Klopp’s treat for Bjorn

DIPLOMATIC Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn told British golf writers that the Europeans had a good chance of making it a hat-trick of Masters victories. But he told others that his first choice to be putting on the green jacket is American Jordan Spieth.

And the Liverpool supporter demonstrated some canny captaincy skills when he persuaded golf fans in an Augusta meeting-room suite to turn one of the television sets showing the Par-3 Contest to the Champions League so that he could watch Jurgen Klopp’s team surge to their momentous victory over Manchester City.

ONLY at the Masters could the buggy drivers ferrying the media from the Press centre mansion to the first tee include a millionaire builder of swimming pools from Florida, whose $10-an-hour pay doesn’t make much of an inroad into the $5,000 he’s spent on accommodation. Even Augusta National’s elite green jacket members claim they have no idea how they came to be chosen to join golf’s most elite club. There is no interview process. A letter just arrives inviting you to become a member.

OVERHEARD discussing how the other half live during the Par-3 Contest were the parents of super-wealthy sons Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. They were talking about their holiday plans, which revolved around hiring Sunseeker yachts — complete with staff.