Steve Ryder Cup Profiles

ITINERARY:30 June - 2 July 2023

Friday
4pm meet @ Smith &Western Addlestone followed by Champions Dinner at Top Golf

Saturday
1100 Meet at Hoebridge for tees 1140/1148/1156
Front 9:
Back 9:

Sunday
1000 Meet at Silvermere for tees 1048/1057/1109
Front 9:
Back 9:

Team Profiles

Daniel Goulding

Handicap: 18
Tournament performance: W13 L19 H10 PPG:0.43

Profile: Became a club member for the first time this year nicely coinciding with introduction to Club Marriage. Viral footage of him making a medium length putt in Canada put him on the captains’ radar, although losing his 7 iron and wedge in the space of 1 round could lead to a last minute caddy change.

Form: Some solid spring form saw him threaten a handicap cut. The short game has improved but an angry exchange with a lady nearly struck by a drive into her garden suggests the long game can get him into trouble.

Tom Stanton

Handicap: 22
Tournament performance: W18 L15 H11 PPG 0.53

Profile: A man who has provided so many magical SRC moments. Most recently last year, we witnessed his foursomes partner trolling him by consistently knocking every putt 4 foot past the hole to give Stanton endless knee-knockers coming back. On the flip side, he pulled off a shock teamed up with Malcolm Man.

Form: Will a move to the seaside to acclimatise to links-style golf reap rewards? Possibly, if a recent 9-hole score of 60 was on a course made up exclusively of Par 6s. The shanks are inconvenient, but never rule this guy out whose name sits at the top of every SRC spreadsheet he creates.

Leo Merhemitch

Handicap: 26
Tournament performance: W16, L24, H4 PPG 0.41

Profile: One of the most progressive thinkers in the game. Spent huge sums of money backing women’s sport this year and has been vocal in raising the profile of said events. But like Rory McIlroy has being the flag bearer for a better future harmed his golf?

Form: Driving of the golf ball has got longer. Much like his actual driving, where stops to recharge are common place. Still got the trusty nibbler and regular wang sessions have honed his game for the SRC

Simon Ballou (Captain)

Handicap: 18
Tournament performance: W24, L13, H7 PPG 0.63

Profile: An SRC legend, whose record speaks for itself. Assuming Tom has formatted the spreadsheet correctly in which case it can be quite difficult to tell. Formidable on the course, the oche, the pool table - a bona fide triple threat.

Form: Spent the season plying his trade on a rival tour, enjoying a lucrative sponsorship deal with Slazenger. One card leaked on the internet suggests he’s playing to his handicap.

Jim Hackney

Handicap: 18
Tournament performance: W19, L19, H6 PPG 0.50

Profile
Everyone’s favourite accommodation booking machine and designer of A1 and B2 playing formats. Jim gets a bad rap for not being a team player (mainly because he isn’t one) but the lovable rogue is a joy to play with regardless.

Form
Jim has a new driver in the bag which he can hit a long way and is a delight to watch and his general ball striking is as good as ever. Perennial questions remain around his chipping and putting which have often been an achilles heel in the matchplay format, but any golfer that can strike the ball as well as him has to be respected.

Simon Miller (Captain)

Handicap: 18
Tournament performance: W20, L17, H7 PPG 0.53

Profile: Little and Large, Trevor and Simon, Armstrong and Miller…all double acts that one of Guildford’s deadly duo could walk into. But how will Mr SRC get on without the steady supply of Ebenezer goods? Maybe Pick 1 for the captain is obvious but this is a man who loves to spring a Friday night surprise.

Form: Miller has his name up on a board twice at Guildford – and most importantly for the right reasons. Rather than a petition, the record shows two major wins inside a year and a recent medal results of 2-101-34. Amazing to think of any event going ahead without exactly 8, 9 or 10 players.

Chris Malcolm

Handicap: 30
Tournament performance:  W1 L5 H2 PPG0.25

Profile: Writing a book with the working title ‘breaking 100’. Where Chris and FTSE 100 bosses play the top100 courses of UK and Ireland whilst trying to break 100. When asked for comment Chris said, ‘running a business is much like reading a tricky green. There are ups and downs and when things go wrong - sack the caddie. Under no circumstances is it ever your fault.’

Form: Tipped as a a possible ‘break out star’ of this years tournament. Rapid improvement could make him a handful. Last seen in Bournemouth hitting lots of fairways and greens. Also a regular at Sunningdale it seems. Not jealous at all.

Matt Ebenezer

Handicap: 5
Tournament performance: W5, L1, H2 PPG 0.75

Profile: Gavin Henson, Dan James, Goldie Lookin Chain. All burst onto the scene with much fanfare but now is the difficult third album. The basic application of maths has seen a handicap adjustment but the ‘prince of wales’ has character in abundance.

Form: Completed the St Peter’s Slam in May and holds both team majors at Guildford Golf Club. Only the second pair to have achieved this in 137 years. Talk from the camp is of a man not happy with his game but he did shoot 37pts at the weekend.

Paul Souter

Handicap: 26
Tournament performance: W16 L18 H6 PPG0.48

Profile
It wouldn’t be a Steve Ryder cup without Paul turning up in shorts, complaining about lugging his clubs on the underground, and having to go in the first group on Sunday to make his train. A solid ball striker with his irons off the tee approach meaning he’s never out of a hole, and has a decent track record.

Form
Has been playing close to zero golf with a recent Strava post indicating he’s prioritising bike rides over golf practice. Will be coming in cold but hasn’t stopped him playing well in the past.

Rob Farr

Handicap: 28
Tournament performance: W16 L16 H3 PPG0.50

Profile
A welcome return to the fold after a 6 year wait, in that time he’s had 2 kids, got a new house, grown a few more grey hairs and sold the lotus for a kitchen. Has a stated ambition to reach a 20 handicap and golf remains very firmly on the radar as he continues desperately to try to impress his Scottish father-in-law.

Form
Hasn’t been playing much but dispatched Tom easily in a 9 hole recently. Can hit driver and irons pretty straight these days and no problems with distance, just about whether that short game can hold together. Should be competitive off the handicap and has had as good an SRC record as Jim.