Golf, by TourMiss

Chaska, Minnesota … Darren Clarke’s underdog side turned back an opening tsunami of red-white-and blue to restore plenty of blue-and yellow pride and trail by two points heading to day two of the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. Europe went into the afternoon Fourballs humbled by a 4 nil white-wash in the opening Foursomes, and what was the first occasion in 41-years since Europe had been handed such a drubbing. But Clarke’s team of ‘underdogs’ bit back winning three of the afternoon Fourballs ...

Chaska, Minnesota … History is already against the Darren Clarke European Team winning a fourth Ryder Cup in succession. Bizarrely, not since 1975 when the now late Arnold Palmer captained the USA side has a European Team (or then GB & I side) have not won a single point in the first session of a Ryder Cup. That was 41 years ago and with Palmer’s golf bag from that 1975 Ryder Cup on the first tee at Hazeltine like a beacon of inspiration to the 2016 USA team, Before that the 1947 ...

Chaska, Minnesota … The late Arnold Palmer was remembered on day one of the 41st Ryder Cup with his golf bag from being USA captain in 1975 placed on the first tee at Hazeltine. Palmer passed away last Sunday aged 87 and cremated on Thursday, and with his ashes scattered from a private jet over his beloved Latrobe golf course in Pennsylvania. There were just two clubs in Palmer’s bag and with many on the first tee, including European Ryder Cup vice-captain Ian Poulter grabbing the chance ...

Chaska, Minnesota … European Team captain Darren Clarke has elected to lead with his best by sending his team big guns – Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson – to fire the opening shots of the 2016 Ryder Cup. The duo were first and second in the recent Rio Olympic Games and were set out first two years ago by Paul McGinley at Gleneagles. And Europe was never behind with the Englishman and Swede handing out a 5 & 4 drubbing to Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson And in a change from Gleneagles, ...

Chaska, Minnesota … European Team giant Chris Wood is hoping to ignore thoughts of watching the nervousness shown in 2004 by Luke Donald and not buckle in playing his opening Ryder Cup tee shot. Wood, 29 is among a record-equalling six European Team rookies in Darren Clarke’s Hazeltine side. The reigning BMW PGA Champion, who stands all of six foot, six-and-quarter inches, wound-up his Hazeltine practice yesterday (THU) morning in the company of Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and fellow rookie ...

Chaska, Minnesota … The European Team are not short of inspiration this week with quotes from Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte, ‘Rocky’ and others staring at the team square in the face at this week’s Ryder Cup. Darren Clarke has transformed the first floor of the Hazeltine clubhouse into a sea of European colours along with photos and quotes. And it’s been much through the assistance of sports psychologist Mike Finnegan, who Clarke had turned to working with early in 2011, and ...

Chaska, Minnesota … The 41st Ryder Cup was ‘all square’ with apologies after Phil Mickelson became the latest to back down from disparaging remarks directed at 2004 USA Captain Hal Sutton. Mickelson slammed Sutton over his then controversial decision to send he and Tiger Woods out in the very first match at Oakland Hills. The Star Spangled paired folded badly losing their match and then failing to gel in their afternoon pairing. Mickelson went into his Wednesday press conference at Hazeltine ...