On the eve of the Ryder Cup, Scheffler inadvertently reminds us why it matters

The 2025 Ryder Cup Teams and their partners at the gala dinner on Long Island's Gold Coast

This year Scottie Scheffler gave a few revealing press interviews, particularly around the time of the 2025 British Open, where he clinched his fourth major title.  His comments have surprised many in the golf world due to their frankness and introspection.

The British are coming!

A small brigade of British golfers is leading the charge at Augusta this week. As the Masters Tournament unfolds at the iconic Augusta National in Georgia, many flags on the leaderboard are displaying the red St. George’s cross. With two rounds complete in the prestigious major, an impressive three players high up on the score board hail from Great Britain, setting the stage for a thrilling weekend of national rivalries intertwined with individual competition. 

The Masters leaderboard on the first day of play 

A Humble Southern Hemisphere Hero #4: Ernie Els

Ernie Els, affectionately known as the "Big Easy," is a South African golfing legend whose career is marked by his big powerful golf swing, and his humility.  A four-time major champion and former world number 1, Els captivated audiences worldwide with his long drives, accurate iron play, and a calm demeanor that belies his fierce competitive spirit.  His relatively slow, yet powerful swing earned him the nickname, the "Big Easy".  Ernie did make the game look easy and never got rattled on the golf course.  He invariably had a smile on his face as he conquered each course he played, even in the toughest conditions and against the best opponents (normally Tiger Woods).

The Rippers of Oz win the LIV Team Championship title for 2024

The LIV Golf season concluded with a thrilling team victory for Cameron Smith's all-Aussie Ripper Golf Club. In the final round of the Team Championship in Dallas yesterday, September 22nd, 2024, Smith and Lucas Herbert delivered clutch putts to secure the win for their team. Ripper GC's triumph capped off an impressive season that included a home victory in Adelaide, a team playoff win in Singapore, and several other podium finishes. The other two team members of Ripper GC are Matt Jones and Marc Leishman. Smith, Leishman and Jones were all part of the same Australian team that competed on the LIV tour last season. Their team name was previously Punch GC.

OLYMPICS SUMMARY (BEFORE PARIS)

Here is a summary of statistics and results from the Summer Olympics over the course of history (last 128 years).  The first table is the historical medal count for all Modern Summer Olympics prior to Paris 2024:

	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	1061	830	738	2629
2	Russia	608	515	501	1624
3	Germany	438	457	491	1386
4	Great Britain	284	318	314	916
5	China	263	199	174	636
6	France	223	251	277	751
7	Italy	217	188	213	618
8	Hungary	181	154	176	511
9	Japan	169	150	178	497
10	Australia	164	173	210	547

Pre-Paris historical number of medals per million of population for the top countries (Russia includes former USSR, Germany includes former East and West):

A Ryder Cup of Squash?

The view greeting you when you fly in to Bermuda

(Author's note:  First published in November 2012)

Every November for the last five years, I have attended the Bermuda Squash Challenge. This year there were 64 amateur squash players from various countries around the world in attendance. The nations represented were the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, South Africa and Bermuda of course. It is never very hard for those that travel to enjoy everything the island has to offer. There is world class golf, sailing, snorkeling and diving; and at the end of one of these long hard days in the sun one can enjoy a nice refreshing 'dark and stormy' or two, or more.

LIV looms large as the Masters tees off in Augusta

Yesterday at Augusta National Jon Rahm hosted the Masters Champions Dinner, an annual event for all the prior winners of the golf tournament. The golf itself kicks off today at 10.30am EST after a rain delayed start. It promises high drama both on and off the course. While 13 LIV Golf players are set to tee off among the 88-man field, their participation remains a contentious issue within the sport.

Jon Rahm just jumped to the juggernaut that is LIV golf

A few days ago Jon Rahm seriously shocked the entire golf world by announcing he had quit the PGA Tour and had joined LIV Golf. Rahm is not just a PGA Tour pro. He is the reigning Masters champion, a long-time world number 1, and current number 3 behind Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. He is an in-form golfer and is one the highest paid players on the PGA tour right now. And for years now, Rahm has been publicly expressing his loyalty to the PGA Tour. And, at the same time, he has been criticizing the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour.  Hence everyone's surprise at this news.

A fresh face amongst golf's major winners

A week ago, on July 23rd 2023, US professional golfer Brian Harman won the 2023 British Open Championship in emphatic fashion. Harman is a PGA professional from Savannah, Georgia. He turned pro in 2009 and has since won three tour events, including the Open result.  He has made 238 out of 346 possible cuts on tour, had 26 Top 5 finishes, and made over $30 million in prize money. Curiously, he is described as a right-handed golfer who plays left-handed. He is known for his solid ball-striking and his ability to grind out rounds. He is also a very good putter, which has helped him to win several tournaments. Harman is a quiet and unassuming player who does not get a lot of attention. However, he is a very talented golfer who has quietly established himself as one of the best players on the PGA Tour.  

Will the Koepka express keep on running?

The 2023 U.S. Open golf tournament is being held at the Los Angeles Country Club (LACC) from today, June 15th 2023, until Sunday. The tournament is one of the big 4 majors of the year. The last major result, the PGA Champs last month, was a real upset to the golf world, in that a player from the breakaway LIV tour, Brooks Koepka, won the title. That and other factors likely prompted the US PGA and the LIV tour to discuss merging for the good of the game. It will ensure that all of the world’s best players are present at all 4 majors going forward. The major tournaments follow their own rules and 2 of the 4 denied the PGA Tour's attempts to limit the major fields to only PGA players. 

Biggest change in the sport of golf in a generation

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf Tour, a Saudi-backed upstart, have proposed a merger that would see the two leagues combine their assets and operations. The deal, which is still in the early stages, would create a new golf league that would be very lucrative for those in power.