Ryder Cup at Adare Manor set for fireworks on the first with drivable Par 4

The box office drama will be evident from the very first tee shots of next year’s centenary Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, with the decision by the European Tour – in consultation with Europe captain Luke Donald – to make the first hole a drivable Par 4 of 294 yards.

Although the Tom Fazio redesigned course has a back tee of 433 yards on the first hole, the move to play it as a short Par 4 has been influenced by the need to accommodate a giant horseshoe grandstand around and along the first tee box which will seat 6,500 spectators at the sold-out match between Europe and the United States.