The Ryder Cup 2014 is being played at Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland.
St Andrews may well call themselves the “home of golf” but as any connoisseur of the game will be able to tell you, once you have experienced golf amid the beautiful hills and glens surrounding this stunning course, then you may well find that “home is where the heart is” and your heart will surely be left amongst the glorious scenery of Highland Perthshire. The Ryder Cup 2014 is not one to be missed.
Ryder Cup history begins before the inaugural match, when in 1921 the very first staging of the event took place at Gleneagles, when an unofficial match took place between Great Britain and Ireland versus the United States of America. The home team won comfortably 9 – 3 inspiring Samuel Ryder to donate a cup, and so the rivalry between our great nations had the fuse lit!
The Ryder Cup’s first official match was played in 1927 at The Worcester Country Club with Sam Ryder donating the cup.
He had earlier been the sponsor in 1923 of a Health & Heather Tournament held at Wentworth with the field consisting of professional golfers from Great Britain versus the United States of America.
Keen to encourage more matches, he is understood to have said that he would supply a party consisting of chicken sandwiches and champagne after the match, plus £5 to each member of the winning team.
The Captain for the 1927 team for G.B. was the popular choice of Abe Mitchell. It was Abe who taught Sam Ryder how to play golf at the highest level. However, in spite of being photographed with the group in Southampton actually on the quay side, sadly just before the embankment aboard the SS Aquitania for the 6 day crossing to New York, Abe was struck down with an appendicitis.
An interesting Ryder Cup history foot note to the story is that although Abe Mitchell did not make the trip to the first Ryder Cup himself, his image did. In so far as it is engraved upon the Ryder cup!
The Ryder Cup 2010 was one of the great ones with Europe 14 1/2 just edging out the USA 13 1/2 to lift the famous trophy. This was the first time the Ryder Cup had been held in Wales and what a spectacular occasion it was, especially if you were European! It was good to see the friendliness and sporting ethos coming back into the competition. The Ryder Cup 2010 is one we will always remember.
Jose Maria Olazabal will captain Europe for the first time in 2012 which will not doubt prove to be a hugely emotional time for him as he will no doubt be reflecting on the recent loss of his great friend and winning European captain Severiano Ballesteros. With the very popular David Love III leading the USA team we are all in for another sporting treat to savour. It doesn’t really matter who wins the Ryder Cup 2012 when you measure it against the loss of such a great golfer and man as Seve.
Centre stage this year features the Illinois Medinah Country Club who will be holding the 39th Ryder Cup Tournament. Make sure that if you can’t be there in person enjoying witnessing some of the 1.5 million dollar renovations, then for sure that you are sitting comfortably in front of your screen between the 25th and the 30th September 2012. To buy PGA Ryder Cup tickets 2012 click this link and/or this link Gotickets Ryder Cup.
Ryder Cup Matches are keenly fought and the next one is certain to be no exception. For anyone who needs reminding, Europe will be the defending Ryder Cup holders, having defeated the USA by 14½ points to 13½ in 2010 when they last went head to head in the competition at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.
The qualification rules have changed slightly for the Europeans since that competition, this time around, precedence is being given to the European Points List rather than the World Points one. And the “Captain’s picks” is reduced from three to two and the top five golfers in the World Points List will all qualify, as apposed to the top four.
The 2012 competition will see Illinois presenting this famous competition for the very first time, and golfers throughout the world will be eager to see what the “windy city” has to offer.
On the other hand, Gleneagles in Scotland is probably slightly better well known to the golfing fraternity when it’s to beautiful Perthshire in 2014 that the battle for the Ryder Cup Tournament will take place.
Set in 850 acres of beautiful, Gleneagles is home to three of the top Scottish Championship Golf Courses and is well used to strutting her stuff on the world stage of golf.
Scottish born golfer James Braid who is sometime known as the inventor of the infamous dog-leg won the Open Championship five times. He designed many golf courses including the King’s and Queen’s courses here at Gleneagles.These two courses were created out of wilderness by pick and shovel along side horse and cart, plus a lot of back breaking work!
The PGA Centenary Course was evolved by Jack Nicklaus who upon designing this modern classic described it as “the finest parcel of land in the word I have ever been given to work with”.
It has been more than forty years since the Ryder Cup Championship has been held on Scottish soil. It all makes your mouth water doesn’t it?
Please visit our Home Page:- Golf-Link-Scotland for other information on golf in Scotland.
