Hi Everyone,
There is a hint of Autumn now with the nights drawing in and the mornings a tad darker. Still that does mean we are getting nearer the Ryder Cup and Captain Darren Clarke has made some good choices on his picks to go with the automatically qualified players.
Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer are very experienced and have both shown excellent form of late. Thomas Pieters the big hitting Belgian with his second place followed by a win in the final two qualifying events, showed without doubt he is the man in form. It is odd to see the team without Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell but sadly their form wasn't quite up to it this time. American based Scot Russell-Knox must feel hard done by, with two wins on the PGA Tour, but Darren's job is to pick his team, so I am sure that was a tough decision and every Ryder Cup produces a hard luck story. It is an inexperienced team and of course in America, so a very tall order to retain the great trophy. So "on paper" Europe will lose this time, however the contest is played "on grass", so you never know...
No doubt when covering the tournament on TV the broadcasters will be using the Pro Tracer to show the amazing trajectories of the Pro's. I came across this fun piece on why we shouldn't be using the Pro Tracer for amateur competitions. Have a look here
Speaking of TV I was at the Forest of Arden last week for my 5 minutes of fame with our friends at The Trilby Tour.
I was involved in their new event Trilby Teens (featuring teenage golfers surprisingly) and the the men's event a couple of days after. The programmes go out on Sky TV October / November and the Finals near Christmas. They are always fun to be involved with and the standard of play at times is amazing, considering the omnipresent camera's and the nowhere to hide giant scoreboard at the 18th. The Forest of Arden course is terrific and a solid test of golf with plenty of well placed bunkers and some tricky water hazards. I like the famous course designer Robert Trent-Jones's thoughts on the matter "The difference between a water hazard and a sand bunker, is the same as a plane crash and a car crash. You have a better chance of getting out of one of them!"
Here is a picture of me talking to Golfing World presenter Anna Whiteley.
Finally, I would like to thank so many of you for all of the lovely comments I received on my recent articles and tips from Golf Monthly on You Tube and in last months magazine. I really appreciate the feedback and everyone's interest in my new activities. I have been very fortunate this year with some fun projects and truly blessed in the opportunities that have come my way.
Enjoy your golf and onward and upward into the Autumn.
All the best
Barney