Golf

Overpacked Americans arrive late to Ryder site

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 19, 2006

STRAFFAN, Ireland - The Americans arrived for the Ryder Cup about three hours late Monday, which captain Tom Lehman attributed to bringing too much luggage on the charter plane.

Considering how these matches have gone lately, he can only hope it wasn't emotional baggage.

Having lost four of the past five times, the Americans will try to beat Europe on its home soil for the first time since 1993 when the Ryder Cup begins Friday at the K Club.

Another ominous sign?

Not long after the U.S. team arrived, a weekend of gorgeous weather gave way to a downpour that drenched the golf course, making the chipping green look like a wading pool.

Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk arrived separately after losing in the first round of the HSBC World Match Play Championship last week at Wentworth. Woods stayed in England, attending the Chelsea-Liverpool game Sunday. Furyk went to the K Club to practice.

The Americans were supposed to arrive at 9 a.m. but did not land in Dublin until noon.

"We brought more than our share of luggage," Lehman said. "We were trying to put together a puzzle, trying to fit all the stuff inside the plane. You could see the guys outside the plane in the windows going, 'How are we going to get all this stuff inside?' But they managed to do it. Our team is very excited we're coming back."

Meanwhile, the European Tour announced it will buy or build courses to stage the Ryder Cup from 2018 to increase income from its most profitable event. Owning and operating the courses would allow the Tour to build and profit from onsite hotels, spas and other leisure facilities. The Tour has guaranteed that the matches, played alternately in the U.S. and Europe every two years, will take place on mainland Europe from 2018-30.

BRING ON THE DRAMA: Organizers of the PGA Tour's season-ending Tour Championship are adding seating to accommodate about 1,700 additional spectators over the course's final three holes in an attempt to create a "more dramatic" conclusion to the Atlanta tournament.

Glassed-in hospitality tents that had surrounded the 16th and 17th greens at East Lake Golf Club will move farther up the fairways and modified to allow for outdoor viewing, tournament director Todd Rhinehart said.

East Lake's par-4 16th hole will feature seating for 700 spectators around the green, up from 200. Another 700 seats will be added around the par-4 17th green, and hospitality tents on the hole will feature outdoor seating for 200-300.

[Last modified September 19, 2006, 01:20:08]