Ryder Cup: Malta defends home course in 15th annual match

24 Glasgow golfers came into town on a smokey Saturday afternoon to challenge 24 of Malta’s best golfers for the Ryder Cup, last Saturday, July 19.

Malta kept up the recent trend of the home field team winning the match.

Malta defeated Glasgow 30-18 after three rounds of nine were played.

Malta came out to a screaming ten to two lead at the end of the first nine, which was played under the best ball ruling.

Round two was a little tougher as the teams played alternate strokes meaning partners would switch off every stroke. Malta won that round seven to Glasgow’s five.

Round three was the closest round in a double points format, with Glasgow scoring 11, while Malta scored 13, to seal it.

One golfer from the opposing Glasgow team was Boyd Sinclair, a golfer that plays for Miles City College. He is also a 2013 graduate of Glasgow High.

He had been a part of two Ryder Cup competitions between Malta and Glasgow.

Last year he won one match, lost one and tied another as part of his two-man team.

Though he wanted to bring Glasgow two wins, this year wasn’t much different as he won a match and lost another.

“I’d like to at least get two wins today,” said Sinclair. “I wouldn’t mind dropping one match because Malta has a good golf team here. If I won two I’d be pretty ecstatic.”

Though he didn’t get two wins this year, his golf game will be even stronger next year in the 2015 Ryder Cup, due to the fact he golfs half of the year and spends the other half in simulators.

“I spend almost all my time golfing,” he said.

His best game was when he shot a 67 at Pryor Golf Creek in Huntley.

“It’ll be pretty hard to replicate that,” he admitted.

He has nailed a hole-in-one, but he also hopes that never happens, because times are tough.

“I don’t really want to because then I would have to buy drinks for the whole place and that’s not something I can afford right now,” he said.

Sinclair went stag his first game after his original partner did not show.

He had the edge for most of the first round, as he took on Tony and Cory Shelhamer.

Eventually The Kindle duo found their swing and overtook Sinclair in the end.

Sinclair and his alternate partner won in the alternate round.