The Ryder Cup: Golf’s Greatest Event
Product Description
Grown men wept. The jubilant crowd overflowed onto the green. Fans waved huge American flags and sang The Star-Spangled Banner. What played out that Sunday afternoon on the venerable fairways of The Country Club may go down in history as the greatest victory the golf world has ever seen. In an almost unimaginable come-from-behind win, the American Ryder Cup team, whom most watchers had given up for dead, blitzed their European counterparts in a fast and furious 8 1/2 to 3 1/2 run in the singles, to clinch the Cup after two devastating consecutive losses.
This is a history of the Ryder Cup, the definitive biography of golf’s most glorious–and gentlemanly–grudge match, from its humble 1926 origin as a casual exhibition game to its preeminent status as a multimillion-dollar global sports event. Bob Bubka and Tom Clavin take you inside the ropes for an up-close and personal look at the action and the players behind seventy-three years of the world’s best golf, including all the details of the U.S. team’s stunning win at Brookline. In dozens of interviews, Ryder Cup veterans–such as Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tony Jacklin, Raymond Floyd, Lee Janzen, Nick Faldo, Byron Nelson, Tom Watson, Curtis Strange, Gene Sarazen, and Ben Crenshaw–speak to the thrill, the triumph, and the heartbreak of each competition.Amazon.com Review
Pitting the best American golfers against the best Europeans, the biannual Ryder Cup is one of the few sporting events for professionals where patriotism, duty, and honor override the winner’s check, of which there is none. The game is head-to-head match play for individuals and pairs. The history dates to 1927, when English seed merchant Samuel Ryder donated the trophy that gave the competition its name. Pretty much every golfer of import has left his divot on its fairways since. And then there’s the competition. In 1997, a heavily favored American squad led by Tiger Woods; Fred Couples; Davis Love, III; Justin Leonard; Phil Mickelson; and Mark O’Meara shockingly failed to bring the trophy back from Valderamma, Spain.
The Ryder Cup collects the event’s traditions and lore, traces its rise from obscurity to importance, describes a lot of golf, replays the American “Trauma at Valderamma” in–for Americans–painful detail, and proffers a preview of the September ’99 matches at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. Through interviews with Cup players and captains, Bubka and Clavin capture the intrigues and thoughts behind the preparation and strategy that go into team match-play format, like how pairings are formed among team players and the tactics of individual matchups on the final day. They also examine other team competitions, particularly the new President’s Cup (Americans vs. a team of non-Europeans), and dredge up lots of individual and team Cup stats. Like the matches themselves, The Ryder Cup is designed to let you follow from start to finish, or just drop in wherever the play looks most appealing. –Jeff Silverman
After a good opening salvo in the first chapter, this book slows down a bit but is none the less informative and easy to get through. good quotes, though mostly the same ones an avid golfer would have read about in Golf, Golf Digest, or Golf World. Touches on the financial implications of the Cup, sure to be of more conflict in the future as tour purses get bigger and bigger. All in all, a good primer.
Rating: 4 / 5
I don’t usually write book reviews or send complaint letters to companies or politicians. But after reading “The Ryder Cup” by Bubka and Clavin, I was quite surprised to see such sour little notes in the review section for Amazon.com about this book. Give me a break! Did these people read the same book I did? And did they really read “A Good Walk Spoiled” and other golf books, as some claim they did..cause this baby can hold it’s own against the best stuff out there. Maybe some of the reviewers are relatives and friends of the author/s of competitors books? I’m sure my mother would trash someone’s else’s book if I asked her nice. You gotta wonder when any book, but this one especially, generates that kind of bile and nonsense. For my part, I thought Bubka and Clavin captured the unique drama of the Ryder Cup in fine style, that the writing was first-class, and that the sense of humor and perspective they brought to the event was excellent. But best of all, this is a book one can live with for years. Like the New York Times (the paper of record, as they say), the authors managed to create a reference work that can stay on the shelf for a very long time, while at the same time, like an old friend, sit there waiting to be dipped back into in the future. In fact, I’m sure I will re-read this book before the next event – if not sooner – both to re-live the drama of past Ryder Cups, but also from time to time to look up stats, records and so forth…and, of course, just to prime myself for another three days of the best event in sports. Well done, fellas. And as for the folks at Amazon…well, you can put me on one of those cyber lists you’re so good at, prompting me to consider the next book these guys do. I’m sure I’ll want to buy it and read it with relish.
Rating: 5 / 5
Enjoying playing as well as watching golf is one thing, but seeing it played with the intensity of a national team sport is another. And that’s the Ryder Cup. As I look forward to watching the Cup in September again I thought I would pique my interest by doing some reading on the event. This book by Bubka and Clavin was fun (the opening chapter on the Battle at Brookline was great), informative ( all the games best players are discussed, quoted, etc.), and thorough (even the financial implications the event has generated). It’s great preparation for the upcoming September Cup at Belfry!
Rating: 5 / 5
The best way for casual golf enthusiasts to prepare for the excitement of Ryder Cup play at Belfry in September is to read this book. It provides a thorough, entertaining and action-packed history of legendary players under intense pressure. The fun of the game, the team play and great joy of winning are highlighted even in the very first chapter – the Battle of Brookline. From there the rules are explained in a lively manner and with enough information to enhance appreciation about the Ryder competition for even novice golfers. Since Belfry in September is destined to be the most exciting Ryder Cup ever, this primer on the premier competition is essential reading for the many millions of international golf fans sure to tune in.
Rating: 4 / 5
A compelling journey through the action-packed history of the Ryder Cup – this book features all of golf’s best players. The beginning chapter on the Battle at Brookline is fun to read, and the book also shows just how the Ryder Cup has become an international sports and financial mega-event. It’s a good way to prepare for the Match at the Belfry this season A must-read for all you lovers of golf!
Rating: 5 / 5