Alex Narey: 1st Tee - Ten Things I spotted

Golf Monthly Assistant Editor Alex Narey reports on the 39th Ryder Cup from Medinah Country Club

1)   There is an awful lot of hand slapping going on. The ‘coming in from the side' option appears to be the favourite, followed by a brush of the chest. A simple handshake will suffice, please.

2)   The stewards are very helpful. Limited count on the jobsworths but it's early days.

3)   Corey Pavin was wearing a very bad pair of trainers. Red suede they looked like. He must have left his golf shoes at home. A bit like the old days of gym class when you just had to get on with it.

4)   The US outfits look better than ours.

5)   Crowd not as loud as the K Club, or Celtic Manor.

6)   Pretty sure I heard one chap chanting to Sergio: ‘You are scum." Although he may have been chanting ‘U-S-A.'

7)   You're not allowed to use cell phones but that didn't stop most people.

8)   If you want to get a good viewing point, it's best to turn up a bit later, be polite. If that doesn't work try and bribe the gateman with some free golf clubs.

9)   Jason Dufner is pretty cool; Zach Johnson tries to be cool.

10)   Tiger Wood's drive was worse than Steve Harmison's first ball in the Ashes 2006. This one went past third slip and down to the boundary for four.

Alex Narey
Content Editor

Alex began his journalism career in regional newspapers in 2001 and moved to the Press Association four years later. He spent three years working at Dennis Publishing before first joining Golf Monthly, where he was on the staff from 2008 to 2015 as the brand's managing editor, overseeing the day-to-day running of our award-winning magazine while also contributing across various digital platforms. A specialist in news and feature content, he has interviewed many of the world's top golfers and returns to Golf Monthly after a three-year stint working on the Daily Telegraph's sports desk. His current role is diverse as he undertakes a number of duties, from managing creative solutions campaigns in both digital and print to writing long-form features for the magazine. Alex has enjoyed a life-long passion for golf and currently plays to a handicap of 13 at Tylney Park Golf Club in Hampshire.