Columns - Irish Examiner

John McHenry

41st Ryder Cup - Practice Day Four - Hazeltine National Golf Club

Would Danny Willett have done a better job?

Such is the enormity of the occasion that for a number of weeks now Darren Clarke would have been silently praying he would only have to play two rookies in the opening foursomes series of matches in the 41st Ryder Cup.

Sat, 01 Oct, 2016

Davis Love must put the ‘united’ back into US to reclaim Ryder Cup

Not too long ago, when golf fans all around the world would gather to watch the first major golf championship of the year, the US Masters – they watched it as much for its mystique as anything else.

Fri, 30 Sep, 2016

These are the boxes a winning Ryder Cup captain must tick

This week the game of golf lost one of its truly global icons with the passing of the great Arnold Palmer. Although not the greatest golfer ever, the charismatic Palmer can take great credit for expanding the popularity of the game beyond its then traditional boundaries by continuously supporting the likes of the Open Championship at a time when Europe only had a fledgling tour.

Thu, 29 Sep, 2016

Four freshmen who must step up to the mark in heat of Ryder Cup battle

John McHenry dissects the pick of the Ryder Cup rookies.

Tue, 27 Sep, 2016

New formats may still be golf, but not as we know it

Rivalries are nothing new in sport. They are on every corner but few have the importance or the commercial impact of the three-day match play tournament which biennially pits the best players from both the US and Europe against each other: the Ryder Cup.

Thu, 22 Sep, 2016

Davis Love’s jousting with Darren Clarke will shape the Ryder Cup mood

Over the first couple of days of the 39th Ryder Cup at the Medinah Country Club four years ago, everything was going perfectly to plan for then US captain Davis Love III.

Thu, 15 Sep, 2016

Rory McIlroy learns bad putters are like dogs chasing cars: they don’t last

McIlroy must now persevere with fine-tuning his putting technique, writes John McHenry.

Thu, 08 Sep, 2016

Darren Clarke’s ‘gut’ wildcard call on Thomas Pieters harsh on Russell Knox

In the end, there was only one real talking point once Darren Clarke revealed his European Ryder Cup wildcard picks.

Thu, 01 Sep, 2016

Ryder Cup Trophy Tour - Royal Portrush Golf Club

The three players likely to be selected in Darren Clarke’s wildcard dilemma

No-one should underestimate the importance of next Tuesday in the golfing life of Darren Clarke, because it is then that he will have to reveal his hand.

Thu, 25 Aug, 2016

Can Ireland drive change in the IOC?

Athletes have been let down by the IOC, writes John McHenry.

Thu, 18 Aug, 2016