How We Won The Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup battle between Europe and the USA is one of the biggest events in the golfing calendar and in 2006, the former underdogs showed they are now the dominant force in the biennial matches. It was another marvellous example of teamwork, and the caddies have played no small part in Europe overcoming the odds. The players hit the shots; their trusty caddies share the hopes, the glory and, occasionally, the misery. What was it like being beside Sam Torrance when he holed the winning putt and shed his tears on that historic moment at The Belfry in 1985? Fast forward to 2006 and a highly emotional appearance by Darren Clarke. What was it like being by his side? What was the story behind Colin Montgomerie's right-hand-man returning to his bag to help lay to rest the ghost of 1999? How do you cope when Seve Ballesteros is in full cry against the 'old enemy', especially when you are an American yourself? In 1991, a spike mark cost Europe the tournament, but what really happened behind the ropes? Who knew his man had had a vision he would beat Tiger Woods in 1997 - and saw it come true? What was it like witnessing those awful scenes at Brookline up close and personal in 1999? Who knew exactly which line to take when Paul McGinley sank his memorable winning putt in 2002? How We Won the Ryder Cup covers all the drama that has unfolded in the competition over the years and includes the action from the 2006 tournament at The K Club, County Kildare in Ireland, which saw Europe storm to a third successive victory.

Enter the locker room: this is a history of the Ryder Cup like you have never experienced it before. From the origin matches that preceded the first official trans-Atlantic encounter between Britain and America at Worcester Country Club in 1927, all the way through to the fortieth installment at Gleneagles in 2014, this is the complete history of the Ryder Cup – told by the men who have been there and done it. With exhaustive research and exclusive new material garnered from interviews with players and captains from across the decades, Behind the Ryder Cup unveils the compelling truth of what it means to play in golf's biggest match-play event, where greats of the game have crumbled under pressure while others have carved their names into sporting legend.

Ryder Cup Revealed: Tales of the Unexpected is the previously-untold, behind-the-scenes story of golf's most iconic team contest. The book reports on the commercial mysteries of the money and business; the political games and social mischief-making; the controversial actions and conflicting viewpoints; the ever-changing, sensitive relationship between the players, captains and teams. Using new interviews, fresh insights, unique research and an alternative perspective, author Ross Biddiscombe debates and contextualises all nine decades of the Ryder Cup's history. Plus, he provides dramatic forecasts on the future of the matches that have grown from being financial liability to one of the most successful stories in the whole of sport.

Revised and updated, this in-depth look recounts The Ryder Cup’s rich history and venerated place in sports, its champions and its characters, and its status as golf’s greatest grudge match. From its humble origins in 1927 to its place today as golf’s most gentlemanly battle—and a multi-million-dollar international sports event—The Ryder Cup has cemented its place in both its legacy and lore. Golf journalist Tom Clavin and golf commentator Bob Bubka have now made current their seminal work on the tournament, exploring the history and the rivalries, the extraordinary triumphs and devastating defeats, and the U.S. and the European contingents who have made this contest so remarkable. The names are legendary for any fan of golf: Palmer, Nicklaus, Jacklin, Floyd, Mickelson, Ballesteros, Faldo, Hogan, Nelson, Watson, Strange, Sarazen, Crenshaw, Woods, Montgomerie…the list goes on, as do their pitched battles for dominance and accomplishments on the greens. This up-close and personal look at The Ryder Cup is a must-read for golf fans, especially in preparation for the landmark 40th Anniversary tournament in Gleneagles, Scotland, in 2014.

Now the subject of a major film. Once or twice a generation, an athlete transcends his sport - at last, here's Seve Ballesteros in his own words There are golfers, and there are golfers. And then there's Seve. Severiano Ballesteros was perhaps the most naturally gifted golfer ever to have walked a fairway. From the moment his brother Manuel gave him his first club he was unstoppable. A few weeks before his seventeenth birthday he turned pro. Five years later he won the Open. A genius had arrived. For the best part of two decades Seve dominated the golfing landscape. He played shots others could only dream of. With 94 wins as a professional (including 5 majors) he was a phenomenon, an athlete who transcended his sport. But Seve stood for more than simple excellence. Almost single-handedly, Seve gave European golf credibility; almost single-handedly, he made the Ryder Cup one of the greatest contests in world sport. And when, as captain, he finally lifted the trophy on home soil in 1997, a whole continent rejoiced. His pride and passion have inspired millions, and we have taken him to our hearts. Here, for the first time, Seve tells his own story. From his humble beginnings right up to the present day, here at last is the man behind the magic in his own words. Seve is utterly entertaining, blazingly charismatic and unique. Severiano "Seve" Ballesteros Sota was a Spanish professional golfer and a leading sports figure. He won more than 90 international tournaments in an illustrious career. He first caught the attention of the sporting world in 1976, when at the age of 19 he finished second at The Open. He played a leading role in the re-emergence of European golf, helping the European Ryder Cup team to five wins both as a player and captain. He won the World Match Play Championship a record-tying five times. He is generally regarded as the greatest Continental European golfer of all time and won a record 50 times on the European Tour. Ballesteros died of brain cancer on 7 May 2011, aged 54.

Norman Dabell, journalist, broadcaster and notorious jinx, has been covering the European golf circuit for over 20 years, though after reading this hilarious account of his mishaps, you may well come to wonder how he has managed to survive for so long. Join Norman as he retraces his pursuit of the travelling circus of the golf world from St Andrews to Sun City, Malaga to Morocco, encountering all the great faces of the modern game. Woods, Ballesteros, Faldo, Montgomerie, Westwood, Lyle, Woosnam, Langer, Olazabal, Garcia... they have all made the headlines. Dabell is there to make sure they do - while also trying to survive another day. Golf isn't really meant to be fun, they say, and sometimes it can be toture. But Danbell's rib-tickling (and his have been more than tickled) account will have even the most serious enthusiast in stitches. Fate has caused him many a tumble, broken bone and on-air gaffe, and Dabell's presence inside the ropes has been known to make even the toughest tour professional blanche. However, he is a favourite of Major-winner Vijay Singh, who might have never have got his career on the road if his ball had plummeted out of bounds instead of ricocheting onto the fairway off Dabell's head in Spain in 1990. Singh made a birdie instead of a possible double-bogey, won the tournament and ten years later went on to beat the world at Augusta. Just one of a thousand escapades which happened to a living, breathing Natural Hazard.

In 1926, wealthy seed merchant Samuel Ryder agreed to provide a trophy for the best of teams from two countries. What he started is a unique competition that, for the last seventy years, has regularly raised golf tempers to the boiling point on both sides of the Atlantic. It all started amicably enough, but the sense of shock in British clubhouses was palpable when, in 1927, the United States took the first contest by a humiliating margin of 9/-2/. The 1933 contest, hosted that year by Britain, saw patriotic fans overrunning the fairways, setting a tone of hostility, blame, and mutual animosity-with touches of grand displays of sportsmanship-that would last for more than half a century. With the American PGA Tour now producing a steady supply of hardened professional competitors, and with new European players making an increasing impact on the golfing scene, it was decided in 1977 that the Cup would become a "Europe versus America" affair. The Ryder Cup is a thorough history of this fascinating tournament and a well-written chronicle of its attendant glory, drama, and controversy.

The triumphant story of beloved golfer Phil Mickelson and the years of grit and tireless work that lead to his success, packed with personal insights and never-before-seen photos. Every year, he came so close only to fall short. Every year, the dream grew larger, only to fade away. Yet every year, his gallery of fans grew in support of his quest. Then, on April 11, 2004, for the most beloved golfer of the decade, everything changed. It is a moment ingrained in the hearts and minds of millions, a moment of epic triumph and destiny fulfilled that will be remembered for the ages. But for Phil Mickelson, winning the 2004 Masters was merely another step in an odyssey that began many years ago. Born into a sporting family, with a putter drawn on his birth announcement, Phil knew early on that golf would always be his passion. His parents embraced and nurtured that dream, but they taught him that winning isn't everything. In One Magical Sunday, Phil Mickelson takes us on a magical journey inside a life few have seen up close, but a life whose lessons can be cherished forever. As we travel hole-by-hole through that triumphant Sunday at the Masters, Phil looks back at the influences that made him the man he is today: his mom and dad, who mentored him on the balance between family and golf; his wife, Amy, who has given him so much happiness and fulfillment; and their three children, who remain their top priority. With personal insights from Phil's family and never-before-seen photos of his most treasured moments, One Magical Sunday is a book not only for Phil's millions of fans, but for everyone who finds inspiration in reading about a champion on and off the course.