Ryder Cup deemed 'inappropriate' in wake of disaster

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Americans pull out of Ryder Cup

Ryder Cup should not have been postponed

The Ryder Cup golf match between teams representing Europe and the United States has been postponed for a year because of the terrorist attacks on the United States.

The biennial event had been due to start at The Belfry, in the Midlands, on 28 September but, after five days of deliberation, the postponement was announced in a statement issued by Europe's Ryder Cup Board and the Professional Golfers' Association of America.

The captains of the two 12-man teams, Sam Torrance and Curtis Strange, immediately supported the decision. Torrance, a Scot who is captaining the European team for the first time, said: "The decision is one of common sense. What happened in America last week has put the Ryder Cup and everything else into perspective.

"All I can feel at the moment is an immense sadness. There will be time enough to talk further about the 34th Ryder Cup match taking place next year."

Strange also expressed his sympathy for those affected by last week's disaster and described the decision to postpone the match as "very appropriate". No new dates have yet been agreed.

Although some players had suggested that over the next two weeks feelings about playing the match might have changed, yesterday's decision seemed inevitable when Tiger Woods, the American who is the currently the world's best player, decided on Friday that he would not play in this week's Lancôme Trophy in Paris because he thought the time was not appropriate to be playing competitive golf.

The Ryder Cup, which had attracted little attention over many years of American domination, was rejuvenated in the 1980s when Europe won the trophy and then retained it in the subsequent match in the US. Since then it has had a sharply competitive edge.