The Irish Golf Club Gazette: 10/02/12

10/02/2012

Seve Would Have Been Proud - Javier

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Not even the family of Seve Ballesteros could have imagined a Ryder Cup finish quite like this. It was after midnight in Spain when a European team inspired by the "spirit of Seve", and captained by his close friend Jose Maria Olazabal, completed their improbable comeback victory over the United States in Medinah.

"If he was looking down he would certainly be very proud of everything that happened and the way it happened," said Seve Ballesteros's son, Javier.

Captain Jose Maria Olazabal was in tears as he remembered his great friend, who lost his battle with cancer last year, and Javier said: "It felt like my dad was helping a little bit from somewhere.

"Graeme McDowell said that if my dad could have written a script for the Ryder Cup he would have written it just as it happened - with a big comeback from Europe.

"I was really emotional when Europe won. And when I saw some of the European players talking about the inspiration my dad gave them - it was simply great.

"Also, when Jose Maria spoke about my father and began to cry, I became very emotional.

"What the players did on Sunday was absolutely incredible and one of the best comebacks in the history of sport."

Javier's words were echoed by Ivan Ballesteros, Seve's nephew and vice president of the Madrid-based Seve Ballesteros foundation.

"What happened went beyond sports," Ivan said. "We want to thank Jose Maria for remembering Seve not just throughout the week but for always keeping his memory alive. I would say that not even Hollywood screenwriters could have imagined what happened."

McIlroy's Mad Medinah Moment

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Rory McIlroy shudders to think what the reaction would have been if he had missed the Ryder Cup singles in Chicago and Europe had lost by a point - both of which nearly happened.

Instead the world number one, given a police escort from the team hotel after believing he was teeing off an hour later on the final day than he actually was, was able to celebrate arguably the greatest ever victory in the history of an event that has served up one pulsating contest after another in recent years.

"I don't want to imagine what it would have been like if we'd lost by a point and I'm glad that I'm not - but of course it crossed my mind," said McIlroy as the magnitude of Europe's recovery from 10-4 down to win 14.5-13.5 began to sink in. "The abuse that you guys would have given me in the papers, but I'm just glad I got here, I won my point for the team and we ended up winning."

The 23-year-old then gave a blow-by-blow account of his pre-round drama, adding: "I woke up at nine to call Caroline (girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki) in Beijing and after that I was just hanging around.

"For some reason I had it in my head I was playing at 12.25 instead of 11.25. I read the tee times on my phone - they are obviously on Eastern time and it's Central time here.

"I got a couple of missed calls from a funny number about half 10 and was thinking 'who's that?', so I didn't answer. Then I got a call from Conor Ridge, my manager, at 11 asking if I was at the golf course yet."

The Northern Irish superstar, due to play unbeaten Keegan Bradley in the third game, admitted he instantly realised the consequences of not making it in time - five minutes late and he would have been disqualified, handing America the first point of the day and a five-point lead.

"I was just lucky there was a State Trooper downstairs who could take me, get his lights on and pass all the traffic," he said. "Once we got off the highway it would have taken 10 minutes without him to get through that junction.

"I've never been so worried going to a golf course. I got to the course at 11.14, so I had 11 minutes to get ready and had just enough time to put my shoes on, have a couple of putts and go to the first tee.

"In a way it wasn't a bad thing because I didn't have time to think about it - and I played probably the best I played all week. Once I got out on the course I calmed down a bit. Keegan asked if everything was okay and I said 'it's fine' - we had a laugh."

McGeady Back to Euro Q School

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A dozen more Irish golfers begin their pursuit of a place on the European Tour as they bid to join the 10 men already through to the second phase of qualifying school.

Six Irishmen, including Ballymena-born Florida resident Chris Devlin and Headfort amateur Brian Casey tee off at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire, while the other half attempt to progress at Ribagolfe in Lisbon, Portugal.

For those who make it through after the last round on Friday, a trip to one of four courses in Spain is in store next month, and if that test is passed then the daunting prospect of final qualifying awaits later in November.

Joining Devlin and Casey at Frilford Heath will be Ballybunion's John-Daniel Guiney and The Island's David Rawluk as well as Mike Kelly and Ruaidhri McGee.

In Portugal, Richard Kilpatrick, attached to the Banbridge club, is the sole representative from the North, while amateur Andrew Hogan of Newlands goes in search of glory.

Alan Glynn, Michael McGeady and Glen Robinson of St Helen's Bay and Dara Lernihan also take part.