Fashion choices

The European team arrives in the US looking like a box of Celebrations and Fergus is having his own wardrobe issues.

Ryder Cup team

The European Ryder Cup side has arrived in Valhalla and all the chat is very positive so far. Faldo has said, “I have 12 guys who all want to win, simple as that.” That’s very good Nick. In “Team Captaincy 1001,” lesson one starts with: ensure your team actually wants to win.  He also says he has a couple of ideas up his sleeve. I think that’s a bit worrying, I can just see him sending Oliver Wilson and Ian Poulter out as first pairing on Friday.

Talking about sleeves, I’ve just been looking at a video of the European side arriving in the States. They’re wearing matching outfits that can only be described as brown. I was reminded of the last time I bit into a Milky Way.

I’m just about to leave the house and am finalising my own wardrobe choices. I looked at the weather forecast for Valhalla and was somewhat concerned - it’s going to be 30 degrees centigrade and 75% humidity. My autumn/winter collection is extensive but when it comes to summer attire I’m a touch limited (given the highest temperature recorded in Aberdeenshire this year is 9 deg C, there’s not much call for linen trousers and Hawaiian shirts). I have cords and lambswool v-necks coming out of my ears but anything thinner than about 11 tog is sadly lacking from my shelves.

Aha… I’ve just found a pair of Kickers shorts circa 1994 so I think I’ll be ok. They’re a long way from stylish so I should fit in a treat in Kentucky.

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?