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From September 23-29, at Belfry Golf Club in Sutton, England, teams from the United States and Europe will once again battle for the Ryder Cup. The event, established in 1927 by English merchant Samuel Ryder, pits professional golfers from the United States and England in a multi-day golf match that has reached an almost heroic significance in both the golfing and non-golfing sports world. The publication of MR. RYDER'S TROPHY by Shirley Dusinberre Durham, a fictional meditation on the Ryder Cup, golf, and life in general, coincides with this year's match. The novel, like the Ryder Cup, is an enjoyable experience, regardless of one's affection for the game of golf.
The Ryder Cup was established as a biennial contest between teams from America and Great Britain. After some early equally divided contests, the Americans began a domination that threatened the very existence of the matches. The British managed only one victory between 1935 and 1977, and the contest became yawningly insignificant. Commencing in 1979 a change in the format of the matches expanded the British team to include professional golfers from the European Continent. This change, coupled with the golf boom of the '80s and '90s, turned the Ryder Cup into a war. The 1999 match featured a furious final day rally by the American team, culminating in the victorious American team charging across the final green in celebration of their victory. That celebration had many golf purists shaking their head in disbelief.
MR. RYDER'S TROPHY is an attempt to recall the original intent of the matches in a time before television and big money professionalism began to take over professional sports. Durham has followed a pattern common to contemporary works of golf fiction, a plot centered on a mystical aura that allows characters a freedom of interaction that they would not normally enjoy. GOLF IN THE KINGDOM by Michael Murphy, THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE by Steven Pressfield, THE GREATEST PLAYER WHO NEVER LIVED and THE GREATEST COURSE THAT NEVER WAS, both by J. Michael Veron, are examples of this genre of golf fiction. By mixing fictional protagonists with deceased golf legends and mystical golf spirits, an outlook reflecting love and reverence for the spirit of the game of golf is established. Indeed, golf becomes more than a game, it becomes an inspiration for life itself. MR. RYDER'S TROPHY, in both style and substance, is a worthy addition to this list.
The novel takes the reader to the spring of 1976, as Stephen and Ann Winchester find themselves in England as the result of a job assignment. The two avid golfers are invited to join the Verulam Golf Club, an invitation they willingly accept. Verulam, an actual club in St. Albans, England, was the home course of Samuel Ryder. Ryder served as the Captain of the Club as well as the Mayor of St. Albans. His portrait, along with numerous other items of Ryder Cup memorabilia, graces the clubhouse at Verulam. After her inaugural round at the club, Ann Winchester finds herself entranced by the portrait and fascinated by the historical knowledge she acquires. This enchantment culminates in long discussions with Ryder about the Cup, the game of golf, and life in general. That Ryder has been dead for nearly 40 years is a literary device that makes his observations and opinions all the more captivating.
The events of September 11, 2001 brought about the postponement of the Ryder Cup. It will be played this year, and every other year thereafter. Only World War II caused a similar occurrence. As the professional golfers from the United States and Europe once again battle for the trophy, golfers and non-golfers will view this sports contest in the context of world events. MR. RYDER'S TROPHY offers insight into the goal that Samuel Ryder envisioned some 75 years ago when he established this event. His dream should not be lost in the media frenzy of the Ryder Cup. While the hype surrounding modern Ryder Cup might upset Samuel Ryder, the spirit and competition between the nations and the golfers on the final weekend of September would make him proud and honored that his gift to professional golf has survived these many years.
--- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
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