RYDER CUP 2008 2006 REVIEW Thirty years ago the future of the Ryder Cup was being questioned, as the event had become so one-sided. It was only the introduction of several European golfers to strengthen the British team which saved the competition and restored its position as one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the sporting calendar. How times change! Ahead of the 2006 Ryder Cup clash in Ireland at the K Club in Straffan, it was said by a few journalists – with tongue only slightly in cheek – that it was the Americans who needed to put in a competitive performance to keep interest levels surrounding the clash high. The course had been designed by the American, Arnold Palmer, and was ideally suited to the style of the American team, led by Tom Lehman, which boasted some of the best players in the world, namely Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. What could possibly go wrong this time? Surely they weren’t going to suffer another heavy loss? Or perhaps they were… The 2006 Ryder Cup saw the European team make history by confidently defeating the US side for the third biennial match in a row, coincidentally 18.5 to a mere 9.5, for the second time in the 21st century, in one of the most emotionally-fuelled competitions yet. Prior to proceedings, some had voiced their concerns about the typical Irish weather causing havoc for spectators and players alike, and many felt it would prove beneficial for the Europeans, who were more accustomed to the poor conditions. “I think it’s favourable for us because we’ve played much more in these conditions than the Americans have,” Europe’s captain Ian Woosnam said in the build-up. “The air is much heavier over here. When the ball moves, whether you hit a slice or a draw, it moves twice as much as it does in America.” However Tiger Woods didn’t feel the miserable weather conditions would ➤ CLASSIC SPORTS SERIES 189