Category: Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf contest held between teams from Europe and the United States. First held in 1927, it originally was a United States versus Great Britain event. However, after more than 40 years of US dominance, the British team was expanded to include Ireland in 1973 and then Europe in 1979. In recent years, the Cup has been much more competitive.
This section is for articles on the Ryder Cup Competition. In 2006, the Ryder Cup will be held on Sept. 22 - 24 at the K Club, Straffan, Ireland
The Man Who Saved The Ryder Cup
In 1947, the future of the Ryder Cup was very much in doubt. The biennial event had been put on hold for the duration of the Second World War, but even after hostilities had ceased, it seemed a dicey prospect. While both PGAs wanted to resume, the British simply couldn’t afford it. The war had hit them very hard and golf was, frankly, pretty low on the list of national priorities.
It looked like the 1947 match, which was slated for the Portland Golf Club would be scrapped. But then an Oregon fruit grower and golf lover named Robert Hudson stepped up to the plate. In a remarkable gesure, Hudson offered to pay the British team’s expenses.
Hudson was incredibly generous. He not only paid for their boat and train tickets, but also for their lodging, meals, caddies and anything else they needed.
Going the extra mile, Hudson also took a personal interest in the British team. He met the British at the dock in New York and threw a party for them when they arrived. Hudson then escorted them on their trip by train west to Oregon.
And for many years afterwards, Hudson sent each of the British team members a large fruit basket for Christmas—a gift that apparently was greatly appreciated, especially because Britain remained under food rationing.
Hudson is remembered every year with the Oregon Golf Association’s Hudson Cup, which is styled after the Ryder Cup. He served on the PGA Advisory board from 1947 to 1968.
Hudson was a good sport, and I have an idea. I think that the Ryder Cup organizers should institute a medal to be given at the Cup to the player on either team who exhibits the best sportsmanship—and it could be called the Robert Hudson Medal. (I don’t think that they already do such a thing—at least I’ve not seen it in any material I’ve read on the matches.).
Lehman Almost Sold Skis
Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman once almost gave up golf to sell skis.
Really.
Ryder Cup Team Now Finalized
The New York Sun has an article analyzing Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman’s final picks for this year’s team.
Swedes Rise To Prominence In Euro Golf
The Scots are bitter about Swedish dominance of Euro golf. In a recent article in the Telegraph, Mark Reason bemoans the way the fact that it’s possible that the Euro Ryder Cup Team cold feature FOUR Swedes.
It is not hard to understand why Swedes would take up golf in order to travel the world. Their own country is frozen for over half the year, you can only buy alcohol from a state-owned shop that closes at 3.30pm and children grow up on raw fish and choice cuts of elk. Nor can you change the system.
Lehman Needs To Get More From Ryder Cup Players
The Scotsman has some of the best golf writing available on the web (I guess it ought to, coming from the home of golf). A recent article takes an in-depth look at Tom Lehman’s plan to get more out of the top American players than has been evident at recent Ryder Cup Matches. One of Lehman’s comments is especially interesting:
“We put a lot of emphasis on individual performance. You talk to any [American] player out there, he’ll say, ‘I want to be on the Ryder Cup team,’ and that’s a great goal, to be on the Ryder Cup team. But really, who wants to be on a losing Ryder Cup team? So I think the message I’m trying to lead through is this: I want to be on a team that goes to Ireland and wins.
