STRAIGHT FIGHT
No Ror at home until next July
could attack on some holes. I remember the scoring was pretty high – Alex Noren won at seven-under par.
“It’s a great test of golf, and I think it’s going to be a lot different than some Ryder Cups in the past.
“You could have pars and bogeys winning holes this week.
“The home team are on a course they are extremely comfortable with. It is going to be very tough.” Thomas, who RORY MCILROY is set to turn his back on the European Tour until July next year as he chases the increased prize money in the USA. The Ryder Cup star traditionally starts his season in the Gulf – and he racked up two top-three finishes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in January. But the Florida-based player will tee off 2019 at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii for the first time. And with the BMW PGA now rescheduled to September amid a rejigging of the golf calendar – the US PGA will be staged in May – Mcilroy will probably not play in Europe until the Irish Open. The four-time Major champion said: “The changes to the tour schedule next year are great. It’ll encourage guys to play more. “I always feel like I start the year off a little bit behind everyone else.” And the prize fund for the Fedex Cup play-offs will rise to £53.5million next season – the winner banking £11.4m. insisted the tendonitis in his right wrist will not trouble him in France, will be the first player since Tiger Woods in 1997 to make a Ryder Cup debut having already won a Major and been world No.1.
He added: “The first time I went to the Ryder Cup was unfortunately Oakland Hills in 2004 – I try and forget that. But I was at Valhalla in 2008, so a lot of good memories there.”