Ryder stars in awe of inspiring Fergie

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell displayed all the signs of being star-struck by Team Europe’s evening with Alex Ferguson, but not so much as to ignore the potential benefits for this weekend’s Ryder Cup defence.

The legendary former Manchester United manager had been invited by team captain Paul McGinley to address the Europeans at Gleneagles on Tuesday ahead of the 40th Ryder Cup matches which begin tomorrow morning.

McGinley’s hunch that Ferguson’s achievements in football management would make an impact on his players certainly appears to have paid off given yesterday’s reviews from team members and none more so than the two Irish Manchester United fans.