Set a place for Olazabal at the Manor

Golf News — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:15:47 +0000

Jose Maria Olazabal has more important things on his mind right now but we can only hope that, one way or another, there is a place for him in the European Team room at the Ryder Cup in October.
Olazabal’s struggle with a debilitating condition which is threatening his ability to play any golf at all and his concern about the health of his great friend Seve Ballesteros are, of course, uppermost in his thoughts at present. The Ryder Cup is probably the last thing on his mind. But in his absence from the Tour it’s been suggested that European captain Colin Montgomerie might not ask Jose Maria to be an assistant captain because he’s lost touch with the players.
I find it hard to believe Monty would let that stand in the way of Olazabal being at Celtic Manor.
Colin knows better than anyone how much of a role emotion and inspiration play at the Ryder Cup and Jose Maria Olazabal has a special talent for saying and doing the right things at the right time, especially in high-pressure situations. I don’t know a single European player who isn’t inspired by Olazabal’s achievements in individual tournament play and in the Ryder Cup. Even now, many of them are saying Jose Maria should definitely be involved at Celtic Manor whatever happens, and I think there’s every chance they’ll get their wish. If Jose Maria is able to bring along his old
pal Seve, so much the better.

October, South Wales…

Golf News — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:20:12 +0000

Four weeks prior to the Andalucian Masters, an altogether bigger worldwide audience will be watching the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.
Speculation continues to rage – and a certain amount of sniggering still goes on – about just how bad the weather might be and what effect it will have on golf’s greatest showpiece. Well, the gloom and doomers might be right and it could be cold and wet and foggy and it might take an extra day to see who’s victorious. So what? We’ve had fog delays in places like Dubai and we recently had play stopped because of wind and rain in the Arizona desert so a bit of rain and fog at Celtic Manor is hardly going to be something new. All I’ll say is that having been on the course filming on a peaceful winter’s day at the end of last year, I looked around the natural amphitheatre created by the valley and imagined the roars of the galleries on different holes and felt confident that Celtic Manor and its owner Sir Terry Matthews might just have the last laugh.

Costa del Sol Golf News » ryder cup

Set a place for Olazabal at the Manor

October, South Wales…