The longest three months of the year for a fan of the PGA Tour ranges from the Mercedes Championship until the world’s best finally ascend on Augusta National Golf Club in early April. For those of us in foul weather climates, it also signals the unofficial start to the golf season. The Masters is not my favorite event, that honor belongs to the Ryder Cup, but it is always my most anticipated.

The Favorite:

Tiger Woods – With Tiger’s act at Bay Hill two weeks ago, he officially cemented himself as the favorite to win his 5th green jacket and his first since 2005. I get a sense that Tiger really wants this one, more so than usual. Being out of the winner’s circle there for the past three years has no doubt annoyed him. Plus, winning that first major after reconstructive ACL surgery is an important moment in his quest for 18, and he wants it now.

The Next Wave:

Paul Casey – Finally broke through with an impressive victory in Houston last week in extremely difficult conditions. Always a solid performer in majors, it wouldn’t shock me to see Casey do the double.

Padraig Harrington – Certainly overshadowed by Tiger’s return to major competition is the fact that Paddy has won the last two contested. The guy has the game to win on ANY course and his confidence in majors has never been higher. A virtual lock for a top 10 at week’s end.

Robert Karlsson – The United States might have won the Ryder Cup, and Ian Poulter might have picked up the most points, but no one impressed me more than this guy. I predict big things for him in ‘09, and it could start at Augusta. Love Karlsson’s talents.

Phil Mickelson – I don’t particularly like him this week, but NO ONE is more streaky than Phil. Two wins already on the season, but has been in poor form of late. Nothing this guy does on the golf course surprises me anymore, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Geoff Ogilvy – Love him this week. He’s a high ball hitter. He currently ranks #1 on the PGA Tour in putting, and he’s off to a great start in 2009. He is the 2nd best player in the world when he has it going.

Vijay Singh – Still recovering from knee surgery, but he’s won here before. Granted, it was nine years ago.
Camilo Villegas – Best player in the world between ages 20 and 30 (Rory McIlroy is 19). The next step is winning a major.

Lee Westwood – Still waiting for him to break through in a major. He had his best chance last year at Torrey Pines finishing one shot out of a playoff. I’m not giving up on him yet.

Sleepers:

Qualifications for sleepers: above average length, exceptional short game, proven winner, and the guts to win a major, so that’s gives us… Aaron Baddeley, Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan, Rory McIlroy, Sean O’Hair, Andres Romero, and Justin Rose (Rose always starts well at Augusta). My apologies to Trevor Immelman and Zach Johnson, but I just don’t see it happening again.

And The Winner Is…

Geoff Ogilvy. Although I will claim partial credit if he finishes runner up to Tiger.

Enjoy the Tournament!

Patrick Keegan

In previous years, the United States Ryder Cup team would have been announced by now.

The tradition is that the 10 players who had garnered the most Ryder Cup points plus the two captain’s picks would have already been decided by the end of the PGA Championship, which finished two weeks ago.

However, US captain Paul Azinger has decided that a different method is required, especially with the Americans suffering three straight defeats to their European rivals.

Azinger, whose team take on Europe at Valhalla Golf Club from September 16-21, has asked for, and has been granted, four captain’s picks instead of two.

He has also delayed naming the team until mid-way through the four FedExCup play-off tournaments, the first of which is the ongoing Barclays in New Jersey.

This means he can announce his squad by September 2 at the latest, choosing players who are more in form closer to the actual event in Louisville, Kentucky.

After years of American dominance, the Europeans finally emerged as serious contenders in the late 80s.

Such has been the turnaround in fortunes that, over the past few editions, Europe have now become the favourites whenever players from both sides of the Atlantic tee-up together.

Not even the presence of Tiger Woods in the American team seemed to work. Indeed, it proved to be more of a burden, especially when he was paired with Phil Mickelson.

With players like British Open and PGA Championship winner Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia leading the way, Europe will again start this year’s tournament as favourites.

Still, Azinger hopes his policy of picking “hot players” will knock the Europeans off stride. This is in addition to players whose heart will be fully turned on to winning.

Players like Kenny Perry, who missed out on the British Open so he could concentrate on his Ryder Cup ranking.

Perry is determined that he is in the US team as they play in his hometown course.

Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim will provide the Americans with quality while watch out also for Rocco Mediate, the man who took Woods to a play-off at the US Open earlier this year.

He will be using the FedExCup series in order the make the US team and recapture some of that magic that at times cast a spell on Tiger at Torrey Pines.

Woods, of course, will not be there because of a knee injury that will keep him out until next year.

However, he has never really been a team player – a necessary trait for one who has won 14 major titles – and the US might find more cohesion without him.

Tiger Woods has congratulated Padraig Harrington for his PGA Championship victory, while at the same time expressing frustration that he wasn’t there to battle it out with the Irishman.

Writing in his newsletter, Woods said he watched some of the action unfold at Oakland Hills last week when Harrington won his second straight major after the Open at Royal Birkdale.

US Open winner Woods, of course, had won the PGA Championship the previous two times but was unable to compete in the final two majors of the season because of a knee injury that will keep him out of action until at least next season. He wrote:

“I watched some of the PGA Championship and want to congratulate Padraig Harrington on his wins at the British and PGA. As a two-time defending PGA champion, it was a lot more frustrating not to be competing and that hurts the most.

“The thing I miss the most about not competing is the fight. I’ve gone through this experience before, so I knew what I was in for. I know I’m in no condition to beat anybody right now, so I don’t have a problem with not being able to compete.”

Woods is happy with his recovery so far but said he would not be able to even attempt a swing until next year.

Meanwhile, Harrington’s victory last week bodes well for defending champions Europe at this year’s Ryder Cup.

Nick Faldo’s team not only have a bunch of Europeans, led by Harrington, itching to win in the United States’ backyard but they won’t have to contend with Tiger – not that Woods has ever been a major factor in team events.

But two-time Open winner Harrington is likely to be the target of American players according to some reports.

PGA Tour player Boo Weekley said in a Belfast Telegraph article that there will be a queue of Americans eager to take him on. Said Weekley:

“He’s got a target on his back – yes, sir. I want to beat anybody I tee it up against and it would be an honour to beat him. I’m ready to go out now. It doesn’t matter who Paul puts me against.”

However, golfing legend Jack Nicklaus is still backing the US to reclaim the trophy at the Valhalla Club on the course he designed. He said his only advice to US captain Paul Azinger was to let the players “go out and play”.

Kenny Perry won for the third time in five starts as he emerged from a three-way play-off to lift the John Deere Classic title in Silvis, Illinois.

Perry’s ambition at the start of the year was to quietly make the US Ryder Cup team without any fuss or fanfare. No such luck if he keeps winning the way he has this season.

He beat rookie Brad Adamonis and Jay Williamson over one extra hole after a bogey on the 18th prevented him from winning the tournament in regulation.

He replayed the 18th in the play-off, tapping from just over one foot for victory while his two rivals hit their approach shots into the water. Perry won $756,000 for his 12th career victory.

The 47-year-old said “I don’t want Tiger status”, but he might not have a choice given his recent track record.

He is now a lock for the Ryder Cup and lies second to Woods in the FedEx Cup standings. After losing in the play-offs of the AT&T Classic in May, he won The Memorial. After a sixth place in the Travelers Championship, he triumphed at the Buick Open.

His Ryder Cup ambitions are fuelled by the fact that it is being held in Valhalla, near where he lives and on a course he is familiar with. As for his achievements, he has already done more than what he promised his father when he was a budding pro. He said in an AP article:

“I told my dad I was going to make the PGA Tour and win a tournament. My goal was never to be a superstar. I just wanted to make a living and support my kids. I don’t want to live in a fishbowl.”

Perry and Adamonis closed with one-under par 70 while Williamson finished on 69. The trio totalled 16-under 268, one stroke ahead of Charlie Wi (69), Will MacKenzie (70) and Eric Axley (69).

On the European Tour, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell tuned up for the British Open by winning the Scottish Open by two strokes at the Loch Lomond Golf Club.

McDowell closed with 68 for a total of 13-under-par 271 to beat out South Africa’s James Kingston, who shot 66 in his final round for 273.

Australia’s Richard Green and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez were tied for third on 274, both closing with 69. South African Ernie Els, one of the favourites for the Open title at Royal Birkdale, was tied for ninth on 277 along with a former Open winner, Paul Lawrie.

American Phil Mickelson, the world number two, ended the tournament on two-under 282 in a six-way tie for 38th.

It was McDowell’s second victory of the season following his triumph at the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea in March, lifting him to sixth place in the European Ryder Cup standings. He said in a European Tour website article that playing the Ryder Cup is a major ambition.

“The Ryder Cup, I put it up there with winning majors. The Ryder Cup is something that I’ve really, really wanted to do. I desperately, desperately wanted to be on The Ryder Cup Team. I refused to be measured up last week at The European Open for my clothing and for my suits – maybe I’ll accept that invitation next time I get it.”

On the LPGA Tour, Paula Creamer won the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, making the most of her magnificent 11-under-par 60 in the opening round.

The 21-year-old Creamer came close to a 59 on Thursday but never came close to that form again for the rest of the week. But it was still enough for a 16-under-par 268 and a two-stroke victory over Nicole Castrale. Korean Ji Eun-hee was third on 13-under.

Teenager Feng Shanshan made history for China when she finished in fourth place, four shots off the winner. It was a career best performance for the 18-year-old, who is the first exempt member of the LPGA from China.

Inspired by Pak Se-ri’s triumph 10 years ago, Park In-bee became the youngest winner of the US Women’s Open title when she triumphed by four strokes at Interlachen in Edina, Minnesota.

Just short of her 20th birthday, Park replaced Pak as the youngest winner, having first been introduced to the game by watching her older compatriot win the same tournament 10 years ago.

The nine-year-old Park was awoken by her screaming parents, who were celebrating Pak’s victory on television in Seoul. Only days later, she played golf for the first time, determined to one day emulate her idol.

And she did it in style, dominating the final 10 holes as she left second-placed Helen Afredsson far behind. She said in an AP article:

“When she (Pak) made a putt, they were screaming. So I really could not sleep. I didn’t know anything about golf back then, but I was watching her. It was very impressive for a little girl. I just thought that I could do it, too. Really, I can’t believe I just did this, especially with all these big names on the trophy that have been very, very successful with golf. Hopefully, I’ll put a couple of my names on there. It will be great.”

Two birdies and a par on the way back to the clubhouse was enough to silence the pack as Park closed with two-under-par 71 for a four-round total of nine-under 283.

She picked up a cheque for $585,000 as well as a soaking from her compatriots Jang Jeong and Kim In-kyung, who poured celebratory beer all over her. Park became the third player in the last six years to use this tournament for her debut victory on the LPGA Tour.

Tied for third, one stroke behind Alfredsson were Angela Park, Kim and Stacy Lewis, who was attempting to win a major tournament on her pro debut.

While Park was becoming the young women’s US open champion, Kenny Perry was flying the flag for forty-somethings on the PGA Tour when he won the Buick Open for the second time.

The 48-year-old shot a six-under-par 66 in the final round for a total of 19-under-par 270 and a one-stroke victory over Woody Austin and Bubba Watson.

The triumph is probably enough to confirm Perry’s place in the United States team to contest the Ryder Cup against Europe this year at Valhalla.

Austin blew his chance to win the tournament after finishing with two straight bogeys for a fourth round of 68. Watson narrowly missed a play-off chance when he failed to hole a 12-foot putt on the final green.

Bob Tway, Ken Duke and Matt Jones tied for third on 271.

Perry’s main concern this year is to make the Ryder Cup because it is being played at a course that is near his home. It was also where he lost the 1996 PGA Championship in a play-off to Mark Brooks. He said on the PGA Tour website:

“I just feel like I needed to go back there. I want to go back, end of my career; it’s the icing on the cake for me to be able to play at my age. I’ll be 48 when it comes, and just in front of my home folks, just something I wanted to do.”

On the European Tour, Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal held off a strong chasing pack to win the French Open at Le Golf National with a total of 15-under-par 269.

Larrazabal, whose footballing compatriots won the European Championship later that night in Austria, carded a final round of four-under 67 to finish four shots clear of former Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie.

Denmark’s Soren Hansen was third on 274 with Australian Richard Green a further two strokes back in fourth place.

Larrazabal, who was a caddie for his brother five years ago, had to come through two rounds of qualifying to play in the tournament and was an outsider given his ranking of 481. Even he was at a loss to explain his victory, as he said on the European Tour website:

“I promise you I don’t know what I did. I know that today I played great golf. Today and yesterday was probably the best golf of my life. I played great golf at the qualifying tournament as well. Montgomerie is probably one of the greatest players in the history of The European Tour. I feel great. Right now I know that I can play like those guys so this is amazing.”

Tiger Woods’ strength-sapping victory at the US Open on Monday has come at a heavy cost. The world number one will need to have further surgery on his left knee and is out for the rest of the season.

This means he will miss the final two majors of the year, the British Open at Royal Birkdale and the PGA Championship.

Woods said he had sustained a double stress fracture of his left tibia during his preparations for a return to the PGA Tour. The injury meant he could not play in the Memorial tournament and it was this ailment that caused him to wince in pain after many tee-shots at the Torrey Pines course in San Diego last week.

Woods played the US Open against doctors’ orders after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on April 15, just days after finishing second at the US Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

He teed off at Torrey Pines last Thursday in his first start since recovering from the operation and without even walking 18 holes.

To add to the toll on his knee, he was involved in a gruelling play-off with fellow American Rocco Mediate on Monday, eventually winning his 14th major title on the 91st hole.

He was quoted in an AP news bulletin as saying it was time for him to obey his doctors so that he doesn’t cause any more damage to the fragile knee. He said:

“Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is to listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee.”

If he holds true to his word, it means he will miss a major tournament for the first time in his career, going back to the 1997 Masters. He is also forced to withdraw from the US Ryder Cup team for their match against Europe in September.

This year’s Ryder Cup competition could have a Gallic flavour if Raphael Jacquelin and his French legion have something to do with it.

Frenchmen have won two of the past three European Tour events and Jacquelin is hoping the country can have a strong presence in the European squad who are defending the Cup at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky this September.

Thomas Levet, who played in the 2004 Ryder Cup, won the Andalucia Open last month while Gregory Bourdy triumphed at the Portuguese Open the following week.

Jacquelin is trying to defend his title at this week’s Asian Open in Shanghai, a tournament that is jointly sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour. He said in a Reuters report:

“It is not a big surprise as the French group is improving a lot. We are all working hard to compete at the top in Europe and maybe later the top of the world. There is a lot of competition and it is good. It’s the way to go. And maybe we will see a French player in the Ryder Cup team at the end of the year.”

Another Frenchman who is coming up the ranks is 23-year-old Michael Lorenzo-Vera, who finished second equal at the China Open last week.

Bourdy and Levet are 29th and 30th respectively in the European Tour Order of Merit while Jacquelin is 63rd, three places behind Lorenzo-Vera.

Bourdy was 16th in the European Ryder Cup rankings on April 21, 2008, the highest-ranked Frenchman, while Levet was 40th. Lorenzo-Vera was number 50 while Jacquelin was 63rd. Only the top 10 qualify automatically for the Ryder Cup team, to be captained by Nick Faldo.

Less than a day after writing about the frustrating, if gilded, career of Sandy Lyle I find myself ruminating once more on the state of Scottish golf.

Colin Montgomerie speaking both from the heart and with sense has publicly stated his frustration with the lack of talent emerging from the home of golf:

“We’ve been going through a transition for 30 years, like our rugby team. We never come out of it, really, our transition with football is the same. There are Scottish golfers coming through but not to the same degree as the other home countries – the Irish and Welsh and English have more coming through.

We have some but there’s no one particularly coming through. My partner at the World Cup which we won in China, Marc Warren, springs to mind. He’s got great potential, only 26 years old. He’s the best of the bunch, and let’s hope we can have more of his talent coming through.

At least golf, I suppose, I’ve managed to play on the Ryder Cup team for the last few times so at least I have some representation. And if I don’t play this year, we might not have a representative, well, for the first time in modern history, so we’ve got to get going.”

Wise words that should really worry any of us that take any sort of interest in Scottish golf: which given the nation’s standing in the game should be pretty much all of us.

Let’s look back to before Monty arrived on the scene. We’ll take the Ryder Cup team of 1987 as our starting point: Ken Brown, Gordon Brand Junior, Sam Torrance and Sandy Lyle made up a Saltire clad quartet.

Now arguably some of these players never made the impact that they could have, or should have, but Scotland was still producing a quarter of the Ryder Cup team that triumphed in the US.

Ten years on and Monty was the lone Scot in the team. Now, clearly the competition has got stiffer but which Scots have actually threatened to consistently join Monty as part of Europe’s elite? Paul Lawrie won a deserved Open at Carnoustie but his was a once in a lifetime moment when fate, luck, skill and grit combined in one glorious winning moment.

Andrew Coltart joined the Monty and Lawrie for the Brookline Ryder Cup in 1999 and has enjoyed a steady if not quite inspirational career. Others have threatened a breakthrough but none have delivered on their potential.

Marc Warren seems to be the hope of the moment and he will be hoping for a good season having planned his schedule to maximise his opportunities. But his aim this year in to improve his world ranking. The Ryder Cup would be an unexpected bonus.

In 2006 Warren was named European Rookie of the Year: the eleventh Scot to be so honoured since 1966. But the trick is not to be recognised for your achievements as a rookie – it’s turning the potential into sustained success on the tour that matters.

Tellingly Monty mentions football and rugby as well. The sporting malaise has begun to cover almost every sport in the country. Maybe the training is wrong, maybe the support networks are insufficient. It is difficult to tell but something has to change. The small country argument is often used but doesn’t wash when other small countries produce better results as a matter of course. And the argument is particularly poor when there are simply so many opportunities for golfers to hone their talent across Scotland’s mammoth range of facilities.

I can only hope that Monty’s comments will stir someone into action and that the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup both being hosted in Scotland in 2014 will inspire some youngsters.

Because right now, I am afraid, for a country that has produced 55 Major winners, one grumpy tennis star and a world championship winning elephant polo team just doesn’t cut the mustard.

One of Europe’s most popular golfers hopes to return to the fray of competitive action later this month. His many fans will be hoping that Jose Maria Olazabal can roll back the years and recapture the form that made him a double winner at Augusta.

The major wins, the Ryder Cup partnership with Seve, have ensured that Olly has been a star of the European golfing scene for almost as long as I can remember. He was also responsible for a couple of my favourite golfing quotes.

On a drizzly morning at the Open one year Olazabal was treated to an early morning tee off time that no one in their right minds would want. His designer stubble that day may have been caused simply by the time saving expediency of not shaving. It did not escape unnoticed.

In the commentary booth Alec Hay commented after a well shaped drive that Jose “had a sensible head on his young shoulders.”

Summoning all the disdain and disapproval that he normally reserves for the madness of the modern world Peter Alliss replied:

“Yes, doesn’t always choose to shave it though, does he?”

The second quote came after one of his victories at Augusta. The impeccably dressed anchor man of the sort that America excels in asked Jose if he “was hungry for success?”

Turning the mundane into the memorable and floored by the language divide Olly replied:

“Yes, I missed breakfast and lunch so by the final holes I was very hungry!”

Amazingly the anchor man didn’t miss a beat as he moved on to his next question. They clone them well in TV land!

And Olly also holds one of golf’s most bizarre records. Travelling to the now infamous 1999 Ryder Cup Jose holed a putt that travelled the whole length of Concorde’s cabin. The ball was in motion for over 26 seconds. At the speed the plane was travelling that meant the ball travelled a total distance of 9.232 miles. The rest of the trip was not quite as enjoyable!

Now with his 42nd birthday fast approaching it looks like Olazabal’s best years are behind him. Injuries which have troubled his career have been joined by a form of rheumatism that has kept him out of action for the past four months.

The outlook is now good although he expects his return to action to be a long hard slog. His involvement in the Ryder Cup is assured, he is one of Nick Faldo’s vice captains, but he harbours hopes of playing.

A private man off the course he has earned the respect of millions of fans across the world. Even as the twilight of his career approaches he has proved when fit that he can remain competitive. There will be bad weeks of course but the good weeks still seem to show some promise that he has one last “big” one left. If others slip up, if he remains consistent then who knows? A third place finish in the 2006 Masters was proof of his enduring potential on the biggest stage.

A big victory would push Olly into Ryder Cup contention – motivation enough for one of Europe’s most enduring successes in the event – and give millions of golf fans across the world pleasure in celebrating with one the game’s greats.

In a previous post, I mentioned that it might be time to do away with the Presidents Cup. After all, with the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, the Americans have a major team event every year. This seems like too much. Especially with the new Fed Ex playoffs, which forces top players to compete every week leading into the matches. Well, after thinking about the subject – and more importantly – watching and enjoying the Presidents Cup, I’ve changed my mind. Maybe it’s time to do away with the Ryder Cup. I say lets invite the Europeans to play in the Presidents Cup instead. I know, I know – the Ryder Cup has history. And yes, I love the Ryder Cup and can say without much shame – have secretly rooted for the Europeans for years. Hey, cut me some slack – how can you not root for Seve Ballesteros? So why now do I want to do away with the Ryder Cup? Simple, Jack Nicklaus! He’ll never be Ryder Cup captain again – but there’s a good chance he’ll be back to captain the Presidents Cup. And the Americans need him. That is…if they want to continue playing up to full potential.

Simply, Jack Nicklaus, with the power of his personality, has transformed the Presidents Cup. For the first time, Americans are playing loose. They’re playing like the Europeans in the Ryder Cup. Nicklaus has brought the game back to a competition and not a spectacle. He realizes that these guys know how to play golf and there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Give them the ball and let them play. That’s it! Nothing more complicated than that. Please take note Paul Azinger.

One thing I loved about Nicklaus’ captaincy was his team selection process. Simply, he asked his best players whom they wanted to play with. “Hey Tiger – who do you want?” Sounds pretty simple to me. No computer models needed. Just gut instinct from the world’s best players. True genius is always simple.

So, I’m not sure if we can get the Ryder Cup fellows to play in the Presidents Cup (with Jack Nicklaus as captain of course) – but if possible, we should try. Either that or continue our biennial disappointment. I would also be okay with Jack Nicklaus becoming permanent Ryder Cup captain. Then I think we would have chances against the fun-loving Euros. I figure Jack has at least 5 more cups in him. By then, Tiger Woods could be playing captain and we’d be set for years. With Jack and Tiger leading the troops for the next 40 or so years — who could ask for more?

Quick show of hands — How many of you are anxiously awaiting the Presidents Cup?

Okay, you in the back — put your hand down.

What started as a much needed event has turned into overkill. With the Ryder Cup reaching unprecedented heights in popularity – the Presidents Cup seems like the proverbial red-headed step child. The media isn’t interested. The fans aren’t interested. And of course, the players aren’t interested. It’s my guess – if not for the reverence players have for Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, some would even consider staying home. And don’t think for a moment the PGA Tour and Tim Finchem didn’t take that into account when asking Jack and Gary back to captain. They knew interest was waning with players and the two greats were the Tour’s ace in the hole.

I know the argument — if we do away with The Presidents Cup, what will happen to the international players? There are too many good players not to have some type of team competition.

So what to do?

I say invite them to the Ryder Cup…

Here’s my proposal. Have the Europeans and Americans play next year for the Ryder Cup. Then for arguments sake — lets say the Americans win…the following year, America gets to play the Internationals…Europe sits out…then, whoever wins the match between America and the Internationals would play Europe the following year…and so on and so on…if you keep winning — you keep playing…if you lose — you sit out a year.

This would make winning the Cup much more meaningful and more importantly, it would make losing the Cup much more painful. There would be world-wide interest and it wouldn’t dilute world-class team matches like the current schedule

So, if you’re listening Tim Finchem – do away with the Presidents Cup. I know you’re concerned about the loss of revenue, but I promise — the interest in the new Ryder Cup will be enormous and the corporate revenue will double. It will be a true win-win.

And once and for all — we’ll have a true world-class team competition.

The 2006 Ryder Cup was not only a great showcase for the Republic of Ireland as a golfing and tourist destination but it also gave the country a major economic boost.

According to a new report by Deloitte & Touche, commissioned by the Irish Tourism Development Authority, last year’s tournament resulted in a record 143 million euro being injected into the Irish economy.

This was above the expected 130 million-euro impact of the Ryder Cup, the world’s most famous and most prestigious inter-continental team event between the United States and Europe. It was also a 32 per cent increase on the 2002 Ryder Cup in England.

Spectators visiting Ireland for the tournament spent an average of 526 euro a day while corporate guests shelled out 500 euro a day. Total spectator spending was up 60 per cent compared to the Belfry four years prior.

The accounting firm points out that these are only conservative estimates and the real amount is likely to be higher, probably closer to a staggering 240 million euro.

Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills was quoted on the European Tour website as saying that the figures show just how popular the Ryder Cup, won by Europe, is becoming.

“We are delighted that these figures, calculated using conservative methodology, accurately reflect the increasing popularity of The Ryder Cup and golf in the market place, and the way in which the event and the game – allied to a strong partnership between Ryder Cup and Fáilte Ireland – drive tourism.”

The next Ryder Cup takes place in September, 2008 at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky and returns to Europe in 2010 at Newport, Wales.

The European Tour this week pays tribute to Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros, who turned 50 years old on April 9.

It has been a long time since Ballesteros triumphed in a Major tournament, but the memories of his swashbuckling style of play, at an era when Tiger Woods was unheard of, will live long in the hearts of golf fans the world over.

As a half-centurion, Ballesteros is now eligible to play on the Seniors Tour after 30 years among golf’s elite. Despite his fading abilities, he was still among the most popular attractions at last week’s US Masters.

The Houdini of golf, Ballesteros relished the challenge of escaping from difficult lies. And for those watching, it was pure escapism indeed.

Among his most memorable shots was the famous three-wood from the bunker during the 1983 Ryder Cup in Florida, where he cleared 247 yards to make the green and halve a match. Four years earlier, he played out of a parking lot on his way to winning the 1979 British Open.

He was also an inspirational Ryder Cup captain for the Europeans 10 years ago when they defeated the Americans and continues to be a fine ambassador for the sport.

Ballesteros has five Major titles – three Open Championships (1979, 1984 and 1988) and two US Masters triumphs (1980 and 1983). In addition, he has won 87 international tournaments, including 50 on the European Tour. He still holds the European record of having won at least one tournament every season for 17 straight years between 1976 and 1992.

The European Tour Have confirmed that the selection process for the The 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky, USA, from September 19-21, 2008 remains unchanged.

The same process was used for the 2004 win at Oakland Hills, Michigan, USA and the 2006 win at The K Club, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Both matches resulted in a winning margin of 18 ½ – 9 ½. Faldo was quoted as saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’

How To Qualify For the 12 Man team:

5 Places – Qualify through The Ryder Cup World Points List. A European Tour member wins points by winning World Ranking Points in all officially sanctioned tournaments between September 6-9 2007 and August 25 2008.
5 Places – Qualify through The Ryder Cup European Points List. Each point is equal to one euro earned from all officially sanctioned tournaments between September 6-9 2007 and August 31 2008
2 Places – Nick Faldo’s captains picks from any player who has Full Membership of The European Tour.

Read more on the selection process at EuropeanTour.com