All entries in this category: Iain Carter
It's all in the mind
- 19 Sep 06, 04:03 PM
THE K CLUB - Team bonding is what it's all about and we've had an insight into what happened last night when the entire European team got together for the first time.
Aside from the motivational video, exhortations from captain Ian Woosnam, wine tasting and dinner there was a conjuring show from the team's mind magician Jamil Qureshi.
I've witnessed his phenomenenal powers before. He can recite the first line from a random page of a random book picked by a random stranger. Spooky.
Last night he made the European team all draw caricatures of Colin Montgomerie and just by looking at the drawings he was able to tell which player had drawn which picture.
The chips are down...
- 18 Sep 06, 07:19 PM
K CLUB - So we’re here - at last - and I can’t pretend it’s been easy.
As we drove out of a heaving late Sunday night Dublin airport, the road signs flashed “Welcome to the Ryder Cup”. The next road signs were for roadworks.
For some reason they’ve decided to dig up the Irish capital’s equivalent of the M25. Work started three weeks before the biggest sporting event ever to be staged in this country. I hope Europe’s timing off the tee is a bit better!
Our midnight journey wasn’t too bad, but this morning as we headed back to the airport to greet the Americans, was a nose-to-tail nightmare.
Rumour and counter rumour
- 17 Sep 06, 10:55 AM
WENTWORTH - You know something big is just around the corner with a single glance from my radio booth to the rest of the media centre here.
There are a few relatively unfamiliar faces. All the usual golf correspondents are on duty but they're supplemented by the feature writers - particularly from the Sunday papers. They've been here preparing their Ryder Cup preview stories.
So you need ears like those of Monty just to stay in touch with where the news agenda is going.
This week there were a couple of rumours that made me think we were on to significant stories only to be swiftly countered.
Stalking Tiger, poetic dragon
- 14 Sep 06, 12:54 PM
WENTWORTH - Even when there’s a £1m first prize to be played for the Ryder Cup can be an overshadowing presence.
I spent Wednesday morning at Wentworth ahead of the World Match Play, which boasts golf's biggest individual prize and has its strongest field in years, and what did we talk about? You guessed it.
We chatted about it with David Howell, with Colin Montgomerie and with Tiger Woods. Yes - Tiger Woods, with whom I spent a very enjoyable 10 minutes or so in a conversation you’ll be able to hear on BBC Radio Five Live on Thursday afternoon (1600 BST).
Of course we spoke of the World Match Play, his run of five straight wins and the loss he feels after the death of his father.
Woosie's half a dozen
- 7 Sep 06, 04:36 PM
CRANS-SUR-SIERRE - Today was to be the day when I wasn't going to think too much about the Ryder Cup - this was Michelle's day as Wie was making her European Tour debut.
I was all set to get out onto the course and be in position to analyse the merits of the 16-year-old wonderkid - but the K Club can't be ignored.
The call came in that, yes, Woosie had taken half of his team over to the Ryder Cup course for some golf and team-building.
Bjorn to be riled
- 6 Sep 06, 03:50 PM
CRANS-SUR-SIERRE - So Thomas Bjorn apologises to Ian Woosnam and the Tour fines him £10,000.
I’m finding that locker-room opinion on 'Bjorngate' is split. Two senior players I’ve spoken to believed the Dane had every right to speak out and didn’t deserve his punishment.
Moments later, I spoke to a couple of the more rank-and-file members of the Tour who were outraged at Bjorn’s reaction.
Woosie train hits Bjorn buffers
- 5 Sep 06, 02:54 PM
CRANS-SUR-SIERRE - Having decided on taking the train from the BMW International in Munich to Crans-sur-Sierre, I was looking forward to a nice relaxing journey through the Alps to this idyllic destination.
But perhaps an incident, as we changed trains at Karlsruhe station, should have been taken as an omen that the peace would soon be shattered.
We needed to change platforms. Heavily laden reporters, players and caddies were descending on an escalator behind a ceremonially dressed African gentleman.
He appeared to have his lifetime possessions stacked high and wide on an airport-style trolley.
Ryder Cup surprise
- 4 Sep 06, 08:47 AM
MUNICH - So Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood are Ian Woosnam's two wildcard picks.
I have to admit this is the second time in which I've been surprised when the captain has announced his picks.
Two years ago, rumours swept the press tent that Freddie Jacobson was going to get the nod from Bernhard Langer at the expense of Luke Donald.
It's a fascinating time after the BMW International has finished. We're all left waiting and wondering in the media tent and rumour and counter rumour abounds.
About Iain Carter
- 1 Sep 06, 09:21 AM
This will be my second Ryder Cup as BBC Radio's Golf Correspondent.
All I can remember from the first was that the only time I relaxed in the entire week was playing table tennis of an evening with the rest of the Five Live team - and that commentator John Murray is the most negative ping ponger I've ever met.
If he's a blocker, I guess I'm now a blogger.
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