USA/NBC 4 will be waking golf fans up early this weekend, but for a good reason. It is Ryder Cup time and the United States team led by Tiger Woods will battle a favored European team.
But almost as tough as the opponent will be the elements at the K Club, Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland.
The Irish countryside this time of year will be cool, rainy and just what the European team ordered.
USA/NBC’s top analyst, Johnny Miller, has been a member of several Ryder Cup teams and is the perfect man to be in the tower on the 18th green when this event begins Friday morning at 8 on USA.
“All year long we see golf presented in a head-to-head competition,” Miller said from Ireland, “but fans of the Ryder Cup know it is a team that brings home the trophy and as great as Tiger Woods is, in this case he is simply a member of team USA.
“Captain Tom Lehman has some of the greatest golfers in the world in Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, and David Toms leading a talented team. However, many on the European team like Darren Clarke, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, José Maria Olazábal and Colin Montgomerie have extensive Ryder Cup experience. I really think that this could go down to the final day.”
Here in Washington, the Ryder Cup takes on special meaning with many embassies holding informal brunches to watch the action. Pubs from Foxhall to Capitol Hill will open early so golf fans can split their time between the Ryder Cup and English Premiership games.
So for golf fans in this international city the Ryder Cup holds big-time bragging rights that last all year come Monday morning.
USA starts with the coverage on Friday at 8 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, NBC kicks it off at 8 a.m. and has the whole day’s action.
Radio coverage will be XM and should you want to follow it on the computer, www.rydercup.com, www.bbc.co.uk and www.talksport.net all give you a real European feel.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.
