European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington says the match against America may have to go ahead without fans – even though the idea is unpopular with some of his big name players

RYDER Cup captain Padraig Harrington has unintentionally named Luke Donald as a vice-captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup.

Harrington confirmed two things about his plans for Whistling Straits – if the biennial clash with the Americans can go ahead in September – in a TV interview with Sky Sports.

But while the European team captain insisted he will not be having 12 picks in response to the vastly changed PGA and European Tour schedule for the rest of 2020, he did not mean to announce publicly one of his picks for vice-captain at Wisconsin.

Harrington made the revelation he intends to have Luke Donald as a vice-captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup when speaking to Sky Sports’ Golf Show, talking to Sarah Stirk and Jamie Spence.

Harrington said he has been discussing his plans including tactics, logistics and golf stats with key members of his backroom team on a regular basis.

He then let it slip that Donald would be again be a vice-captain – a role he filled for Thomas Bjørn at Le Golf National in 2018 – earning wide acclaim on the European side as the USA were routed.

Harrington also said he agreed with the likes of Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy that playing without fans would take away much of the spectacle.

But the Irishman, who won back to back Opens and the USPGA at Oakland Hills four years after he helped Europe win the 2004 Ryder Cup at the Detroit course, has warned the Ryder Cup may HAVE to be played behind closed doors.

“None of the players want to have a Ryder Cup without the fans,” said Harrington, who said at the start of last month he believed the Ryder Cup would not go ahead off if fans were unable to be at Whistling Straits because of the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the USA in April.

“It’s an option that nobody wants to take, and the players don’t want it, Harrington told Sky.

“But we might have to take one for the world team of sport and put an event on that people can watch.

“It wouldn’t be the same for us, obviously, but it’s sport on TV that we’re all craving.

Padraig Harrington says he needs to be prepared as is he was playing the Whistling Straits course by Lake Michigan in the 2020 Ryder Cup – which may have to go ahead without fans

‘I need to be prepared as possible’

“If we see any live sport right now, we’d all be sitting at home watching it,” Padraig said.

“Clearly, nobody wants to play a Ryder Cup behind closed doors.

“But they’re keeping a prudent eye on it because they know that, if the PGA Tour events in June go well without the fans, it’s a possibility.”

Europe’s top two ranked players – Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm – have said the Ryder Cup will lose much of its appeal from the players’ viewpoint if it is played behind closed doors.

Irishman Harrington, who won three out of six Majors played between the 2007 Open at Carnoustie and the USPGA the following year, says he is determined to “be as prepared as possible” for a trip to Wisconsin in just over four months’ time.

“I’m trying to prepare every day like I’m going to play the Ryder Cup. It might not be a normal Ryder Cup in September, but I need to be as prepared as I can be,” said the 48-year-old.

“I’ve spoken to Guy Kinnings (Ryder Cup director) this week, I spoke to Luke, one of my vice-captains, yesterday, and I talked to the stats guy today because I’ve sat down to look at how my team would look if I had to pick it now.”

Harrington has so far only named Robert Karlsson as a vice-captain, but is expected to have four or five in total. Thomas Bjørn used Karlsson, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, Donald and Harrington.

Padraig Harrington who unintentionally announced he intends to have Luke Donald as a vice-captain at the Ryder Cup in September. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

‘I won’t get 12 picks’ says Harrington

PADRAIG Harrington does not think he will need a one-off change of selection policy, allowing him to pick all 12 European players – because of the cancellation of the first here majors of 2020 which would have a big say on who would fill the top nine qualifying positions.

“I’m not getting 12 picks, that’s for sure,” said Harrington, live on The Golf Show on Sky Sports News, on Tuesday, having floated the idea at the start of April.

Harrington, who made his Ryder Cup debut in the infamous Battle of Brookline defeat in 1999, said: “The Tour have been very reasonable.

“They did the numbers on it, I asked for a few situations to do more numbers, and they presented that to the tournament committee to have a look.

“It’s not just reasonable, it’s actually quite fair whatever option I’ll have in terms of picks.

“It’s kind of irrelevant how many picks I get. The difficult pick is always going to be 11 and 12.

“Even if I had six picks, the last two would be the most difficult and they’re the ones that are usually more controversial.

“It’s not a huge deal in terms of how many picks I end up with, because it’ll come down to two people at the end.

“But it’s fair, and anyone that has played well, will be well looked after in this system, and there will still be room for manoeuvre for some players who haven’t played their way into the team so far.”

“I know the different models that are in place depending on when we get back to playing, so I’ll have a little look at that.

“I’m very happy with how the team is shaping up, but I’d certainly like to see some form before I have to make those picks.”

He is likely to name at least one vice-captain at the same time or shortly after the team is picked in early September.

Harrington (left) celebrates victory at The Belfry with Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood. Picture by STUART FLETCHER

Harrington teams won four of six Ryder Cups

HARRINGTON was one of just three Europeans to win their Sunday singles match as the Americans came back from 10-6 down to win by a point, in Boston.

He has played in six Ryder Cups – including in 2002 at The Belfry, the last time the event was postponed after the 9/11 attack on New York.

Harrington ended up on the winning team in four of them, winning 101/2 points in 25 matches.

The Dubliner’s last appearance was in Colin Montgomerie’s team at Celtic Manor in 2010.

Harrington was a vice-captain in 2014, 2016 and 2018, and became the third pro from Ireland and Northern Ireland to lead Europe in the Ryder Cup after Paul McGinley (2014) and Darren Clarke (2016).

As well as his three Majors, Harrington has 12 other European Tour wins to his name – the last at the 2016 Portugal Masters.

He also has three regular PGA Tour wins to his name and two more on the Asian Tour as well as a win in Japan.

He was named Europe’s 2020 Ryder Cup captain in January 2019.

Rory McIlroy who won the 2014 USPGA at Kiawah Island – scene of a famous Ryder Cup defeat for Europe back in 1991’s War on the Shore

Rory McIlroy: Without fans it won’t be the Ryder Cup

RORY McIlroy told the BBC two weeks ago that the Ryder Cup should be postponed until 2021 rather than be played in September without fans.

“A Ryder Cup without fans is not a Ryder Cup. It wouldn’t be a great spectacle, there’d be no atmosphere.

“So if it came to whether they had to choose between not playing the event or playing it without fans, I would say just delay it a year and play it in 2021.”

“Obviously it would be better for the Europeans to play without fans because we wouldn’t have to deal with some of the stuff you have to put up with, but at the same time it’s not a Ryder Cup,” added McIlroy.

It is nearly 21 years ago that US fans upset both Jose-Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie during the Sunday singles in the Battle of Brookline with abuse that brought condemnation from European captain Mark James.

If the Ryder Cup as pushed back to 2021 and then played again in 2023 it would allow Italy – one of the countries worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic – an extra year to prepare for hosting the event, said McIlroy.

The Northern Ireland golfer has four Majors to his name, but has not won one since the 2014 USPGA at Kiawah Island.

The South Carolina course was also the scene of more unsporting behaviour by US fans and players in the “War by the Shore.”

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The Arnold Palmer Cup will now be played in December after being swtiched from Lahinch to Bay Hill Club, in Florida, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Picture by PETER LOCKLE

THE Arnold Palmer Cup – the annual match between the best American and international college golfers – is the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup was originally scheduled to be played at Lahinch GC, in Ireland, from July 3-5.

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak sweeping across the USA and Europe, it will be rescheduled to take place at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, on December 21-23, 2020.

The matches will return to the PGA Tour venue at Bay Hill, host of the inaugural playing of the Arnold Palmer Cup in 1997.

Surrey’s Angus Flanagan winner of the Carris Trophy in 2016. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

Surrey’s former Carris Trophy winner Angus Flanagan, from St George’s Hill, who is in his third year at University of Minnesota, is one of two English players who will now play at Bay Hill, just before Christmas.

The other is Hallamshire’s Alex Fitzpatrick, the younger brother of European Tour winner Matt Fitzpatrick, who played in last year’s Walker Cup defeat for Great Britain and Ireland against the USA, and is at Wake Forest.

The two teams were selected – using the Arnold Palmer Cup rankings based on US college results and picks by each selection committee and the two sets of coaches.

Three Irish players have been denied the chance to play on home soil at Lahinch – Arizona State’s Olivia Mehaffey, Wake Forest’s Mark Power, and Maynooth University’s Caolan Rafferty.

The University of Washington’s Alan Murray is the head coach of the men’s team, who was looking forward to leading the Internationals in the Irishman’s homeland.

Maynooth’s Barry Fennelly is Murray’s assistant coach, while Mehaffey’s team-mates are being led by University of Virginia’s Ria Quiazon-Scott, from the Philippines.

Lahinch Golf Club – which hosted last year’s Home Internationals which was won by defending champions England – will now host the Arnold Palmer Cup in 2024.

Amy Palmer-Saunders – the daughter of legend Arnold Palmer – said in an online statement. “Mindful of the difficult and challenging time for everyone coping with the effects of this pandemic, it is hoped that rescheduling to December will allow the matches to be played in 2020.

“The guidance of leading public health authorities will dictate any further changes to the schedule, with this competition only taking place if it is safe and responsible to do so.”

Palmer’s daughter Amy added: “We look forward to welcoming the top men and women collegiate golfers to Bay Hill.

“My father would have wanted to find a way to honor their excellence in these unprecedented times and hosting the rescheduled Arnold Palmer Cup at Bay Hill will be a fitting way to do so.

“While we are disappointed not to visit Lahinch this summer, we are thrilled that Lahinch has agreed to host in 2024.

“The Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, which carries on the legacy of my parent’s philanthropic initiatives, and conducts the Arnold Palmer Cup with the GCAA, WGCA and foundation partners Rolex and Nike, is so appreciative of their support during these trying times, as well as The R&A and USGA.

“We are also especially grateful for our collaboration with Lahinch Golf Club, its members and the Lahinch community, and their collective support for the Arnold Palmer Cup. We anticipate a wonderful Palmer Cup in 2024.”

Lahinch will become the third Repubic of Ireland course to stage the Arnold Palmer Cup

Lahinch follows great Irish hosts

LAHINCH Golf Club is fully committed to staging the Arnold Palmer Cup in 2024 when it returns to Europe.

Padraig McInerney, tournament director at Lahinch Golf Club, said: “The postponement of this year’s Arnold Palmer Cup is perfectly understandable amid this current pandemic.

“While it is a great disappointment for Lahinch Golf Club, its members and the entire local community, we remain fully committed to the event – and the wonderful concept of honouring young, talented golfers and, in doing so, providing them with the opportunity to experience international competition over some of the world’s great courses.

“We offer our congratulations to those honoured with selection in 2020 and look forward to continuing our relationship with the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, college golf and to hosting the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup.”

Lahinch Golf Club was founded in 1892 and is consistently ranked in the top 50 golf courses in the world.

Originally laid out by Old Tom Morris, Dr Alister MacKenzie was retained in 1926 to redesign the course.

MacKenzie declared: “Lahinch will make the finest and most popular golf course that I, or I believe anyone else, ever constructed.”

Lahinch will become the third course in the Republic of Ireland to host the tournament after Doonbeg, in County Clare, in 2002, and Ballybunion, in 2004.

Bay Hill is renowned as the winter home of Arnold Palmer, combining world-class golf in an exclusive club setting.

The par 72, 7,381-yard Championship course sweeps across 270 acres along the shores of the Butler Chain of Lakes.

Since 1979, Bay Hill has been home to the Arnold Palmer Invitational – one of the most popular tournaments on the PGA Tour.

Arnold Palmer Cup alumni Francesco Molinari (2019) and Matt Every (2014-15) have claimed victory at Arnie’s tournament.

The 18th hole at Bay Hill has seen plenty of drama in the Arnold Palmer Invitational

How the Arnold Palmer Cup evolved

THE Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

It began at Orlando’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge in 1997.

The event is a Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring the top men’s and women’s university/ college golfers matching the United States against a team of international players.

The Arnold Palmer Cup has been played at some of the world’s greatest courses including St Andrews’ Old Course, Whistling Straits, which is set to the Ryder Cup in September, Royal Liverpool’s Hoylake, Baltusrol, The Honors Course, and Cherry Hills.

The United States leads the series with 12 wins to 10 – just one of the 13 matches has been tied.

The 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club, the French club which hosts the LPGA Major annually, became the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.

And in 2019 the event became truly global with the Americans taking on an International team for the first time.

The Internationals claimed 13 of the 24 points in the Sunday singles matches at The Alotian Club, in Arkansas to become the first visiting team to win on US soil since 2009.

The first six editions of the Arnold Palmer Cup were played between the USA and Great Britain Ireland, before it became a European team in 2003 for the match at Kiawah Island, with the visitors winning at the the 1991 Ryder Cup venue in a reverse of the professionals’ match’s outcome.

The USA won at Royal Portrush, in Northern Ireland, in 2010, with the Europeans gaining the upper hand at Royal County Down, another superb course in the six counties, two years’ later.

The hosts also won when the Arnold Palmer Cup was played at Walton Heath – another Ryder Cup venue – in 2014, and Formby GC, in Lancashire, in 2016.

The winning International team at the 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup with former US president Bill Clinton at the Alotian Golf Club, in Arkansas.

Arnold Palmer Cup’s famous alumni

SINCE its inception, more than 100 Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on either the PGA Tour, European Tour or LPGA.

Twenty-nine have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup, and more than 60 have claimed in excess of 240 victories on the PGA or European Tours.

Among the Europeans to feature were Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Jon Rahm, Andrea Pavan, Alex Noren, Alejandro Canizares, Joost Luiten, Jorge Campillo, Justin Walters, Paul Dunne, Richard Ramsay, Scott Jamieson, Thomas Pieters and Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who won the Puerto Rico Open in February.

Hovland played in the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup alongside Hampshire’s Harry Ellis, who went on to claim the Amateur Championship two weeks later.

Surrey’s Ben Taylor, who graduated from the Korn Ferry to earn his PGA Tour card for 2020, played in 2013, while Woburn’s Steve Lewton, who is on the Korn Ferry Tour this season after coming through its Q-school, played back in 2006 at Prestwick, when a European team won 191/2-41/2.

The American teams have featured Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau, J B Holmes, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Cantlay, Brandt Snedeker, Ryan Moore, Lucas Glover, Charles Howell III, Hunter Mahan, Ben Curtis, and Nick Watney.

•The Arnold Palmer Cup is supported by Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation.

It provides a platform for perpetuating the legend – who won seven Majors – and his commitment to youth development plus the growth of amateur and collegiate golf. 

For more information visit ArnoldPalmerCup.com

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The 61st Berkhamsted Trophy, which attracted a record entry after it was opened up to female and male golfers, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Picture by ANDY HISEMAN / MAGIC HOUR MEDIA

BERKHAMSTED Golf Club has confirmed the postponement of the 61^st Berkhamsted Trophy because of the coronavirus outbreak.

But the Hertfordshire heatthland club – famous for having no bunkers – plans to stage the ground-breaking event for sexual equality later this year.

The 72-hole tournament was set to be the world’s first national-level elite amateur golf event open to both males and females, from April 2-4.

Following the club’s announcement in January that golfers from both sexes would be able to compete equally, this year’s event had already attracted an all-time record entry.

Among the 142 competitors who have entered the 2020 tournament are 18 leading women golfers – led by last week’s Sunningdale Foursomes winner Lily-May Humphries, from Essex, Cheshire’s England international Isobel Wardle, and Emily Toy, the reigning Women’s Amateur Champion. from Cornwall.

All three are members of the Curtis Cup squad for the biennial match, between Great Britain and Ireland and the USA, which is due to be played at Conwy GC, in North Wales, from June 12-14.

The Hertfordshire club is looking to re-schedule the 61^st Berkhamsted Trophy in the autumn 2020. Further announcements will follow. Entrants need to do nothing at this stage.

The Berkhamsted Trophy. Picture by ANDY HISEMAN

Berkhamsted manager Howard Craft said: “Naturally we would rather not be doing this, but it is clearly unwise to attempt to stage a golf tournament of this kind at the moment.

“The health of our competitors, members and staff is the overwhelming priority right now.

“Our decision in January to invite leading female amateur golfers to enter the tournament has been emphatically validated by the record-breaking entry levels, and also by the high quality of the golfers who want to compete – of both sexes.

“What’s been achieved so far is testament both to the appeal of the Berkhamsted Trophy, and also to the growing desire to stage truly gender-neutral tournaments across the golfing world.

“We are proud to be among those who are leading the way in this area, and we are still excited to see what happens when the best female golfers take on the best male golfers, later this year, all competing for the same trophy.”

Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup captain Elaine Ratcliffe said: “Berkhamsted has clearly taken the right decision to postpone for now, but more importantly, I think it’s brilliant the event received such enthusiastic backing from both male and female competitors.

“It’s another step in the right direction not just for golf, but for sport in general,” said Ratcliffe, the former Ladies European Tour player, who played in the 1996 Curtis Cup at Killarney, and also for GB&I at the 1998 World Amateur Team Championship for the Espirito Trophy.

“They are all athletes at the end of the day, and we are gradually removing those dividing lines between men’s and women’s sport.”

The 2019 Berkhamsted Trophy was won by Ryan Gosling, from Harpenden GC.

Past winners include Sandy Lyle, Luke Donald, Andy Sullivan, Tom Lewis, Graeme Storm, and Jack Singh-Brar, who have all gone on to play on the European Tour, plus amateur legend Gary Wolstenholme.

•Berkhamsted’s golf course remains open to its members after the Government’s Chief Scientific Officer Sir Patrick Vallance told the Commons Health Committee this week that playing golf was relatively safe during the restrictions on social isolation advised after the COVID-19 outbreak continued to spread across the UK this week.

Berkhamsted Golf Club general manager Howard Craft. Picture by ANDY HISEMAN

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Betfred British Masters host Tommy Fleetwood will welcome defending champion Eddie Pepperell (right) to Hillside Golf Club, in his hometown of Southport, in May. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FRILFORD Heath’s Eddie Pepperell is targeting a successful defence of his title in the Betfred British Masters after confirming he will join his friend, tournament host Tommy Fleetwood, in the field at Hillside Golf Club, from May 9-12.

Pepperell is just three days younger than Fleetwood and the pair grew up playing junior and amateur golf together, before latterly going on to enjoy multiple victories on the European Tour.

Both players are now ranked inside the top 40 on the Official World Golf Ranking – Fleetwood is 12^th and Pepperell 36^th – and are increasingly popular personalities among fans.

Pepperell claimed the biggest victory of his career to date in the British Masters at Walton Heath, in October, just two weeks after Fleetwood made a memorable Ryder Cup debut in Paris, winning four points alongside Francesco Molinari against the United States.

The pair were part of a four-way tie for the lead after the first round at Walton Heath, after matching rounds of 67.

But it was Pepperell who went on to win wire-to-wire, finishing two shots clear of Sweden’s Alexander Björk – courtesy of subsequent rounds of 69, 71 and 72, with Fleetwood eventually sharing ninth place.

It was Pepperell’s second victory of 2018 following the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and he said he discovered some newfound self-belief as a result.

Eddie revealed: “It was nice leading all week, feeling very comfortable in that position and actually expecting myself to win from Thursday.

“I definitely unlocked some confidence that week which I hadn’t felt before. I’m now looking forward to going to Hillside this year and trying to upset the Northerners.

“I’ve grown up with Tommy and the fact he’s hosting the event is great for him and I’m excited to be part of it for him and the Tour. I want to play well, put on a good show and get in amongst it.”

Fleetwood is following in the footsteps of previous hosts Ian Poulter (2015), Luke Donald (2016), Lee Westwood (2017) and most recently Justin Rose (2018) who have all played an important part in the success of the tournament following its reintroduction to the European Tour schedule.

Ryder Cup star Fleetwood grew up in the coastal town of Southport where Hillside Golf Club is located – just a stone’s throw from Royal Birkdale, which hosted the 2017 Open – and he is looking forward to welcoming his friend Pepperell to the area.

Tommy said: “He’s defending champion and it was his second win last year and I think it was his most impressive performance to date.

“It’s great to have him at Hillside. To be named British Masters champion is a very special title to have and he’s held the role brilliantly. We’re very lucky to watch him play again.”

Tickets to the 2019 Betfred British Masters hosted by Tommy Fleetwood at Hillside Golf Club from May 9-12 are available by clicking here

A range of hospitality packages are also available. Click here for more details.

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