Ryder Cup Rivals - by Hank Gola (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Veteran journalist and author Hank Gola takes readers on a tour of the most consequential clashes in the history of the biennial matches. Since the first meeting between the United States and Great Britain in 1927, the Ryder Cup has become the most passionate of golf's professional events with the combatants playing for country rather than themselves. Gola brings readers inside the ropes and behind the scenes from the most memorable shots to the most momentous putts to the craftiest machinations and most contentious confrontations. He recalls iconic moments and figures including Walter Hagen and his gamesmanship, Dai Reese and Britain's 1957 upset, Jack Nicklaus, Tony Jacklin and The Concession, Seve Ballesteros and the arrival of the Europeans, Bernhard Langer's agony at the War at the Shore and Paul Azinger's stunning captaincy at Valhalla.

Review Quotes

"With stories shaped by the heartbeat of pressure and patriotism, Ryder Cup Rivals vividly captures nearly a century of golf drama and Hank Gola uses his insider's eye to lead readers behind the curtain of all the riveting theater." --Bill Pennington, The New York Times

"Ryder Cup Rivals is a riveting baker's dozen of the most intense and consequential Ryder Cups in the nearly 100-year history of the team competition. "Nothing compares to the Ryder Cup," he writes in the introduction. True, and his narrative spotlights the Ryder Cup's fascinating history, team machinations, biggest controversies, raw patriotism, and nerve-shattering moments, all in pursuit of a trophy instead of riches." --Neil Sagebiel, Author of The Longest Shot

"Hank Gola canvasses the storied history of the Ryder Cup with a writer's flair and a reporter's unblinking eye, bringing the reader nose to nose with the intensity of golf's Super Bowl. A page turner with vivid details, Ryder Cup Rivals sinks every putt!" --Damon Hack, NBC and Golf Channel broadcaster​

"I thought I knew a lot about the Ryder Cup until I read Hank Gola's new book. Gola details numerous behind-the-scenes stories--and controversies--that impacted the matches. He also recalls several fascinating little-known figures who helped preserve the Ryder Cup in its early years, and saw the biennial affair grow and prosper into the 21st Century." --Ed Sherman, Golf Writer, Chicago Tribune​

"Hank Gola goes deep into the history of the Ryder Cup and well beyond the typical highs and lows that are part of the competition every two years. From Sam Ryder's dream to Walter Hagen's recurring captaincies in the early days to Jack Nicklaus' role in bringing all of Europe along all the way to Hank's own question on a chilly Scotland night that prompted Phil Mickelson to blow up the entire U.S. Ryder Cup system, the book is yet another reminder of why the event is considered as big as any in the game." --Bob Harig, Sports Illustrated golf journalist and author of Drive: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods

"The Ryder Cup is the greatest three days in golf, an unholy mix of passion, pressure and nationalistic fervor. Hank Gola's Ryder Cup Rivals" rekindles the electrifying feelings of the best Ryder Cups, from the original in 1927 that set the contentious tone to the Battles at The Belfry, The War By The Shore and more. If you don't get goose bumps reading this book, check your pulse. You may be dead." --Gary Van Sickle, former Sports Illustrated golf writer and ex-president of the Golf Writers Association of America

"Terrific--one of the best-ever books about the Ryder Cup. I learned so much from it that I didn't know, and I was at every one of these matches." --John Hopkins, Former golf correspondent of The Times of London

"From Worcester in 1927 through Rome in 2023, the 44 editions of the Ryder Cup carry their respective weight in drama, intrigue, gamesmanship, and performance. What Hank Gola accomplished is a rare achievement -- showcasing years where the story before the story on course was equally momentous. You are there from site selection, little-known facts about competitors, remarks that painted legacies, momentum-swinging matches, and much more. It is the Ryder Cup, after all, and like a good wine there's provenance, age-worthiness, reputation, and a flavor all its own." --Bob Denney, PGA Historian Emeritus

"Hank Gola covered sports for the New York Daily News with verve, enthusiasm and a very certain flair. With his love of golf, he brings his unique, award-winning style to this new book on the Game's grandest event, the Ryder Cup. Enjoy!" --Martin Davis, Golf Historian, The American Golfer

"Hank Gola masterfully captures all the passion and conflict that has made our best Ryder Cups the most intensely human events in golf history." --Jaime Diaz, Golf Digest writer, Golf Channel broadcaster

About the Author

Hank Gola is a veteran sports journalist (New York Post and New York Daily News) and has covered 95 major championships and eight Ryder Cups. He has collected several writing awards from the Golf Writers Association of America and was the 2018 recipient of Lincoln Werden Award for golf journalism from the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association, of which he was named president in 2024. Gola graduated from Montclair State College and lives in Parsippany, NJ, with his wife, Lillian. He has two children, Henry and Julianne, and four grandchildren, Rose, Ruby, Elliot and Iris.