Weather is more than likely to play a role in the type of golf asked for this week. In particular, the wind can gust erratically due to course’s proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and the nearby Gibraltar Strait.
More than even the major championships, the biennial contest between Europe and the United States takes the game born in Scotland into the hearts and minds of those who elsewhere go about their business blissfully ignorant of all things golf.
The social highlight of the week has been the Tuesday evening barbecue attended by as many as 70 guests, a figure made up primarily of (possible) Ryder Cup players, caddies, wives and girlfriends.
Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Peninsula Kingswood and Yarra Yarra will host one round each in a 72-hole event with 60-strong mixture of male and female pros and amateurs.
While the schedule is solid through until the end of October, the European Tour already has back-up plans in place – two more possible “swings” – that are ready to step in if some of the events at the end of the year don’t come to fruition.
We didn’t think the European Tour could top its series of humorous videos involving a kid reporter interviewing some of golf’s biggest names. But a new video of a fake reporter interviewing some of golf’s biggest names might be even better.