Are you sitting comfortably?
EVERYTHING you need to know to survive a three-day televisual marathon. With up to 12 hours of live coverage daily on Sky Sports 1 augmented by a further 90 minutes a day or more of highlights on BBC2, there will be some 38 hours of golfing action from Celtic Manor broadcast this weekend.
Live: Sky Sports 1, 7am-7pm
Highlights: BBC 2, 8:30pm-10pm
Live: Sky Sports 1, 7am-7pm
Highlights: BBC 2, 8:30pm-10pm
Live: Sky Sports 1, 10am-7pm
Highlights: BBC 2, 7:30pm-9:30pm
YOU need to be properly prepared, whether you are lounging around or perched on the edge of your seat, so follow these tips for a successful weekend in front of the telly.
Celtic Manor is, of course, in Wales, so you could give your weekend diet a topical theme with some of the fine foods and drinks the country offers. Some lovely
Welsh lamb shanks will go down nicely for your Sunday dinner, for instance, while the Cardiff-based brewery Brains offers its best bitter known as Brains SA in honour of company founder Samuel Arthur Brain. The locals, however, call it “Skull Attack”.
After all that, you'll need to keep you fit and alert for the long shifts in front of the box.
And if you really want to stave off the sluggishness and inertia of constant armchair occupation, try these exercises provided by strength and conditioning coach
Jonathan Lewis, a co-founder and director of London's Balance Performance, whose mission in life is to get people moving.
He suggests them as: “a good way of breaking long periods of inactivity and unnatural attachment to the television.”
1. For a European hole victory (perhaps the most frequent occurrence of the weekend): Stand-up and breathe — stand with weight distributed equally between both feet, arms hanging by side, knees soft. Take slow, deep breath in, whilst doing so lift chin up towards the ceiling, lift ribcage up and away from your hips, draw shoulder blades back and down. Slowly exhale and allow your body to slump (as if your back in the arm chair). Pause for a moment of “no breath” and contemplation. Repeat cycle 4 times. And if you can't stand, do it from your chair.
2. Every time you hear “USA! USA!” (less frequently, at least if you're backing Europe): Golf swing. Stand up and go through a very slow swing — minus the club and without clasping hands together. Instead of just going to your favoured side go to right and left. Be sure to go as high as possible and follow through as far aspossible. Repeat five to each side.
3. An Irish hole victory: Stand up and sit back down into your chair 20 times.
4. Each time Tiger slams his club into the ground: Press up: Facedown support position with your weight on hands and the balls of your feet, elbows straight, knees straight, your ribcage and hips drawn in towards your belly button (which will stop your back from sagging like an old pony), chin drawn in so your neck is straight.
There should be a straight line between the base of your skull, your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles so you form a plank-like position. Lower your chest towards the floor by bending at the elbows and shoulders as low as you can with the confidence to know you'll make it back up.
Depending on your current level of fitness (not past glories) do between 5-20 repetitions. If you can't do one press-up just hold for 3-5 cycles of breathing. You can also do this leaning against the wall.
5. At the end of each session and each day's play: Go for a walk around the block or down the road for 5-30 minutes.
WHEN outgoing Europe captain Nick Faldo signed off from his closing ceremony speech at Valhalla two years ago he referenced Celtic Manor with some words of advice for the visiting Americans: “Bring your waterproofs.”
Although the home contingent thought it a good joke and the Wales Tourist Board considered it the exact opposite, Faldo will be proved right this weekend, as the forecast shows.
And while we’re at it, we’ll compare the forecast for Celtic Manor with Medinah Country Club, just outside Chicago, the site for the next Ryder Cup in 2012.
Celtic Manor – heavy rain/wind; high: 13C; low: 10C; precipitation: 60%
Medinah — sunny; high: 19C; low: 10C; precipitation: 0%
Celtic Manor — light rain; high: 13C; low: 10C; precipitation: 60%
Medinah — partly cloudy; high: 19C; low: 7C; precipitation: 20%
Celtic Manor — rain/wind; high: 13C; low: 11C; precipitation: 60%
Medinah — sunny; high: 18C; low: 9C; precipitation: 0%
Outright: Europe 4/6 USA 13/8 Tie (14-14) 12/1
Winning margins: Europe by 0.5-3 pts: 11/4; Europe by 3.5-6: 9/2; Europe by 6.5 or more: 5/1
USA by 0.5-3 Points: 7/2; USA by 3.5-6: 6/1; USA by 6.5 or more: 14/1.
Total overall points scorer: Woods 10/1, McIlroy 10/1, Stricker 11/1, Kaymer 11/1, Westwood 12/1, Mickelson 14/1, Poulter 16/1, McDowell 16/1, Donald 16/1, Johnson D 16/1, Furyk 16/1, Mahan 22/1, Harrington 25/1, Kuchar 25/1, Molinari E 28/1, Molinari F 28/1, Fisher 30/1, Cink 30/1, Jimenez 33/1, Johnson Z 33/1, Fowler 33/1, Watson 50/1, Overton 66/1, Hanson 66/1
To hole winning putt: Westwood 12/1, McIlroy 12/1, No Winning Putt (14-14 tie)12/1, Woods 14/1, Kaymer 14/1, Stricker 16/1, Donald 16/1, McDowell 16/1, Poulter 16/1, Harrington 20/1, Mickelson 22/1, 25/1 bar
A match in which each member of the two-man teams plays their own ball. Four balls are in play per hole with the team whose player has the lowest score on that hole winning the hole. A tie for the best score means the hole is halved.
A match where two golfers play together against two other golfers and each team plays one ball. The golfers play alternate shots (player A hits tee shot, player B hits second shot, etc) until the hole is played out. Team members alternate playing the tee shots. Best score wins the hole.
One player competes against another, winning the match when he is up by more holes than there are holes remaining to play.
Other terms you could hear this weekend
Concession — a stroke, hole or match can be conceded at any time before the conclusion of a hole or match but that concession cannot be withdrawn.
Dormie — a side is considered “dormie” if it is winning by the same number of holes that are left to play. For example, if Europe is 2-up with two holes to play it is dormie.
Ole! Ole! Ole! — signature chant of European fans, suitable for all occasions.
USA! USA! USA! — only chant of American fans employed during moments of celebration during Ryder Cups, the World Cup, Olympics, Winter Olympics...
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