Continuing our new Book Review Service

STILL WONDERING WHAT
TO GIVE AS A PRESENT?
WHAT ABOUT A VERY
GOOD GOLF BOOK?

EASY RYDER
Europe’s Magnficient K Club
Triumph: Three in a row

By IAN STAFFORD

Mainstream Publishing. Price: £16.99 (Hardback).

“I just don’t think there’s ever been a European team which has played better.”
This was the gracious verdict of US captain Tom Lehman after his United States team were emphatically defeated 18½-9½ by Europe in the 36th Ryder Cup, held at The K Club in County Kildare.
In an event that was monopolised in the early years by the Americans, this was the three-in-a-row triumph that many said couldn’t be achieved. But, spurred on my motivational captain Ian Woosnam and inspired by the courage of team member Darren Clarke, who made himself available for selection just three weeks after the devastating loss of his wife to breast cancer, the European team romped to victory.
It was an emotionally-charged contest that Europe dominated from the outset, and the final score did not adequately reflect the huge gulf between the high-quality play of the victors and the rather lacklustre performance of the Ameridcans.
The result ensured that the Europeans have decisively shrugged off their underdog tag while post-mortems into America’s defeat will be long running.
Easy Ryder is a celebratory account that captures every glorious moment of one of the biggest events on the golfing calendar. Accompanied by many stunning photographs, it is an essential read for all golf fans.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ian Stafford is a multiple award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster with 10 books to his name, including Playgrounds of the Gods, which was short-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award, and the best-selling In Search of the Tiger and Ashes Fever.