K Club Preparations

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Jodie Ginsberg of Reuters writes about Ryder Cup preparations at K Club, where Ian Woosnam has brought the Hootie Pine Fungus to the Irish course.

"We have been focusing over the last number of years on strengthening the golf course as a whole," Byrne said in an interview on a rainy day at his K Club office in County Kildare.

"Our emphasis has been on creating long, tight and interesting holes".

And...

Stretched by 300 yards, the par-72 layout will play to around 7,400 for the Ryder Cup, providing more of a challenge for big hitters such as Americans Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Several of the changes made by Byrne's team of 22 permanent greenkeepers were prompted by suggestions from European Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam, who visited last year.

Among these were the addition of 13 new trees at key turning points on six of the holes and the introduction of tightly-mown swales, or collection areas, around eight of the greens.

The installation of tall, mature trees, most notably on 16 and 17, will prevent power drivers of the ball from cutting off the doglegs.

"Now, if a player wants to cut the corner on some of the holes, he's going to have to carry a certain amount of trouble," Byrne said. "You could call that 'Tiger-proof' if you wanted to."

The introduction of the collection areas replaces the deepish rough that existed at the K Club around the greens, rough which demanded the flop shot beloved by many of the leading American players.

With a faster runoff, the swales will provide players with the choice of "a pitch-and-run shot, using the putter or executing a flop shot from a very tight line", Byrne said.

And this is fun...

"Because many of the greens are raised, they're suitable for these runoffs which have actually given the course more of an Irish feel," he added.

"Because a very European-type shot will now often be required, it might be an advantage to European players.'

Oh and take your rain gear...

Byrne is preparing for a worst-case weather scenario in September: an inch of rain every day.

Greens and fairways would be cut with the lightest possible equipment and viewing areas drained and sandcapped to ensure that expected crowds of around 40,000 are able to get round the golf course with their feet relatively dry.

No More 2-Year Exemptions For Cup Team Players

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One of the silliest PGA Tour exemptions is about to run its course, according to Doug Ferguson.

Trevor Immelman came within a 10-foot putt of winning the Wachovia Championship, a tournament he might not have been able to play except for a Presidents Cup perk that no longer exists.

The PGA Tour began offering a two-year exemption in 2004 to anyone on the previous Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup teams, provided they had some degree of tour membership.

More times than not, anyone good enough to make either team had no trouble keeping his card, although there were exceptions. Paul Azinger was picked in 2001 to play in a Ryder Cup that was rescheduled to 2002, and he was able to play in 2004 on that exemption after finishing 169th on the money list.

But what really infuriated players was the case of Immelman.

He tied for 17th in the PGA Championship to earn just enough money for special temporary membership. Later that day, Gary Player made him as a captain's pick for the International team, even though Immelman was 22nd in the standings.

It smacked of preferential treatment, not only because Player and Immelman are South Africans, but because Immelman's father is commissioner of the Sunshine Tour in South Africa. And just like that, he was exempt for two years on the PGA Tour.

"I think it's more important to win a golf tournament for a two-year exemption than it is to make one of those teams to get the exemption, or even theoretically be a captain's pick," Jim Furyk said after his playoff victory at Quail Hollow.

Furyk wasn't alone in his complaints.

The criticism was so strong that the tour's policy board rescinded the exemption in May last year. Because it was in the middle of Presidents Cup qualifying, the perk wasn't taken off the books until this year. That means the exemption is effective this year for Ryder Cup players, and through 2007 for Presidents Cup players.

"We are a European team"

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Captain Woosnam on his wildcard picks:
"I have to be firm about it and say that people who play more in Europe will have a better chance of getting into the team."

He named Ireland's Padraig Harington and England's Lee Westwood among the men whose transatlantic form was causing him concern.

"They have to start making a move," he said. "We are a European team. There's a lot of money to make in America but they have to make the choice of trying to make it on world points or the European order of merit. If they are playing here, they are getting both."

Monty For 2010!

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This may not be the endorsement he's looking for, but Monty has Paul Casey on his side when it comes to the 2010 Ryder Cup captaincy. Count me in too. After all, wouldn't it be fun to have the European writers rooting for America every now and then! What better way to have Huggan and Donegan and Lawrenson rooting for the red, white and blue than a Monty captaincy!

"I think he'd be a wonderful captain," said Casey, who is hoping to be in the team for the showdown in September at the K Club outside Dublin.

"I know it is not the same level, but I played for Monty in the Seve Trophy last year and he has been a fabulous captain for that."

Ryder Cup: Fixing What Is Not Broken?

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John Hopkins reports that some tweaking is being considered for the 2010-and-beyond Ryder Cups.

When the Ryder Cup is staged in 2010 at Celtic Manor, near Newport in South Wales, it will be the first time that the event is held on this side of the Atlantic after the US tour beefs up its August and September schedule in 2007. Increasing the importance of events in those two months and offering a huge boost in prize-money means that the United States players, and any from Europe who are involved, will not be disposed to rush back to Europe to compete in a Ryder Cup at the traditional time of the third week in September.
The obvious solution is to move the event to October, but this brings the question of shortening daylight into question, so officials of the European Tour and the PGA in Britain, and the PGA of America, are considering starting on a Thursday instead of a Friday and increasing the numbers of players competing in the foursomes and four-ball matches from eight to ten. Two series of five foursomes matches would be held on Friday, with one series of five four-ball matches on Thursday and one on Saturday. The 12 singles matches would be played on Sunday.

Ah, so it can be more like the President's Cup.

“It is a situation we are looking at,” Sandy Jones, the chief executive of the PGA, said. “No decision has yet been taken and won’t be for some time, certainly not until later this year at the earliest.

“Let’s get this year’s Ryder Cup in Ireland out of the way first. The next Ryder Cup meeting is scheduled for May during the BMW (Championship at Wentworth). It will not be discussed then.

“There are all sorts of issues to consider. There is the health and safety issue of bringing people in and taking them home in the dark, for example. The positives are that there would be more opportunities to sell tickets and more merchandise, though we are pretty well sold out for Thursday this year."
Ahh, because they aren't making enough now!
“The proper thing to consider is the playing of the matches. Some people say the three days is so intense they do not want a fourth day. Others say that adding an extra day would reduce the intensity. It might suit the players in that they are used to arriving late on a Tuesday evening or a Wednesday for an event that starts on a Thursday and ends on a Sunday.”

Huggie and Woosy

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John Huggan profiles Ian Woosnam in the Sunday Scotsman (or whatever they call it).

Apparently it's not too early to hear what the Euros are doing to make the K Club favor their games (they wouldn't have to do anything if they $elected a link$).

"There are a lot of hollows and bumps around the greens, and I want to get them more into play by cutting the grass short," he reveals. "So there will be some run-offs around the putting surfaces. I'm hopeful the weather is dry in the weeks before, so that we get the full benefit of that. I've also put a few more trees in.

"Because of the distances the top guys hit the ball these days, it is too easy for them to cut corners on too many holes and make them look stupid. So I've tried to stop some of that. If they do take a chance and go across the corner, they are going to have to hit perfect shots. If they don't, they'll be in trouble."

I bet those new trees look splendid.

Woosnam on the state of the game:

"When I watch the game on television I don't see the variety of shots I used to maybe 30 years ago," he sighs. "The modern swings are a lot more similar than they used to be. Which is a consequence of the equipment and the desire to hit the ball high. They don't seem to bother about the wind any more.

"In defence of the players today, I don't think they can't play shots, it's just that they don't have to. The equipment has brought everyone closer together, too. It's harder to separate yourself from the others. Almost anyone on tour can win now."