Month in Review - April

Although the golf season remains on hold due to the COVID-19 crisis, social media continues to bustle with activity from the world’s best golfers.

That’s why we’ve collated all the best bits from the month of April that you may have missed.

Seve crowned Ryder Cup Europe’s greatest player

More than 75,000 votes were cast on our 14-day poll over on our @RyderCupEurope Twitter channel to name Seve Ballesteros Team Europe’s greatest player.

Crowned the best of the best by the fans, Seve faced a tough journey to the final, seeing off Darren Clarke, Colin Montgomerie and Europe’s all-time leading points scorer Sergio Garcia before defeating Ian Poulter in the final with 67% share of the vote.

Ryder Cup players show their support

Golfers and athletes alike have been showing their support in the fight against Coronavirus by raising money to help those affected by the virus.

Sergio Garcia donated €240,000 to the Red Cross of Spain as he joined the initiative to raise funds towards the €11 million goal.

Fellow Spanish athletes, including the likes of Iker Casillas, David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal have also joined the initiative.

Meanwhile, three-time Ryder Cup winner Martin Kaymer has launched a fundraising campaign through the Martin Kaymer Helianthus Foundation, making an initial donation of €50,000 via the Gofundme platform.

Finally, Edoardo Molinari, part of the winning European side at The 2010 Ryder Cup, has been raising funds for hospitals in Turin, Italy, by hosting a daily quiz on his golf academy’s Instagram page.

Click here to follow Dodo.

Harrington’s tips

Last month, 2020 Captain Padraig Harrington began to offer tips to fans across his social media channels.

Well, April has been no different with the three-time Major winner dishing out further tips to help you improve your game from the mental side of the sport to holing those pressure putts.

If you don’t already, make sure you follow the 2020 European Captain on Twitter and Instagram.

Open letter to fans from the captains

The two Captains from Europe and the USA came together in April to offer a message of support to everyone.

Although the two teams battle it out fiercely every two years, Harrington and Steve Stricker were keen to show golf is just a game, which isn’t a matter of life and death, during these challenging times.

Fighting Coronavirus is.

Read the full letter here.

European Tour caddies support COVID-19 fight

The Coronavirus crisis has affected many people around the world, which is why European Tour caddies Billy Foster and Ian ‘Fino’ Finnis offered their support by auctioning golfing memorabilia.

Foster, who has caddied for the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Lee Westwood, raised over £35,000 for the NHS in the UK, with ‘Fino’, caddie of Tommy Fleetwood, raising a staggering £125,000 to support caddies through the European Tour Caddies Association.

Read the full story on europeantour.com.

Miracle at Medinah…again

Here at Ryder Cup Europe, we thought we’d keep spirits high, which is why we relived the “Miracle at Medinah.”

The historical comeback by Team Europe at The 2012 Ryder is certainly one that will never be forgotten.

Bjørn appointed to European Tour Board

The victorious European Ryder Cup Captain at Le Golf National in 2018, Thomas Bjørn, was appointed to the Board of the European Tour as a Non-Executive Director this month.

Having made his first appearance in 1996, Denmark’s most successful golfer will bring a current player perspective to the Board, with this year being his 25^th consecutive season as on the European Tour.

Read the full story here.