golfweloveit

A message to everyone,

Every two years Europe and the United States of America come together. We are united by the shared values of sportsmanship and our desire to defeat a formidable opponent. In doing so, we witness some incredible displays of determination, passion and spirit.

When Europe takes on the United States in The Ryder Cup it is always fiercely contested but it is just golf. It is not a matter of life and death.

Fighting Coronavirus is.

Today Europe and the United States are united like never before. We have a formidable opponent, but it is not each other. It is like nothing we have ever faced before.

Defeating Coronavirus won’t happen in three days. It won’t happen because of the efforts of only 12 men. It needs all of us to play our part. So while Europe and the America once again come together, we also stand as one with all of our friends around the world during this unprecedented global crisis.

As Ryder Cup Captains, we proudly represent all the players, caddies, staff and partners of the European Tour and PGA of America and we speak on behalf of every single one of them when we say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected.

We also speak for them when we say that we are all moved by the incredible determination, passion and spirit we are witnessing from our health professionals, key workers and everyone else on the front line in this battle. We are all indebted to the incredible work they are all doing.

Last week, some of the world’s leading golfers featured in a social media video thanking our heroes. We want to take this opportunity to reiterate our sincere gratitude to all of you once more.

Today is #WorldHealthDay. It should also be a day when we are all at Augusta National for the first Major of the 2020 season, but golf is insignificant right now. Instead of celebrating someone in a Green Jacket, this week we rightly celebrate those selfless people around the world wearing scrubs, wearing white coats, wearing supermarket uniforms, together with everyone else working round the clock to protect us and keep the world functioning. You are our true heroes.

For them, we urge everyone to please stay safe, stay healthy and stay home. And stand united.

Padraig Harrington, European Ryder Cup Captain and Steve Stricker, United States Ryder Cup Captain

The 47th Walker Cup matches at Royal Liverpool GC got off to a fine start this morning at Hoylake with each match finishing on the 17th green and the score was 2-2. The biannual amateur match between Great Britain and Ireland and the United States started in benign conditions.

European Tour winner Matt Fitzpatrick was in the gallery of his younger brother Alex who partnered Conor Purcell to a 2&1 victory over Andy Ogiltree and John Augenstein. The United States Team gained the next point with John Pak, who admitted to being nervous playing in front of the large galleries, and Isiah Sakunda who beat Sandy Scott and Euan Walker.

GB&I’s Harry Hall and Connor Gough took the third point 2&1 beating Stewart Hagestad and Akshay Bhatia and Brandon Wu and Alex Smalley won 2&1 against Tom Sloman and Thomas Plumb.

The afternoon singles draw is as follows:

United States vs. Great Britain & Ireland
Cole Hammer vs. Alex Fitzpatrick
Steven Fisk vs. Euan Walker
Andy Ogletree vs. Sandy Scott
John Augenstein vs. Conor Purcell
John Pak vs. James Sugrue
Isaiah Salinda vs. Conor Gough
Alex Smalley vs. Caolan Rafferty
Brandon Wu vs. Tom Sloman

This means that all 12 men on both sides will have played on the first day.

So many of us have been shocked this morning to hear of the sudden passing of Gordon Brand Jnr, who was playing on the StaySure tour only recently and commentating for radio at the Open Championship just two weeks ago. He was a very fine player, feisty competitor and proud Ryder Cup player.

It feels very odd when golfers who I have grown up with – though a decade or more ahead – start to leave us. The loss of Seve Ballesteros felt very wrong, losing Payne Stewart was a shock and around this time last year the upsetting loss of Bruce Lietzke. But when a passing is so sudden and unexpected as Gordon’s was it is very sad. Condolences to his family and his many friends on tour.

President Trump has sacked the employee who re designed the Presidential Seal of Office which had the eagle clutching a set of golf cluns.

The eagle’s left talon clutches not arrows, but a bundle of golf clubs. Remember the olive branch that is traditionally held in the right talon? Now it’s a wad of cash. And wait. Why does the eagle have two heads instead of one? Turns out this is exactly the way the eagle in Russia’s coat of arms looks, a not-so-subtle nod to the president’s deep ties to that country. In case that wasn’t blatant enough, instead of “E pluribus unum,” the eagle’s banner reads “45 es un títere,” Spanish for “Trump is a puppet.” Really.

On Sunday after he had finished his media commitments, Open Champion Shane Lowry headed south to Dublin to celebrate with his family and friends. Later on, this week, he left his family home in Clara, County Offaly, headed by a marching band, to the local Celtic Football club where 10,000 fans waited to cheer him on. They have re named the Open Championship trophy, the Clara Jug.

If you click on the link on twitter you’ll see a fan has recorded the moment when Sergio Garcia tossed a club at his caddie on Sunday, causing the gallery to gasp.

He was very contrite the last time his behaviour was discussed but doesnt seem to mean it. It’s time for the sport’s  authorities to step in now. We tolerate bad behaviour from the pros – and it is top players who do this – spitting, urinating in front of spectators or in the sight of TV cameras, and frequent bad language. But Sergio’s temper tantrums need to be put a stop to. He needs time out from competition.

https://mobile.twitter.com/rayowensmu20/status/1153651236996091905

An American golf fan has unwittingly won $1,000. He thought that he had placed his $20 wager on Shane Lowry to win the US Open after hearing a television pundit recommend him. He found his mistake when he found the betting slip which had The Open on it rather than US Open.

This shows how some American golf fans persist in referring to their national US Open championship “the open” whilst not realising that what they call “the British” is always known as “The Open Championship”. A lucky mistake!