Ryder Cup Inspired

Danial Naqvi
3 min readSep 29, 2018

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There’s nothing better than teeing it up with those who allowed you to fall in love with the game again. It’s Ryder Cup weekend and it’s all to play for.

Me at 12th West at Sundridge Park Golf Club in Bromley, Kent, UK

‘Breathe. Relax. Just take it easy. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Allow yourself to enjoy what you want.’

I must always wear my faded Taylormade blue cap.

Labelled with SLDR on the side, the cap has been witness to many a high and low.

But now I play merely for enjoyment.

Despite my lack of colour coordination, the game of golf continues to excite and inspire me.

Even more reason to be inspired this week. It’s Ryder Cup weekend.

The world’s best descended on Le Golf National in Paris to battle it out over five rounds of fierce competition.

Europe vs USA

Europe has the upper hand going into the final day and it will be a scorcher to watch from my side of the Channel.

Watching this competitive golf on TV really spurs you on to wanting to play yourself.

Although the course was empty, we tried (and mostly failed) to replicate the brilliance of what we watch on screens.

The playing partners today were George and Ted.

Ted, a long time friend and co-worker at Orpington stole the spoils with an excellent putting display which outshone myself and George.

George, to put it nicely, struggled today and didn’t quite take form.

When he’s hot, he’s unstoppable and when he’s not, you’d wish he’d stop.

Jokes aside, it wouldn’t be a game with these two without our fair share of good golf and equally bad jokes.

I’ve been playing golf with these two for the best part of six or seven years.

We’ve all gone on to do other things apart from golf and the enjoyment is greater now more than before.

For me, there is nothing like unwinding on the golf course.

It’s my happy place.

My place where I find the most calmness.

The place where it seems all can be lost and never found.

It’s just like home, no matter the course nor the location.

I’m usually too far from anywhere to make it there quickly.

I like the isolation.

I love the freedom.

I love the discovery and I fall in love with the game even more when I play it after some time.

We all used to play everyday, twice or three times a day.

We all used to practice, play and will each other on.

We do so now but in our lives that matter, in golf we just crap on each other and enjoy it.

It’s not serious anymore, it’s just fun.

That’s all it was supposed to be in the first place.

The Ryder Cup is more than fun. It’s pride and integrity.

I think that’s what I love about it. All the rivalry of the season dissipates between countrymen and continent-men.

Hopefully all my golfing friends will be in one place.

Once again we’ll have the balance and be encouraged to play week-in week-out.

Tomorrow, all eyes on the European team to win.

Come on Europe.

Ah I love the game. Much needed relaxation.

Ryder Cup inspired

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Danial Naqvi

Joint PhD Candidate Business & Management at Manchester & Melbourne| MSc UCL Science, Technology and Society | BA (Hons) QMUL Human Geography |