Ryder cup - what woudl Samuel Ryder make of it?

Ryder cup - what woudl Samuel Ryder make of it?

Post by David Edward » Wed, 29 Sep 1999 04:00:00


Samuel Ryder conceived of the cup as a celebration of a Gentleman's game
played by Gentlemen.

The US team should be congratulated on a superb performance in wresting the
cup from the european team. The truly displayed tenacity, ability and duress
under severe pressure.

Much has been made here of the incidents on the 17th green, Coltart's lost
ball, Montgomerie being heckled, European slow play and Jane James allegedly
being spat at.

We all play to win, nobody plays to lose, if you win it is quite acceptable
to celebrate that victory, indeed you should celebrate it.

However, if Samuel Ryder were alive what would he think about it, or Harvey
Penick, or Bobbie Jones or Ben Hogan?

The rancour that has followed this match has soured a once great sporting
event to such an extent that maybe it is time for it to be abandoned
forever.
That will never happen for too much corporate money is involved.

A few weeks ago GB and I comprehensively defeated the US in the Walker Cup
with great sportsmanship displayed by amateurs on both sides.
No hystrionics, no "I can't hear you gestures" more suited to a Heavy rock
concert (I enjoy heavy rock so I am not some old fogey)

In the Ryder Cup we see a bunch of Millionaires displaying behaviour ill
suited to a Gentlemans game played by Gentlemen and supposedly watched by
Gentlemen.

As Ben said on Saturday I leave you with one thought..

Often we hear the lame comment "Golf has been the real winner here"
Well today Golf is the real loser.
Samuel Ryder would turn in his grave.

David Edwards

 
 
 

Ryder cup - what woudl Samuel Ryder make of it?

Post by Ricky Cob » Wed, 29 Sep 1999 04:00:00

Methinks you overstate the problem. Some of those incidents
were unfortunate and a sad commentary upon the people
involved. However, you just don't throw out the baby with
the bath water. If we're going to allow the idiotic
elements of society to dictate what we can and can't enjoy,
well, we won't have very much left.

Besides, this is hardly the first time that the Ryder Cup
has brought out the ugly side of competition. People
seemingly forget all the other many instances and instead
want to focus solely on this Ryder Cup as if it somehow
invented boorish behavior. Come on ... European Captain
Mark James himself was fined 1,500 pounds in 1979 for his
behavior at the Ryder Cup competition and many suggested
that he acted so badly that he deserved to be banished from
the event forever! In 1969 Bernard Gallacher and American
Ken Still nearly came to blows on the green over a
relatively trivial issue on the greens, with Still picking
up Gallacher's ball and conceding the hole in a profane
tirade.

So, really, in the historical context, Sunday wasn't so bad.
Yes, the American fans didn't cover themselves in glory.
However, the fuss over what happened at 17 with the U.S.
celebration has been overdone already. I don't blame the
Europeans for being angry, they have every right to be
upset about it. However, the complaints have gone on for so
long and been driven into the ground to such an extent that
I consider the belly-aching to be just as unacceptable.
It's time for everybody to let it go and remember that, for
good or for bad, it wasn't the first or last time that such
intense competition will spark hurt feelings and
controversies.

Ricky

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