THE RYDER CUP

The Ryder Cup is a prestigious golf competition that is contested between teams of professional golfers from the United States and Europe. Established in 1927 and named after Samuel Ryder, an English businessman and golf enthusiast who donated the trophy, the tournament is held biennially with teams of 12 players from each side competing in various match-play formats.

- Farzan Heerjee

Golf historians will be quick to point out that even though the tournament began as a competition between the two superpowers- the US and Great Britain; 52 years later, the Ryder Cup format has expanded to include all of Europe. That brings us to the Ryder Cup tournament of today which is anticipated by golfers in an almost palpable electric atmosphere. The cup is replete with intense rivalry, sportsmanship, and passionate fans who wait with bated breath for famous shots and dramatic comebacks.

Speaking of passionate fans, my first Ryder Cup experience goes back to 1991 with fellow golfer and friend Atul Taunk. With DishTV being rare and expensive, I distinctly remember watching it at the Natraj Hotelone of Jamshedpur's oldest cinema halls. The tournament was held on Kiawah Island and it was while watching the tournament there that we struck common ground. Mesmerised by the course and admiring the players' techniques only made us dream bigger with each passing stroke. Since then, we eat, sleep and breathe sports with golf being the pivotal peg. After the latest Ryder Cup and the anomalies therein, Atul and I agreed that we are in the midst of a seismic shift in the golfing arena especially in its etiquette. When asked to contribute an article here no other topic seemed to fit the bill other than that of the declining golfing decorum. From basic foundational rules and regulations to crowds that would toe the line into almost uncontrollable throngs- this tournament can be considered one for the history books.