Five days of glory, starting and finishing in Dublin, Ireland, with five rounds of bliss at some of the best golf courses along the western coast of Ireland. The intinerary included 

, and Carne (review coming soon). This posts summarizes the second stop on our list, which was 

, about an hours drive north from our hotel in Killarney. Ballybunion is likely the most famous of all of the courses in Ireland among Americans, and it was easy to see why from the minute the sun came up over this small town.

So much of your Ireland golf experience is dependent on the weather. This island is notorious for its damp climate, and the seaside towns are characterized by their tough Atlantic winds, and storms that chase the sunshine away, then disappear as quickly as they came. You have to prepare yourself mentally for these conditions before you make the trip over, and expect to be hit with some poor weather at some point.

We were prepared with gloves, hats, Under Armour, rain pants, and jackets. And didn’t need any of it. Honestly, part of me never wants to come back to Ireland because there is zero chance I could ever be blessed with this great of weather again, much less in October. It’s impossible to determine just how much impact that had on our experience, and the effect the different conditions we got at the different courses had on our perception of the golf courses. Did I like Ballybunion more because the sun was beating on us? I can’t fully comprehend that, and it doesn’t matter. The morning we had at Ballybunion will go down as one of the all-time experiences I’ve ever had on a golf course, bar none.

We were the first ones off, at sunrise, at one of the greatest golf courses in the world. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as Ballybunion is rated highly on every list that’s ever been assembled, yet at the same time, some golf hipsters seem to put it down 

 of its popularity. To each their own, and it’s quite possible that you like many other courses in Ireland more than this one. But one thing that I can guarantee is that it is impossible not to love it this golf course.

You can look at pictures on their website, and roll your eyes at the authenticity. How much photoshop went into this? Was this the one day of the year the sun shines in Ireland? Somehow, on this chilly (but heating up) morning, the sites we saw in person were 

 than the website. The way the shadows fell from the low sun made it look like a video game, and my dad and I were actually laughing as we walked down the fairway. It was golf nirvana.

The first comparison that came to mind to both my dad and I, was that it reminded us both a lot of Pacific Dunes. The views of the sea are frequent, and the shape of the dunes give the player an ideal image of what a links golf course should look and play like. It was like walking into a postcard and getting to play it, and we had not a soul in front of us, and rather calm winds. I couldn’t stop taking pictures, and I’m not going to apologize for the volume of photos in this post.

Views like this are the norm (12th green)

We are learning now that this is common for the top links courses out here, but at first we were really impressed by the grass walkways from the tees to the fairways, and in between the holes. The grass was better manicured than a lot of fairways I grew up playing on, and it gives you the sense that no detail was passed over in the design or in the maintenance of this beauty. They even had grass over top the bridges! This may seem rather minor, but when you’re walking 18 to 36 holes a day on tough links tracks, in and over dunes, heather, undulations, etc., it can be very fatiguing on your feet. This was a nice touch.

That’s fairway pure grass over top a bridge, just for walking

Seriously, I’m just throwing a ton of pictures into this post

You’re eased in with a rather short par four, down the hill, but rudely brought back to Earth at the second. The starter told us that a six was a decent score on this par four, and that whatever club you think you should hit to the uphill green, take at least one if not two more. You can’t see the putting surface, and if you miss short, it may roll 60 yards back down the hill. I smashed a 9-iron from 127 up to the top level, then rolled in a birdie. It took a lot for me not to run back to the first tee to tell P.J. about stealing a birdie on the hole he warned us about the most.

Looking back down the second fairway from the green. This is way more uphill than it looks.

After a long, brutal par three 3rd, the 4th and 5th get a bit quirky. You actually tee off on the 4th from directly behind the 3rd green, and the same for the next tee. This was no issue for us, as we had no one that close behind us, but it would be interesting to see how this plays as the day goes on with a full tee sheet. They are both very gettable par fives, and you need to get your birdies in now, because its about to get a lot tougher.

The view from the 4th tee, from which you carry it directly over the 3rd green

The view from the 5th tee, lined up directly over the 4th green

The 6th is a dogleg left that brings you down to your first ocean hole. The par four 7th is truly one of the most epic theaters of a golf hole I’ve ever seen. My first instinct when I laid eyes on it, was that it reminded me of the 

, another one that has been etched in my memory (I really should do a Bandon post shouldn’t I). The Atlantic Ocean runs the entire length of the hole, and on this day, the breeze was blowing straight out towards it. It felt like I was aimed almost directly inland to keep my ball in the fairway, and I still had to sweat it out.

The 11th hole was equally as fantastic from a visual perspective, although I did not care for the playability of the hole nearly as much (apparently I was so terrified of it that I forgot to take pictures). It’s also framed to the right by the ocean, and plays downhill to a several tiered, narrow fairway, lined with thick heathered dunes all the way to the green. The fairway runs out, so you’re a bit forced to lay back off the tee, and I had to try to go 3-iron/3-iron back into the breeze, hit my approach slightly offline to the right, and never found the ball. Double bogey.

The 14th and 15th are back-to-back par threes (similar to 10 and 11 at Pacific Dunes), with 15 being one of the signature holes (it’s impossible to differentiate the signature hole between 7, 11, 15, and 17…. and someone else that has played it might also name a hole I’m not even thinking of).

The majestic 15th hole, par 3 210 yards with a 7 iron on 15.... short img_7184 

The tee shot on 17 is another breathtaker. This time, you’re elevated, and teeing off right towards the ocean, as the hole wraps around to the left along the water. Get your cameras out if you have any battery or memory left, and then let one fly off this platform that points you right at the water.

It’s impossible to pick a favorite hole from these holes that I’ve pictured here, but it really doesn’t matter.

Looking back over the 17th from the 18th tee

You say goodbye to the ocean, and head up the hill for the tough 18, kicking and screaming that the day is over.

17th green to the left, 18th hole up towards the clubhouse

If you can’t tell by now, I was blown away by the Ballybunion experience. The amazing sunshine, especially considering this was played in October, certainly contributed to that. But the views are some of the best I’ve ever seen on a golf course, and the layout was spectacular. A golf trip to western Ireland absolutely needs to include this course, and it is one of the three courses played on this trip that I can’t decide whether or not it was my favorite (Waterville and Lahinch being the other two, but more on this later, and why that doesn’t matter). My dad, a mid-handicapper, convincingly listed it as his.

Cheers to an epic day of golf, that was just about to get better….

In case you missed it, Part I of the Western Ireland series on 

, can be found here. Part V on Carne Golf Links is still to come. For more from No Laying Up, follow 

Sunrise round at Ballybunion. I thought the pictures on the website were unrealistic, but in person it's somehow even prettier. It helped that we had perfect sunshine. Fantastic golf course.

A photo posted by No Laying Up (@nolayingup) on Oct 12, 2016 at 5:32am PDT

Western Ireland Golf Trip, Part II: Ballybunion

See you at Augusta. That’s the average sports fan’s feelings towards golf after the end of the Ryder Cup, and Tiger Woods delaying his return to the game is unlikely to help that view.

The NFL and college football seasons are in full flow, the NBA is about to start up again and baseball’s World Series is just around the corner.

Europe is preoccupied with its own football, for many of us the weather is getting colder, and even the most avid golf enthusiasts are counting down the six months until their sport is relevant again.

I must admit, last season did go particularly fast. It seems like yesterday Jordan Spieth was chunking a wedge shot into Rae’s creek. The next thing you know, Jimmy Walker is a major champion, Rory is $11.5million richer and the U.S.A. have won only their second Ryder Cup since Brookline.

Spieth’s meltdown at Augusta was one of the most memorable moments of 2016 (Credit: Getty)

Tiger may have postponed his return to action, but there is still hope he will play in his own tournament – the Hero World Challenge, in December.

Disappointing as Woods’ withdrawals from the Safeway and Turkish Airlines Opens are, it is nevertheless very refreshing to hear him be so open about the state of his game. In previous years, the 14-time major champ would almost brag about how well he was hitting the ball after an absence. This was often followed by a few rounds in the 80s and being carted off the course with a recurring injury, not to be seen again for months.

Breaking; Mass evacuation of Napa reported as golf media flee on the back of Tiger's Safeway Open withdrawal. Remarkable.



— Tweeter Alliss (@TweeterAlliss) 

The relaxed, level-headed mentality we saw from Tiger at the Ryder Cup seems to have carried over into his own game. Hopefully he can get back to his best and give some of the young guns a run for their money in next year’s majors.

Aside from that, there is still unfinished business on the European Tour for the likes of Danny Willett, Henrik Stenson and McIlroy, as they fight it out for the Race to Dubai – which concludes at the DP World Tour Championship on November 20. All four reigning major champions have also committed to play in the final World Golf Championship event of the year in Shanghai at the end of October.

For those who enjoyed the Ryder Cup, the World Cup of Golf offers another team event – with Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker scheduled to represent the U.S. team. Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Thomas Pieters and Masters champion Willett will also be teeing it up in Melbourne on November 24.

Walker and Fowler played together at the 2014 Ryder Cup (Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

With all of this happening before 2017 is even upon us, there is no excuse for not getting your fair share of golf this fall.

Tiger's withdrawals don't signal the end for golf in 2016

Five days of glory, starting and finishing in Dublin, Ireland, with five rounds of bliss at some of the best golf courses along the western coast of Ireland. The first stop on our list was Waterville Golf Links in the southwest corner of the island. It would have been worth the entire trip to play this course alone.

Golf was brought to this corner of Ireland in the late 1800’s, when workers and technicians arrived to begin work on the transatlantic cable between Europe and North America. Waterville Golf Links was built, and officially founded in 1889 to keep the workers busy out in this remote part of the world. In 2002, Tom Fazio vastly redesigned the layout for the modern game, and it now (deservedly) finds itself ranked by Golf Digest Ireland as the 

After touring Portmarnock on Monday, my dad and I drove the 3.5+ hours to our hotel in Killarney, and packed it in for the night. Up early for our 10:30 Waterville tee time, we took the scenic route (an hour and a half) along the Ring of Kerry, until we reached the ravishing links packed in between an estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. We could barely keep the car doors open as we climbed out of the rental, and immediately began packing on layers to shield us from the blistering Irish wind. I had received plenty of warnings about the western Ireland weather, but I was concerned that I did not properly heed them.

You’re going to see more than enough references to this wind in this post, and it’s for good reason. I look back at the yardage book, and flip through the pictures I took, and the first instinct I have when I see a particular hole is to remember the feeling of exactly what the wind was doing. You may think that I’m exaggerating the point, but it is such a critical part of the links golf experience that I believe it’s worth emphasizing repeatedly, if not ad nauseam.

, and raved about the experience on every occasion. I’m obsessed with the thinking aspect of this style of play, the different shot shapes required to navigate around the trouble areas, the urge to get the ball on the ground as fast as possible, the unreachable into the wind par fours, the wedges into the downwind par fives…. I can go on and on. It’s such a fun change of place from the style of play I’m used to playing, and because of the conditions we received, and the spectacular design of this course, Waterville felt like the one of, if not the most authentic links experience I’ve ever had.

I’m not going to walk you shot by shot, but here’s some examples of the different ridiculous club choices I had to hit make throughout the day due to the wind conditions: a 170 yard (poorly struck) wedge on the 2nd, a 161 yard knockdown wedge on the 4th, a 126 yard pured 7-iron on the 5th, a 318 yard 3-iron at the 8th, a 155 yard 5-iron at the 9th, 3-iron/7-iron into the par-5 11th, and a 166 yard 4-iron on the 12th. While the guidebook is helpful to you, you lose the familiarity with how far you’re used to hitting you’re own clubs. Bunkers that are 205 yards to clear can legitimately be in play with driver in your hand, and tiny pot bunkers 300 yards away can be reached with a well struck 3-iron that rides the wind and runs out. It’s hauntingly beautiful.

From a design perspective, many holes at Waterville are framed by spectacular dunes that are not overly punishing, nor overly narrow, and provide excellent site lines. The tee boxes are often long and narrow, which makes it feel like youre hitting a ball out of a tunnel, and gives your mind a perfect image of where you need to flight the ball. On the 14 par fours and fives, I hit six 3-irons, three 3-woods, and five drivers, and probably had the most fun letting the 3-irons fly out of all of those. The downwind holes don’t encourage you to hit driver, because when you get inside of 100 yards on a lot of the holes, you end up needing to hit a less than 100% shot to an elevated green, off a very tight lie. A 60 degree wedge does not stop next to the hole, and likely doesn’t run out enough if you play it short. You’re better off playing from further back where you can make a full strike.

The view of the 10th from the clubhouse, an an example of a long narrow tee box

The greens receptiveness depended entirely on, yes, the wind. Five irons stopped dead in their tracks into the wind, and 60 degree wedges couldn’t hold downwind. The sand based greens may not have the most appealing visual appearance, but they are typical for a true links terrain, and these rolled as true as any links greens I’ve putted on. The elevated greens encourage you to reach for the putter for any shot inside of 40 yards. At a certain point, it starts being really fun to putt the ball really hard back into a wind, up the fairway slope, and pray that it’s not too hot when it reaches the surface. Once you’re on the green, you’re better off checking which direction the breeze is blowing than you are bending down to read the putt, as we saw balls get blown uphill all day until we actually started playing for it.

As referenced, the dunes framing the hole, as well as more wind

After nine beautiful beginning holes, on your walk over to the 10th tee, one glance in the southward direction and you start to realize that you haven’t even seen the best of it yet. This is where you catch your first view of the Atlantic Ocean, and the many wind surfers taking advantage of the conditions. The back nine throws three par fives at you, two really tough par threes, and a solid set of fours as well. The only reachable par five on the whole course was the 11th, and as mentioned above, all it took was a long iron off the tee, and a mid-iron into the green. The rest played directly into the breeze, and you needed three really solid strikes to even get it close.

The final three holes are epic from a visual perspective, and frightening if you’re trying to protect a solid score. The wind was blowing balls out towards the sea, and with it went my chance at breaking 80 (two balls in the hazard on the final two holes for a triple-bogey finish to shoot 80). The amazing part about the views you get on these holes, is that the first 15 holes are so much fun that you don’t even realize you haven’t even seen the sea in a while. It’s like you just finished a four course meal, and didn’t even know that a fifth course was on the way. The views are just an added bonus.

The 17th is even more impressive in person than in pictures

The 17th is the signature hole (probably? this could actually go a lot of ways). The tee and the green both sit up above the dunes, almost like they’re putting themselves on display for the camera (despite this, the picture above does not do it justice). This also means they’re as exposed as possible to the winds blowing out towards the sea, and while the water to the right should not be in play, I can testify to the fact that it most certainly is.

The finishing hole is an absolute gem of a par five, and the only hole to play directly alongside the ocean. If you had the wind down, or off the right, it would be an absolute blast to finish on. But coming in your face and off the left, it almost seems not physically possible to start the ball far enough left to keep it in play.

Whipping winds at Waterville give you the best possible links experience. Incredibly challenging and visually stunning finish. 

I sent that tweet out shortly after finishing, and was blown away by the number of responses I got from people who have had similar experiences at Waterville. An Ireland golf trip itinerary that does not have Waterville on it is not complete.

Western Ireland Golf Trip, Part I: Waterville Golf Links

The Ryder Cup only comes around once every two years, and that feels just about right. It’s golf’s rarest event (with the exception, now, of the Olympics), and it also the only one that stirs up this unique blend of emotions, from both players and fans. There’s no money on the line, but patriotism, international pride, professional ego, and the hyper-focused desire to do your teammates proud combine to incite white-hot reactions like 

Depending on who you talk to, this biannual event is also one of the most important in world golf. Justin Thomas famously said he’d rather play on a winning Ryder Cup team than win a major. And although the competition only includes the United States and Europe, it certainly feels like the golf world stops for one weekend every two years and focuses on a team of 12 individuals trying to accomplish something historic.

So it’s rare, and it’s important. And as such, the Ryder Cup receives an incredible amount of media coverage. By the time the sun rises on the galleries packed into the first tee grandstands on Friday morning of Ryder Cup week, anyone who’s ever discussed golf in any capacity will have given their opinion on the event. The previews are endless and exhaustive, breaking down the course, the weather, the strengths and weaknesses of each team, and the most likely outcomes.

And even after all that prognostication, there are still surprises.

That’s why the recap business is so much fun. Hindsight is 20/20, and as golf writers don’t have much to discuss that will capture national attention until April, it’s usually closer to 20/10. With that said, let’s look back at some players that defied prediction, and gave us some of the unexpected and underrated performances of the 2016 Ryder Cup.

You had to know I was going here. Soly already covered Brooks on assignment for 

, and he only had Koepka’s Friday performance to go on. Of course, that effort was rather emphatic, as the uber-long Koepka teamed with sweet-putting Brandt Snedeker for a 5&4 demolition of the overmatched European team of Martin Kaymer and Danny Willett.

Brooks went on to cement himself as one of the best American Ryder Cup rookies in history. He teamed with Sneds again in foursomes on Saturday morning and easily dispatched Matthew Fitzpatrick and potential cyborg Henrik Stenson, winning 3&2 after birdieing three of the last four holes. Then Captain Davis Love III listened to his inner 12-year-old, the same voice that still wants to watch the MLB home run derby, and teamed Brooks Koepka with fellow nuclear weapon Dustin Johnson. Because the golf gods are kind, they drew the biggest guns that Europe had to offer, and were subsequently vanquished 3&1 by Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters.

Then Koepka came out on Sunday and cemented a place in Danny Willett’s nightmares, beating the Englishman so comprehensively (5&4 on -6 through 14 holes) that NBC didn’t feel it necessary to show any of his shots besides the closing putt. In his first Ryder Cup, Brooks Koepka played four matches, won three, and never saw the 18th hole in competition – a welcome respite from the heart-stopping heroics that Reed, McIlroy, and others were providing.

He’s exactly what an American sports fan expects a great American athlete to look like – tall, strong, handsome, and, for lack of a better word, quarterbacky. Like Dustin Johnson, Koepka seems like he could slot into a high-level game of basketball, baseball, or football and dominate with ease. Here’s hoping he continues his Ryder Cup dominance in the future.

Brandt is one of the worst names I’ve ever seen, and a friend of mine suggested we call him Bobby, as it makes him more palatable to discuss. Fine with me. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t like Bobby Sneds before this Ryder Cup. His twitchy golfing style and pinched face remind me of some large member of the rodent family, and his toe-down, percussive putting stroke look like something you’d see at a local mini golf course.

Well, I’m a changed man. Bobby Sneds can play for my team any day. The man did not miss a putt in Minnesota, and his accurate iron play and deadly flatstick combined with Brooks’s length to make Cap’n DL3 look like a genius. He was the only player on the United States team with a perfect record, going 3-0-0 after finishing off the fiery Andy Sullivan 3&1 on Sunday. Also, his convulsive post-putt celebrations reminded me of the 

Lost amid the hysteria of Rory/Reed, Sergio/Phil, and America’s biggest victory since 1981 was the play of Ryder Cup rookie Ryan Moore. As everyone knows, Moore was the final player chosen for the Ryder Cup, riding the momentum of a bare-knuckle playoff brawl against Rory McIlroy in the Tour Championship into one of the most pressure-packed arenas in golf. He was the first recipient of the late captain’s pick created by the so-called “Horschel Rule,” and was saddled with the “hottest player in the world” tag before teeing it up in Hazeltine. Not an easy expectation to carry around, particularly with less than five days to mentally prepare for the fact that he would be playing in his first Ryder Cup.

Despite all this, Moore acquitted himself admirably. He took a 3&2 loss to the Spanish Armada during Friday afternoon fourballs while paired with doppelganger J.B. Holmes, but scratched out a 1-up win over the English duo of Lee Westwood and Danny Willett on Saturday afternoon with the same partner. But it was singles where he really made his mark.

By happenstance, Moore was paired with Westwood again on Sunday. Neither player would have been happy with their performances up to that point, as Westwood had missed a few near-gimmes and Moore had only carded one birdie in the Saturday afternoon match. Moore’s singles match started in disaster, as he thumped his way around to a double-bogey 6 on the easy par-4 first. Remarkably, this Cup rookie kept his composure and quickly won two of the next four holes to get back in the driver’s seat. After losing the 9th, 14th, and 15th however, Moore seemed destined to fall to Westwood and give up a precious point.

Then came the heroics. Needing to win all three of the final holes to claw back and gain a point, on the par-5 16th, Moore fired a fairway wood eight feet right of the flag and canned the eagle putt.

One down with two to play. On the par-3 17th, with a massive water hazard yawning to the right, Moore dialed in a short iron, calmed his nerves and drained another clutch putt. As Westwood’s birdie try slid past, the Horschel Rule pick was looking better and better. The 18th hole was over as soon as Westy’s greenside bunker blast ran out past the hole. Moore was looking at 10 feet uphill for birdie, and the way the other matches had fallen out, this full point would clinch the Cup for the Americans. He lagged it up to within a foot, and turned to see the Englishman striding toward him, the white cap in hand as sure a signal of surrender as any white flag ever flown from an outgunned fort. Ryan Moore went from off the team to clinching the American Ryder Cup victory in less than a week, and his steel nerves and late-round birdie barrage proved his worth beyond a shadow of a doubt.

ZJ is quietly turning into a Ryder Cup stalwart. After teaming with President James Walker to take down Sergio and Kaymer 4&2 in Friday foursomes, he fell on the last hole to Chris Wood and Justin Rose in the Saturday session. Then, placed in the anchor position at the end of Sunday’s singles lineup, Johnson comprehensively defeated Matthew Fitzpatrick 4&3 in the “I Could Be Your Dad” match of the day.

 suggested he only made the team on the strength of a 2015 British Open win, he turned out to be an important piece of the U.S. triumph. Johnson’s two wins improved his overall Ryder Cup record to 8-7-2, including 2-1-1 in singles. Optimists would say he’s only missed one Ryder Cup since 2006. Pessimists would point out that the one that he missed was the lone U.S. win before last week, in 2008. Deeper thinkers would note that he hasn’t lost a singles match since his inaugural Cup, and that this was the second Ryder Cup in a row that he held down the anchor position in Sunday singles (after taking a half point off Victor Dubuisson in 2014). Johnson’s experience and unflappable demeanor make him the perfect last man out in singles, and a game based on accuracy, penetrating ball flight, and minimizing mistakes means that he’ll play well just about anywhere.

This was a tough Ryder Cup for Europe. There’s no way around that. Several players on the European side didn’t come away with a point, and only six team members earned more than a single point for their side. As such, it’s hard to find an underrated performance among the squad – Rory and Thomas Pieters seem to be sharing the column inches equally, and with good reason – but I’ll go with Rafa Cabrera Bello.

The Spaniard won the third most points (2.5) for the Europeans, and was the only Euro without a loss. He teamed with his countryman Sergio Garcia for a Friday afternoon 3&2 victory over the beard brothers (Holmes and Moore), then fought Batman and Robin (Reed and Spieth) to a draw on Saturday morning. On Sunday, Europe front-loaded their singles matches, knowing they’d need to put a healthy splash of blue up on the board if they were to have any chance of retaining the trophy. RCB went off fifth, behind veterans McIlroy, Stenson, and Rose (along with Pieters), and did his part by eliminating President Walker 3&2.

In a European Ryder Cup team half-full of rookies, Cabrera Bello acquitted himself like an accomplished veteran. He was one of the few European players who can feel good about his play at Hazeltine.

The last half-decade of Tiger Woods’s career has been decidedly unpredictable. At times he’s looked like the Tiger of old, and at other times he’s just looked old. So it was refreshing, and refreshingly under-hyped, to see Tiger acting as a vice captain.

First of all, his mirrored shades and secret-agent earpiece made him a flashing red target for #Killhouse jokes:

Cat out here lookin like a Secret Service agent givin out code names



*Reed sprints off the tee*



(*into walkie*): "Renegade is on the move" 

When you’re supposed to be the strategist but you want to use your earpiece and mic to find ladies in the gallery. 

“Davis, move in for the kill. Now. NOW!” 

But more importantly, Tiger brought two things to the proceedings: 

. In the run-up to the tournament, players and captains alike were praising Cat’s attention to detail and commitment to creating a winning strategy. Though I wasn’t really following golf closely when Tiger was at his peak (as I was still in elementary/middle/high school), it seems like the mental side of his game isn’t discussed enough. Outrageous stats like his 

, had just as much to do with the way he strategized and dissected a course as with how he could overpower and out-putt the field. In his role as vice-captain, Tiger was essentially playing golf chess – moving 12 players with different skill sets into the best possible position to win.

And also, it’s Tiger. He scares people. Even his presence as an inside-the-ropes viewer affects the players on the course. When the Cup was clinched, Reed and the Cat shared a hug, and Patty 

 that as soon as El Tigre left the McIlroy/Reed match, Reed started making bogeys. If the uber-self-centered Reed knows where Big Cat is, you can bet that everyone on the European team does too.

I’m only slightly joking when I say that a huge, (probably) inebriated North Dakotan strolling onto one of Hazeltine’s greens and

 in front of three European Ryder Cup stalwarts (and Andy Sullivan) may have struck a bit of fear into the hearts of the Euros.

This was my first Ryder Cup being fully engaged with Twitter, as I was in attendance at the last one in 2014 (not to brag). I don’t know what I was doing in 2012, I’m pretty sure I hadn’t found a job after graduating college so I really didn’t have much excuse for missing it. But still, I think Golf Twitter has really come into its own over the past few years. I don’t really need to justify that, as half the media above was posted on the Twitts, but the level of access it grants to regular golf fans is fairly unbelievable. A sampling of the offerings that made me feel like I was right there in Minnesota:

I'm sitting on the bench near 9 tee. Rory smokes one, comes and sits next to me. Points at DJ/BK, who he's 3-up on.



"You got your wish."



— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) 

Fans serenade Rory with the chorus from "Sweet Caroline."



He yells back: "GOOD TIMES NEVER SEEMED SO GOOD!"



— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) 

Going to tweet storm a few things from the Ryder Cup week that I saw and didn't make it into stories for whatever reason.



— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) 

How bad was your drive on the 1st Henrik? Splendid 

Patrick Reed took on every deliriously written piece of fan fiction about his Ryder Cup play over the past two years, and beat them 5&4.

Played Rose/Stenson 3x, Serg/RCB, then Rory! Demanded to go all 5, and showed out. Led the team in points 2 straight cups. I'm still in awe. 

Ryder Cup Recap: Underrated Performances

Back in 1927, Golf Illustrated said “the Ryder Cup has done so much to foster that great spirit of international rivalry that makes the present-day sport the great thing that it is.”

Almost 90 years on, after one of the most highly-competitive matches in years, this spirit is more alive than ever. Sunday alone produced just about everything – eagles, birdies, long putts, comebacks and plenty of celebrations. Speaking as an average golf fan, nothing tops the Ryder Cup. But how can it affect the game on a wider scale?

Much has been made of golf’s declining participation levels – especially in the U.S. and Europe. This was perhaps further highlighted by the recent announcements of Nike and Adidas that they are to stop making golf clubs, which is a bitter blow to the industry.

There may have been more positive signs for the sport in parts of Asia, and golf’s inclusion at the Olympics can only help this. However, the fact is the PGA and European Tours remain two of the biggest players in professional golf.

And boy did they put on a show at Hazeltine.

The PGA of America has predicted around 50,000 fans attended each day, with a worldwide audience close to 500 million. That doesn’t sound like a sport in decline to me.

As much as it pains me to say as a European, I hope the American media milk their win as much as possible over the next two years. Patrick Reed’s putt to defeat Rory McIlroy on the 18th green, and the ensuing elation, should be ingrained into every American child’s memory. If just a quarter of these kids go on to participate in golf at some level, the game’s future will be secure for at least another generation.

 showed participation levels in the UK were actually on the rise, particularly amongst young people. I’m not suggesting this is a direct result of Europe’s Ryder Cup successes, but it can’t have done any harm.

Golf participation in the UK could be better than first thought (source: European Tour)

From an American perspective, the Ryder Cup really encaptures two things they are very good at – patriotism and enthusiastically supporting their sports teams. This was a large reason behind the unique atmosphere at Hazeltine. But was it the only reason? No.

The quality of golf on display over the weekend was nothing short of extraordinary. I can’t remember one moment where there was a lull, and the players of both sides deserve huge credit for that.

Many non-golfers around the world will have their own reasons for checking out the Ryder Cup this weekend for the first time, but you can bet it was the quality of golf that kept them coming back for more. The event is undeniably very special, but everyone involved in the game would do well to remind those first-timers they don’t need to wait another two years to see our sport at its best.

The Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship, Fed Ex Cup, heck – even the Presidents Cup.

Arnold Palmer was always one to widen golf’s appeal to everyone. Let’s use this Ryder Cup to resonate and spread his message.

Why the Ryder Cup Can Save Golf

The European Ryder Cup Team has been blessed with tremendous success in the Ryder Cup over the last few decades. Even with the odds stacked against them, they managed to pull off shocking wins on American soil at Oak Hill in 1995, Oakland Hills in 2004, and of course, Medinah in 2012.

With so many fresh faces on the team this year, it could be argued that Europe again faces an uphill battle to retain the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, and here are five things they need to do to make that happen.

Rory McIlroy with the Fed Ex Cup and Tour Championship Trophy (Credit: AP)

Team Europe has a very lopsided look to it this year. Six of the twelve players are rookies, and the other six have 28 appearances between them – Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood accounting for 16 of those.

With that in mind, if Team Europe is to retain or win the cup this year, it’s very important that most – if not all of the six experienced players come away with positive records.

On paper, there is no reason why this can’t happen. In the last two Ryder Cups, none of these six lost more points than they won – it is equally important they repeat this to bring back the trophy in 2016.

Also, in Rory McIlroy, Clarke’s team probably have the best tee-to-green and most in-form player in the world. Europeans will be hoping he can carry over the form that saw him claim the Tour Championship and Fed Ex Cup last Sunday.

Masters Champion Danny Willett is making his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine (Credit: Getty)

Although the six experienced members will have a big part to play, with such a large rookie contingent this year, they will be under extra pressure to perform.

The standout debutant is without doubt Masters champion and world number ten Danny Willett, who also has match play experience from his time with the England amateur team.

However, even if Willett performs as well as expected, Europe can’t afford for more than a couple of rookies to have bad weeks.

In 2014 it was Jamie Donaldson and Victor Dubuisson who came up big for captain Paul McGinley – contributing five and a half points between them. Individually, all six rookies have the potential to deliver similar results this year, but whether they do so in front of a partisan American crowd is another thing.

3. Someone needs to step into Ian Poulter’s shoes

Poulter celebrates his winning putt in the Saturday four-balls in 2012 (Credit: Mark Pain)

Not only does Ian Poulter have a very successful Ryder Cup record, but he also has built up a reputation for being one of the most clutch players in the history of the event.

At Medinah, with Europe in danger of going into the Sunday singles matches 11-5 down, Poulter reeled off four consecutive closing birdies in his four-ball match with Rory McIlroy against Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson – which the Europeans won one-up.

Going into Sunday just four behind was crucial for Olazabal’s men, and left the Americans with a sour taste in their mouth on Saturday night that only grew sourer as Sunday progressed.

Poulter may not be present at Hazeltine in a playing capacity, but one man who does have experience of performing under the highest pressure is Olympic champion Justin Rose.

The Englishman created his own magic at Medinah in the Sunday singles when holing a huge putt across the 17th green on his way to defeating Phil Mickelson.

Rose was also Europe’s highest points scorer at Gleneagles two years ago, and could well be the man to recreate some ‘Poulter magic’ in 2016.

4. Improve on their recent four-ball record

Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed were a formidable four-ball pairing in 2014 (Credit: Getty)

One of the few areas that America has come out on top in the last two Ryder Cups is their record in the four-balls. They lead 10-6 to be precise.

Whereas Europe lead by the same scoreline in the foursomes, it can be a tricky format to master. With so many rookies and new pairings on the team this year, success is far from guaranteed and closing the gap in the four-balls could be crucial.

With that being said, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed proved in 2014 that it can be the perfect situation for two rookies to thrive. As a four-ball pairing, they recorded 5&4 and 5&3 victories respectively.

Don’t be surprised to see one or two all-rookie European pairings in the four-balls at Hazeltine – their performances in these matchups could be the difference between winning and losing come Sunday.

Darren Clarke may draw on previous experiences as a winning vice-captain (Credit: Getty)

Captain Clarke has plenty of successful Ryder Cup performances to analyse, including his own victories as a player and vice-captain.

Naturally, adapting to events as they unfold over the course of the three days will be crucial. However, given the level of detail that seems to have gone it to the Americans’ planning over recent months, you can be sure that Clarke has his own plan.

Although a lot has been made of the inexperience of the European team, they still have a lot of weapons at their disposal – and Clarke knows this.

Whether it be the undefeated pairing of Rose and Stenson, the form of McIlroy, the experience of Westwood or the reliability of Kaymer, there’s still a lot for the home side to fear.

Let’s also not forget also that the last time the U.S. won the Ryder Cup in 2008, they had six rookies of their own.

Five things Europe needs to do to retain the Ryder Cup

In case you haven’t heard, it’s Ryder Cup week. The teams are (finally) fully announced, the 

, and we’re just about ready for the crowds to descend upon Hazeltine and the balls to begin flying.

Now, what usually happens in a Ryder Cup preview post is that the writer throws out terms like “wedge play” and “proximity to the hole” and “fairway percentage,” and uses these and other dubious statistics, along with the always-important personality factor, to create what the writer believes to be the best two-man groupings to go out in team play.

And the reason I’m not gonna do that is simple – I’m not a captain. It’s not my job to mix up a bottle of Michael’s Secret Stuff and cram it into the stand bags of 12 players, trusting that they’ll share the contents with their partner and form some deep telepathic golfing connection that results in a 7&6 drubbing.

I just want to see some killer singles matches.

Match play singles is the purest form of golf. There are no platitudes about just playing the course, no discussions of posting a number and hoping it’s enough. It’s you against the other guy, straight up. Oftentimes it feels like a game of HORSE, as one player pours in a long birdie and metaphorically tosses the ball to their opponent, daring them to match the feat. Or, to use a different sports analogy, this is the closest thing golf has to an Oklahoma drill.

 of a Ryder Cup match almost like it’s a phsyical malady. “I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t swallow,” Hale Irwin said of his clinching 1991 match against Bernhard Langer. “The sphincter factor was high.” If you don’t think I’m tagging #sphincterfactor in some tweets this weekend, you sir are wrong.

Constantino Rocca, he of the British Open loss to John Daly, missed a short par putt on 17 to hand Davis Love a singles match in 1993. “I miss putt because I go to look too quickly the ball go at the hole,: he said, “…The tension. The tension.”

In 1967, Billy Casper, then in his fourth Cup, explained it with a question: “Did you ever try to hit a golf ball with no oxygen in your system?”

I personally haven’t, but it doesn’t sound easy. Now, let’s check out which matchups would produce the most spine-tingling, sphincter-factoring, oxygen-depleting golf on Sunday afternoon in Minnesota. First, a reminder of the squads.

Now, let’s see if we can find the best 12 singles matchups in these groups. This is completely subjective (obviously) and ranked in a loose order of most to least compelling.

The Heavyweight Championship of the World


Who else could it have been? Sure, Phil vs Rory would be great. And yes, I do believe that should he be paired with Rory, Patrick Reed would train a bald eagle to tee his Titleist up for him on every hole and then soar majestically down the fairway to be his forecaddy. But this is the singles match that would send the golf world into an absolute frenzy the fastest.

Coming off two wins in his last three tournaments, including a de facto singles match against Ryder Cup captain’s pick Ryan Moore in a playoff, Rory is proving once again that when he’s playing well, he can torch just about anyone. He’s also responsible for a brief internet outage in the greater Amsterdam area just after 1 AM local time on Sunday:

, Soly may have needed a smoke and a pancake after that effort.

The only American who can match Rory’s world-consuming narrative and stranglehold on the golf community is the man who often seems completely oblivious to the idea that anything he does on (or off) a golf course is being scrutinized at all. DJ can match Rory’s outrageous length, can pick blimps out of the sky with his short irons just as well as the Northern Irishman, and possesses the same kind of balky/streaky/mercurial putting stroke that has flummoxed Rory for parts of his career. If this pairing winds up happening, and both play at or near their best, this could go down as an all-timer.

Another great thing about match play is that it shines a spotlight on the players’ personalities. Short of the odd 

Donkey-Kong ground pound style meltdown, 

we don’t often see the inner churnings of a player’s psyche on full display during the regular season. But when the Ryder Cup cauldron gets a-bubblin’, there are sure to be some monstrous displays of emotion on both sides. And if we’re looking for everything from histrionics to ultra swagged-out #TourSauce, I can’t think of two players more suited to square off in match play than Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia.

It could have happened in 2014, but instead we had just about the opposite situation. Reed overcame stoic Swede Henrik Stenson, and Garcia outdueled James Taylor lookalike Jim Furyk. If the two most combustible personalities on each team happen to be paired up in singles on Sunday, I’m going to need someone on an NBC affiliate to sacrifice their 

rerun marathon so we don’t miss a moment of this volatile showdown.

Not much more needs to be said here. The #narrative discussions if this matchup were to occur could sustain NBC’s talking heads until the next Ice Age. Phil and Stenson were so far ahead of everyone else at Royal Troon this year that they may as well have been playing match play (aside from the obvious strategic differences, but you get the point). A couple of fortysomethings lapping the field at the oldest tournament in golf, then running it back a few months later with international pride on the line? Sign me up.

Another matchup that’s dripping with narrative and intrigue. After Spieth’s double drink job on 12 at Augusta, Danny Willett swooped in and nabbed the green jacket from Spieth’s grasp. I almost want someone to start working on one of those video Photoshop things that the kids are doing now just in case this pairing ends up happening. I can see it now – the rain pouring down on Andy Dufresne’s back as he [SHAWSHANK SPOILER] climbs out of the sewer pipe, the film’s score slowly fading out and replaced with – can it be? It is! – the tinkling piano of the Masters theme. Dufresne slogs downstream, the camera cuts to him face-on and his head is replaced with Jordan Spieth’s. He tears his soiled. two-year-old green jacket off and lifts his face and arms to the heavens, and suddenly his hands are cradling the Ryder Cup.

A lot to like here. Two Cup rookies with utterly contrasting looks and playing styles. What I’d be most excited about from a golf nerd perspective, however, is the similarity in career choices. Just as Brooks Koepka plied his trade on the European Tour in an effort to gain status on the PGA Tour, Matthew Fitzpatrick is 

planning to live and golf in the United States full-time

 after the Ryder Cup is complete. We’ll get an up-close look at whether the 22-year-old has the game, and the stones, to make such an idea feasible this weekend. Also, I’ve never read 

I just think this is an exercise in contrasting styles. Brandt Snedeker is one of the most fidgety, herky-jerky players you’ll ever see. His swing is beautiful and he pures everything, but when he’s over the ball he looks like a nervous rabbit that just found a bed of clover in the middle of a six-lane highway. He’s also not particularly long with the long sticks. Kaymer, on the other hand, is a model of German engineering: a plodding, powerful, smooth-swinging player who I hope treats Snedeker the way an old German Shepard treats a Chihuahua puppy.

Nothing fancy here, just a couple of Ryder Cup vets grinding out pars and looking for any advantage they can. If DJ vs. Rory is a boxing match between Ali and Frazier, Kuchar vs. Westwood is a game of poker between Phil Ivey and Doyle Brunson. Neither player has that fiery personality, and there won’t be any explosive outbursts, but you can bet that nobody will make any egregious errors.

The “Chicks Dig the Long Ball” Matchup

Holmes led the PGA Tour in driving distance this season at 314.5 yards. Pieters ranked 16th on the European Tour, and first on Europe’s Ryder Cup team, at 301.420. Look for both of these mashers to blaze a long rip off the tee on almost every hole.

Zach Johnson is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Justin Rose is from the English countryside. Both players are accurate with their irons and deadly with the flat stick (ZJ, in particular, can somehow pour in putts with that 

). But both players have a competitive streak that sneaks out in big moments. Witness Justin Rose’s iconic (and extremely British) celly after winning the 

gold medal, and the steely resolve Johnson demonstrated in capturing a 4-hole playoff over two players in the 2015 Open Championship.

The “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” Showdown

I’ll start by saying that I frankly don’t know who Chris Wood is. It looks like he won the BMW PGA Championship in May, followed that up with a T6 at the succintly named Lyoness Open powered by Sporthlife Cashback Card, and hasn’t carded a top 10 since June (though there are some top 20s sprinkled in there). We all know about Rickie’s 2014 major top 5 streak, and he got the monkey off his back with a win at the Players last year, but he hasn’t found the winner’s circle this season and has been unimpressive since fading badly in The Barclays at Bethpage in late August.

Ryan Moore’s claim to fame is that he wears dope outfits. This doesn’t help in a team event. If this pairing shows up on your screen, it’s time to hit the bathroom and/or load up on snacks.

The Most Entertaining (Potential) Ryder Cup Singles Matches

The first official Ryder Cup was contested in 1927 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Since that inaugural event, the Ryder Cup has grown to become a biennial sporting phenomenon, as legendary players like Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, and J.J. Henry have done battle across historic tracks such as Muirfield, Oak Hill, and Old Warson Country Club.

As with every long-running sporting event, there have been memorable moments. Bernhard Langer’s missed putt in the 1991 War by the Shore looms large, as does Justin Leonard’s improbable putt and the U.S.’s subsequent celebration in Brookline. There have been epic runs (Poulter’s birdie barrage in 2012), improbable shots (Poulter’s chip-in on 15 in 2014), and Seve-fueled comebacks (the miracle at Medinah) – and that’s just the crap that Ian Poulter’s affected in recent years.

The Ryder Cup’s long history has also had its share of curious occurrences. The one that springs to mind first is Rory’s police escort to make his tee time in 2012. But, with the help of the internet and a 

 that my mom got me for Christmas a few years ago, here are a handful of other notable moments from the 90-year-old tournament.

Yes, the first Ryder Cup history nugget hails from six years before the actual tournament began. The story of who came up with the idea to stage an international golf challenge is a murky one, and many people lay claim to some part of the genesis of the Ryder Cup. But according to my handy book, the “greatest drive and determination to achieve the fixture” was shown by one James Harnett, a circulation rep for 

As players began to cross the Atlantic in both directions in search of golfing glory, the idea of a U.S.-vs-Britain showdown cropped up. Harnett sensed a business avenue (more golf = more readers), and lobbied for America’s country clubs to pitch in some funds to send a dream team of American golfers to the British Isles for a team competition. Many clubs were hesitant, but Harnett eventually got his wish, and then some. The idea grabbed the attention of the USPGA, and they voted to allot $10,000 towards the cause of sending a 10-man American team over to Britain. The two men chosen with picking this squad? Walter Hagen and James Harnett.

No Laying Up

Writing

Western Ireland Golf Trip, Part II: Ballybunion

Tiger's withdrawals don't signal the end for golf in 2016

Western Ireland Golf Trip, Part I: Waterville Golf Links

Ryder Cup Recap: Underrated Performances

Why the Ryder Cup Can Save Golf

Five things Europe needs to do to retain the Ryder Cup

The Most Entertaining (Potential) Ryder Cup Singles Matches

Ryder Cup History: The Notable, Quotable, and (Un)Forgettable Moments

PGA Tour Report Cards 2015/2016

Davis Love III Selects Ryan Moore With His Final Ryder Cup Captain's Pick, But How Did We Get Here?

Why Europe needs to rethink their Ryder Cup selection policy

Player Profile: Matthew Fitzpatrick

Sunday Thoughts on the Deutsche Bank Championship

Ryder Cup Mailbag

2016 Deutsche Bank Championship Preview

The Case Against Jim Furyk for the 2016 US Ryder Cup Team

Dublin, Ireland Golf Trip, Part IV: Killeen Castle

Player Profile: Rafael Cabrera Bello