Sandy Lyle chose one of the courses where he first learned to play golf to announce his hopes for his Ryder Cup future.

September 29th 2006

The 47-year-old former US Masters and British Open champion was one of Ian Woosnam's assistants in the successful Ryder Cup team at the K Club last weekend - and now has designs on the top job.

Lyle was speaking as he returned to his native Shropshire to open the new £13.5 million Macdonald Hill Valley Golf and Country Club near Whitchurch.

He said: "We have got the next captain in 2008 with Nick Faldo and while 2010 seems a long way away, if the opportunity arose I would put my name into the ring. I would certainly like to be captain when it goes to Wales."

"It is a big job but last weekend has certainly given me the taste. I think 2010 would be my cut off point. It goes to Gleneagles in 2014 and that has Colin Montgomerie written all over it."

"I have come down off cloud nine but it was an incredible time. They no longer have an official dinner after the event and we were celebrating and the Americans were there so we went over to chat to them."

"Tiger Woods was there smoking a cigar and I ended up playing a game of table tennis with him. I thought I was quite good but he beat me holding his bat in one hand and his cigar in the other!"

Lyle believes the Americans will come back stronger in two years and refutes suggestions that the US public will lose interest after a third successive defeat for their team.

"The US are very, very proud when it comes to golf. They are always the ones you want to shoot down but they are too proud to let it slip and I think they will come out and really go for it."

Lyle was brought up just a couple of miles from Hill Valley and used to travel to the course to take on the teenage Woosnam who was a live-in assistant green keeper at the Whitchurch course.

"We used to have our dreams and live them out here. We would be on the practice greens and pretend we needed to sink a putt to win the US Masters and it is strange to think we both went on to win it for real."

PICTURE Right: (left to right) Noel Mines (general manager Macdonald Hill Valley Golf & Country Club), Sandy Lyle and Jamie Minshall (Golf Manager)

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