Couples, the match was a ding-dong affair, with the scores tied at all-square after 17 holes. Both found the 18th fairway with their tee shots, but O’Connor had 240 yards to the hole, some 100 yards behind Couples. No matter. The 39-year-old Irishman pulled out his trusty PING 2-iron. With European captain Tony Jacklin’s ‘come on Christy, one more good swing for Ireland’ ringing in ears, O’Connor coolly went and hit the shot of his life, with the ball landing on the front of the green and settling some four feet from the cup.

Couples, clearly shaken by his opponent’s magical effort, half-shanked his approach and ultimately conceded O’Connor’s putt, giving Europe the crucial point needed for a 14-14 tie and the trophy was retained.

O’Connor’s PING 2-iron was later auctioned and raised £50,000 for a hospital in Galway.

SEVE BALLESTEROS, MUIRFIELD VILLAGE, 1987

BUBBA WATSON, MEDINAH, 2012

With his trademark forward press and putter head toe slightly raised in the air, Seve was arguably one of the best putters the game has ever seen. The five-time major champion used a PING Scottsdale Anser for most of his career, with the model offering him the perfect combination of sound and feel.

Seve’s highlight with that putter as an individual was undoubtedly the 15-footer he holed for birdie on the 18th hole at St Andrews which brought him victory in the 1984 Open Championship, but the legendary Spaniard also used his Anser to great effect in the Ryder Cup, and none was more significant than in the 1987 matches at Muirfield Village.

With Europe leading 10-6 with the singles to play, Seve was paired in the last match against Curtis Strange, America’s best player. With Team USA staging its traditional Sunday comeback, Seve needed to win his match to secure Europe’s first ever victory in the US. Two up with two to play, Seve hit his 8-iron approach at the 17th green to 20 feet and used his Ping putter to lag it to within gimme distance. Strange could do no better than par, and the match was Seve’s, which took Europe to 14.5 points and history was made.

Bubba started using a pink-shafted and pinkheaded PING driver at the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2012 as part of his Bubba & Friends Drive to a Million campaign which helped the left-hander raise over $1.3m for charity, and by the Ryder Cup came around it was firmly in his bag.

Paired with Webb Simpson in the first afternoon’s four balls, the pair combined to hand out a 5&4 beating to Paul Lawrie and Peter Hanson in a session that the USA won 3-1 to take the first day’s score to 5-3. Teamed up with the Simpson in the following morning’s foursomes, Watson lost out to the Ian Poulter and Justin Rose, with the match going to the final hole. But he came back out in the afternoon and with the help of Steve Stricker dished out another 5&4 win, this time over Rose and Francesco Molinari, to give USA a 10-6 lead going into the singles. Put out first, Watson lost 2&1 to Luke Donald as Europe won the first five matches en route to staging the ‘miracle’ 14.513.5 win.

Watson still uses a pink Ping driver to this day, and it’s still working its magic, with the 42-year-old currently averaging 305 yards off the tee.

EQUIPMENT & GEAR SEPTEMBER 2021 GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

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RYDER CUP SPECIAL IN ASSOCIATION WITH

TYRRELL HATTON, PARIS NATIONAL, 2018 Tyrrell Hatton’s rookie role in helping Europe demolish USA 17.5-10.5 in Paris three years ago is certainly worthy of note, if only for the future role that he looks destined to play in the matches to come.

Back in 2018, Hatton was seen as something of a loose cannon as a team match play competitor, given his notoriously fragile temperament, but he harnessed his energies supremely well into the team effort that week.

He twice teamed up with fellow Paul Casey, firstly in a narrow defeat to crack American duo Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, despite being eight under for the round, and then the English pair took down Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler 3&2 on Saturday. Hatton was beaten 3&2 by the unstoppable match play force of nature that is Patrick Reed in the singles, but that defeat did not detract from the overall team success and the part he played in it.

A PING player since his amateur days, Hatton earned one of the nine automatic selections for this year’s Ryder Cup matches and he will be hoping that his extra years of experience on tour, the last few of which has been spent mainly in the States, will stand him in good stead for this second appearance amid the more intimidating atmosphere that will surely face the European team at Whistling Straits.

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ, CELTIC MANOR, 2010 Somewhat bizarrely, MJA started off his Ryder Cup career as a vice-captain to Seve Ballesteros at Valderamma in 1997, but he went on to appear four times as a player between 1999 and 2010, including the recordbreaking win at Oakland Hill in 2004 and the closer affair at Celtic Manor, where Miguel earned two vital points from a possible three, including a pivotal 4&3 win over Bubba Watson in the sixth match out in the singles, which took Europe the score to 13-9. An hour later, Graeme McDowell won the final match against Hunter Mahon to reach the magical 14.5 points, and the celebrations began, with Jimenez firing up his traditional celebratory cigar.

One of the straightest drivers on tour, and with a brilliant fairway wood and long-iron game, Jimenez was a match for anyone in his prime, which has gone on longer than most. The European Tour’s oldest winner (50 and 133 days) and with most tournament appearances (710), Jimenez served as vice-captain in the 2012 and 2014 matches, but it is widely understood that he was overlooked for the Ryder Cup captaincy due to his impenetrable Spanish accent, thus robbing the world of what would surely have been a memorable winning speech.

THE EUROPEAN CROWD AT CELTIC MANOR TOOK DELIGHT IN CHEERING EVERY PRACTICE SWING BUBBA TOOK WITH HIS PINK-SHAFTED PING DRIVER LEE WESTWOOD, 11 RYDER CUPS, 1997-2021

MARK JAMES THE BELFRY, 1993 A PING player throughout his career, Mark James was a key figure in Europe’s transformation from Ryder Cup runner’s up to regular winners, playing in seven matches between 1977 and 1995, and captaining the team at Brookline in 1999 at the age of 46.

The straight-talking Yorkshireman was a doughty competitor and never gave much away on the golf course, but he possessed an iron will to win, racking up 32 professional victories in his career.

Unafraid to make the hard calls as Ryder Cup captain, James controversially left out Faldo and Langer from the team in 1999 at Brookline, and then benched Jean van de Velde, Jarmo Sandelin and Andrew Coltart for the foursomes and fourballs, with all three losing their singles matches in Europe’s 14.5-13.5 defeat.

After moving to the senior tour in 2003, James became the first European player to win a senior major in the States with victory at the 2004 Ford Senior Players Championship.

Alongside Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood is the Ryder Cup personified over the last 20-odd years, with the 48-yearold Englishman preparing for his 11th appearance following his debut at Valderamma in 1997, a figure only matched by Sir Nick Faldo.

His playing record of 20 wins from 48 matches, with 18 losses and six halves, makes for impressive reading, and does his record of being on seven winning teams. He was unbeaten throughout the matches 2004 and 2006, winning seven ties and halving the remaining three.

Although still someway short of Raymond Floyd’s record of being the oldest Ryder Cup player - 51 – Westwood will be twice the age of some of his rivals in 2021.

A lifelong PING staff player, Westwood currently has 49 career wins to his name, including 25 European Tour titles and two PGA Tour titles. He has won the European money list three times, with a 20-year gap between his first order of merit in 2000, and his most recent in 2020.

Following his victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship last year, he also has the distinction of having won in four different decades, with his first professional win coming at the 1996 Scandinavian Masters. During his career, Westwood has spent over seven years in the world’s top 10 and held the world no.1 spot for 22 weeks during the 2010-11 season.

[18] SEPTEMBER 2021

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HITMAN H AT T O N ’ S UP FOR THE CUP With another big win under his belt at the start of the year, 29-year-old Tyrrell Hatton is hoping to round out another successful season by helping Europe to retain the Ryder Cup that he played a part in winning in Paris three years ago ■ How important was winning in Abu Dhabi at

Dhabi? How nice was that to hear? the start of the year in kick starting your push to It’s always nice to be talked about in such positive qualify for the Ryder Cup? terms by anyone, but especially by Padraig. I’m not Getting into the Ryder Cup team is obviously a sure what he meant by it, but I guess he’s looking consequence playing consistently well through the for players to play their way into the team with good qualifying period. Getting a win is always tough, performances over a long period of time, proven and especially in a Rolex Series event, where the winners and those who hopefully can contribute fields are at their strongest, so it was good for my to the team. I hope I tick a few of those boxes and confidence, and my Ryder Cup hopes, to win in Abu I know that I’ll be trying my hardest to win my Dhabi, especially against such world matches. class opposition.

It was a goal of mine right from ■ Your qualification for the WHAT’S IN the start of the qualifying process team went down to the wire, so TYRRELL to make the team this year, and how much of a relief to have it HATTON’S hopefully carry on where we left off finally confirmed at the PGA at BAG? in Paris, and winning in Abu Dhabi Wentworth? certainly did my chances no harm..

Yeah, it was a huge relief to get DRIVER Although my recent run of form over the line. It actually took me PING G425 LST (9.5°) hasn’t been great, I’m hoping I’m a little bit by surprise, but a lot of not too far away now. players have had strong run-ins FAIRWAY WOODS to the qualifying period, so the PING G425 LST 3 competition for those last few ■ How much did you enjoy your (14°), PING G425 places was pretty intense. That Ryder Cup debut in Paris and how MAX 7 (19.5°) was what Padraig [Harrington] had much was that motivation for you UTILITY IRON been hoping for, to get players to try and get back there again?

PING G410 who were in form playing their way Paris was the best golfing CROSSOVER (20.5°) into the team, and that’s got to be experience of my life to date. Having no bad thing. the home fans there, and seeing IRONS that first tee with the grandstand PING I210 (4-PW) packed, was just amazing. I ■ You’ve been around the top 10 WEDGES absolutely loved the whole week. in the world rankings since your PING GLIDE 3.0 (50°) Winning my first point with Paul win at the Arnold Palmer at the TITLEIST VOKEY SM8 [Casey] against Dustin Johnson and beginning of 2020, but do you (54°, 60°) Rickie Fowler was an incredible ever have to pinch yourself experience. I was disappointed not about where you are in the PUTTER to win my singles against Patrick game?

PING VAULT OSLO Reed, but it didn’t detract from the I’ve definitely been doing team result and I was just honoured a little bit of pinching. to be a part of it and for my first Ryder Cup to be a winning one.

I’m sure it will be a very different experience playing away, and without the usual number of European fans, but I’ve spent a lot of time playing in the States without support, so it won’t feel like a totally alien environment.

■ Padraig Harrington described you as a ‘Ryder

Cup captain’s dream’ after you won in Abu

■ HATTON IS HOPING TO ADD TO HIS RYDER CUP POINTS TALLY AT WHISTLING STRAITS

It’s just very surreal to be that high in the world rankings. I’ve been fortunate to win four times in the last 18 months or so, and all four of them were big events, and they carried big ranking points, and outside of those wins, I’ve still had a few topfive and tens, and I’ve just been going about my business. And if you’re able to do that the world rankings take care of themselves.

It’s not something I dwell on too much, whether I’m better or worse than anyone else. I just give it my best shot and see what happens. Yes, it’s very cool to see my name up there alongside some of those players, but you can’t for a minute think your better than anyone else. There’s only one way when you start thinking like that. Having said that, I do feel comfortable playing in the big events now, and although I’m still looking to see some better results in the Majors, I know that on a good day I can mix it with the best.

■ You’ve put a lot of your success down to the

partnership you’ve built with your caddy, Mick Donaghy. What is it specifically that he has brought to your game?

Mick’s brilliant. He’s got so much experience. As a caddy he’s won, what is it, four times the amount that I’ve won. So yeah, the experience he has is great, and we get on really well away from the course, too. We’ve had a fantastic run so far. I love our partnership and hope that it continues for a very long time.

■ You married your long-time girlfriend, Emily,

over the summer. How is life treating you as a married man? Might it change your outlook on the golf course at all?

It’s certainly changed my waistline, because I somewhat overindulged during the honeymoon, so I need to get back in the gym and sort myself out. The wedding day didn’t go quite as planned, what with Covid and everything, but it was still very special.

As far as my outlook on the golf course goes, I’ve certainly got better at managing myself. There have been times in the past where I have probably thrown away tournaments by getting in my own way, but I’m better at dealing with those pressurised situations now. That’s not to say I’m not going to do that again in the future, but I try my best to stay calm. Sometimes that’s not always possible, when you’re tired or you get bad breaks or stuff that’s out of your control, when you’ve done everything you think it right and it doesn’t go your way, obviously it’s frustrating, so I have to learn to deal with it. It’s a work in progress!

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