The game of golf may have lost Bob Torrance this year but the pearls of wisdom from the celebrated Scottish coach will help to inspire Europe's players as they head into the Ryder Cup battle with the USA at Gleneagles this week.
Torrance, the veteran swing guru and father of current European vice-captain Sam, passed away in July after losing his fight against lung cancer.
Paul McGinley, the European skipp er, will make sure Torrance's presence is still felt, however, and revealed at his pre-event press conference yesterday that one of the Largs veteran's well-kent phrases will be used to rally the troops.
McGinley said: "It's just a simple message and it's the last message they will see before they leave the locker room. He used to say it to every player on the range, and as they made their way to the first tee, he would shake your hand and say 'happiest days of your lives'. And that's the quote; that is the last thing the players will see here."
McGinley reiterated his feelings that the on-going legal issues involving Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell - the Northern Irish duo are embroiled in a commercial dispute with their former management company - will not have an effect on this week's affair.
McDowell helped guide McIlroy through his Ryder Cup debut in 2010 and they were paired together in three fourball and foursomes matches in 2012. McGinley hinted, however, that this Irish alliance is not set in stone. He added: "It [the court case] has not been an issue for me in terms of captaincy, and both of them have assured me that there are no issues. Whether they come together or not is another story.
"Three or four months ago, I had a very strong view that they would have been [paired]. But the more I look at their stats and the more I look at the different value I have with them, the more I'm thinking there may be value in not doing it. They have played six Ryder Cup matches together and only won two. It's not like these guys are written in stone; they are not a formidable partnership. I have lots of options with them but it doesn't have to be that they are together."
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