Senior Ryder Cup on the way

Senior professionals from Europe and the United States could take part in a Ryder Cup-style tournament.

Andy Stubbs, managing director of the European Seniors Tour, said negotiations with his counterparts in America were underway to get a tournament launched quickly.

Senior players said it would help to revive the spirit of the Ryder Cup, which was sullied in 1999 in the ill-tempered match at Brookline.

"We would like to get a match up and running sooner rather than later and the negotiations with our counterparts in America are ongoing," Stubbs was quoted as saying by the Independent.

"But there is a complicated TV schedule we would have to fit into and there would be pressure in America for the match to be an immediate success," he added.

"We would be prepared to build up the match. While it would be easy to do it in six or seven years time when our major winners like Seve (Ballesteros) and (Nick) Faldo come on board, I would like to reward the Senior Tour players of today," Stubbs told the paper.

John Morgan, a former Senior Tour Order of Merit winner, welcomed the possibility of the tournament.

"It would be good to get back to the spirit of the Ryder Cup when it was founded by Sam Ryder," he said.

"It does not need to be about bragging rights but getting together for a week of competitive but friendly golf," he added.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page