On the Money with the 2016 Ryder Cup

GET IN THE HOLE! One of the key cornerstones of dollarsandart is collaborating with the world of sport as Art tells their story........

Get in the hole - REALLY?

Golf plays a big part in my work, especially being Resident Artist over at The Track, Troons facility at Meydan Hotel, Dubai....

Sunset at Meydan then onto the floodlit course!

That 'GET IN THE HOLE' heckle, it's a U.S of A phrase that has physically makes me cringe when watching golf. Plenty of it this weekend, the shouting and the Golf as we were treated to The Ryder Cup, the Hazeltine course littered with more hecklers than we know what to do with.

That one weekend every couple of years, where golf puts prize money behind it and plays for bragging rights in the Ryder Cup. THE premier golf event which take place every two years between a team from Europe against a team from the United States. The venues are alternated with every competition in Europe and USA, but this year something different, something unthinkable happened....

Not only did Team America WIN and beat Europe (congrats to them, get in the hole, etc) but entertainment involving a $100 bill stole the limelight before the competition had even started....

The atmosphere being understandably tense during the build up to the event, with THE highlight being when a particularly loud American heckler was singled out from the crowd to try a 'Putt' himself!

During a practice round on Thursday, European golfers Henrik Stenson and McIlroy were practicing on a green and couldn't quite sink a 12-foot putt on the eighth hole. Between the two of them, they missed six times.

After one of the misses, Golf fan and North Dakota native David 'GET IN THE HOLE' Johnson heckled the golfers from the gallery, yelling that even he could make the putt.

It’s not too often that hecklers wind up the heroes in any story, but the Insurance salesman stole the show when Stenson called Johnson out of the stands and bet him he couldn't make it. Justin Rose put his money where Stenson's mouth was and placed a $100 bill onto the green at the spot of the putt.

Put your money where your mouth is!

Then the unthinkable, not only was he heckled himself 'Millions of people watching....' but, he...well, he

only went and sunk it and the crowd went bananas :-

GET IN THE HOLE - AND IT DID!

Oh dear - like we needed anymore 'Get in the hole' hecklers. Johnson, who is from North Dakota, enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame and plans to frame the $100 bill and hang it on his wall. Team Europe also signed the winning ball for Johnson.

Money where your mouth is!

Quite a contrast to a pioneer of the game, Arnold Palmer, who was mourned at the start of this Ryder Cup. Even with the consuming excitement of the Ryder Cup, the week still belongs to Arnold Palmer. How could it not? The King popularized golf like no one else when he stepped onto the scene in the 1950s, and after passing away at the age of 87 last week, the golf world went into a collective state of mourning.....

Arnold Palmers passing prompted inclusion in my 7th dollarsandart collection The DISRUPTIVES honouring icons of past and present. #workinprogress

There was no ' GET IN THE HOLE' in his day. So as the competition got underway on Friday, Palmer’s presence was felt. Captain Davis Love III said Palmer’s memory had helped galvanized the team in their meeting last night. “There were a lot of emotions,” he said, which no doubt rose to the surface again when they found Palmer’s bag from the 1975 Ryder Cup awaiting them on the first tee.

Arnold Palmers 1975 Ryder Cup bag on the 1st tee at Hazeltine

So congrats to team USA, winners of the Ryder Cup 2016 beating Europe 17-11 to regain the trophy! Congrats also to the heckler and the $100 bill - one that , ironically flew in the face of money and the Ryder Cup as there is no prize money up for grabs!

'None?' you gasp. 'In this day and age? Surely not?' But, it's true, the Ryder Cup is contested for bragging rights and love of the game alone.

The event used to run at a loss, until - under captain Tony Jacklin - Europe begun winning in the mid 1980s, and the Cup broke even for the first time. Today, it makes tens of millions in profit - mostly thanks to lucrative TV deals - prompting several of the players to question just why they aren't being remunerated for their time. In 2002, Tiger Woods was asked whether he'd be happier with an event win worth $1 million, or a Ryder Cup victory and plumped for the money: it's clearly a bit of a sore spot.

A compromise has since been reached, and the PGA of America now donates $100,000 to charity and $100,000 to a college development programme, in the name of each participant. 

RORY collaboration and that money quote

I've had the pleasure of working with Rory Mcilroy for the Artwork 'Story Rory' and he was more than happy to sign the $1 Bill with me....

Auctioned at the CEO Masters event, raising $$ for Gulf $ Good featuring both Race to Dubai and Dubai Desert Classic momentos....

Back in 2014 ready for The CEO Masters with STORY RORY

Rory is very open when it comes to the increasingly sensitive topic of money in sport....

However, he's been accused of taking is a step too far when asked about representing his country in the 2016 Olympics....

He said it as it was....

Honest, at least - a trait rarely found in big earning sports thesedays!

The 27-year-old objected to the suggestion he had sold his sport short by refusing to play in Brazil. “I don’t feel like I’ve let the game down at all,” he said. “I didn’t get into golf to try to grow the game. I got into golf to win championships and win majors. All of a sudden you get to this point and there is a responsibility on you to grow the game and I get that. But at the same time that’s not the reason I got into golf. I got into golf to win. I didn’t get into golf to get other people into the game.

“I get where different people come from and different people have different opinions but I’m very happy with the decision I’ve made and I have no regrets about it.”

WOW! What about paving away for the youth of tomorrow, to be a figure head for them and being a role model - a sponsors dream, surely - not nightmare? Contrast that modern day attitude to the likes of Gary Player who took a great pride in leading the South African team out at the Olympics....

Honoured to collaborate with him aswell at his invitational event as he heads towards raising $100,000,000 by 2020....

Legend and Global golf ambassador Gary Player - signing the AED 100 and his shirt for his foundation in early 2016

Variety is the spice of life and Golf needed this U.S win, don't get me wrong as times are changing. Maybe the heckler just HAD TO make that putt to keep the rivalry alive, healthy and well, beyond irritating at times!

Thoughts, comments and general 'GET IN THE HOLE' observations most welcome here as sport meets money, honour and pride!

More behind the scenes info on The DiSruptives over at Dollarsandart facebook page and day by day musings over on instagram. Feel free to contact [email protected] or right here, right now on linked as the journey continues!

Maybe we'll get 9 holes in at The Track, Meydan sometime - more than happy to host those who don't shout 'GET IN THE HOLE'!

Onward$ & Upward$!