A Loudwater golf club has said they are ‘proud’ that a former member was part of the winning Europe team that clinched the Ryder Cup.
Tyrell Hatton, who was born and raised in Marlow, learnt his trade at the Wycombe Heights Golf Club in the village during the mid-to-late 90s and early 00s.
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He gained a reputation as one of the hottest prospects in the sport, with the 33-year-old shining over the three-day event at the Black Course in Farmingdale, New York.
Victory looked a formality after a stunning opening two days at Bethpage Black saw them take a record-breaking 11.5-4.5 into Sunday’s singles.
When Viktor Hovland pulled out of his match with Harris English due to a neck injury and both sides were awarded half a point, Donald’s men needed just two points from the 11 remaining matches.
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They were hunting victory by a record margin but were instead facing the prospect of a record comeback as Keegan Bradley’s side roared back into contention.
A wave of early points gave the US hope until Shane Lowry’s half against Russell Henley ensured the trophy was retained, with Hatton winning it outright during the 10th match.
Speaking about the final day, Hatton said: “To be honest, it’s been one of the hardest days I’ve probably ever experienced on a golf course.
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“Going out number 10 of 11 matches today, obviously hoping that everything was wrapped up, but you still want to take pride in your individual record and stuff.
“I mean, the US lads put up an incredible fight. It was to be expected. They are amazing players.
“Selfishly, I was really hoping that it wouldn’t have to come down to me. And yeah, the last five, six, seven holes were just horrible to be honest.
“But at the end of the day, I’m just so happy that we’ve managed to win.”
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Speaking on his achievement, Mark Woods, who is the general manager at the golf club, said: “We have a very high standard par three course, which is great for people to get into golf, and we started here before moving on.
“It is something to be proud of [knowing that two members of the winning European team are from the High Wycombe area].
“It has a knock-on effect for younger players as it helps them get into the sport.
“This is a really positive message and it’s something that the local community should be proud of.”
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The Europe team were led out by former Royal Grammar School Luke Donald, who grew up in High Wycombe.
Speaking about the final day, he said: “It’s been the most stressful 12 hours in my life.
“I knew it would be tough. I didn’t think they would be this tough on Sunday.
“They fought so hard, and all the respect to them.
“But this means a lot, obviously, to me and the team. We came here knowing that the task was very difficult.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys and what they have done through, how they have come together, how they are playing for history, how they are playing for the people that came before them, and now there will be talk for generations to come as someone going down in history. Couldn’t be more proud.”
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Donald created history by becoming the first man to win the Ryder Cup home and away as a player and captain.
Headmaster Philip Way said: “Luke Donald has set the bar for captaincy extremely high after leading team Europe to Ryder Cup victory.
“He has been described as the greatest captain to have ever lived, and as a school, we are proud to count him amongst our alumni.”
