Next week you need to know about . . . the Ryder Cup

The Olympics have barely begun to recede from the collective memory than we get another opportunity to see global superpowers battle for sporting superiority. Yes, the 39th Ryder Cup begins on Tuesday, and Team Europe will be travelling to Medinah Country Club, in Illinois, to take on Team USA and defend the trophy they won in 2010.

There’s a school of thought that suggests the biennial tournament does more to forge European unity than all the currencies, treaties and trade agreements combined; that may be true only for die-hard golf fans, but the tournament undoubtedly has a geographical novelty. Established in 1927 between the US and Great Britain and Ireland, it was expanded to Europe in 1979 to even things out a little.

The anticipation this year is to see if Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy (pictured) are paired off in a singles match. The symbolism of one master of the game facing off against the youngster who is eclipsing him will be potent indeed.

In any case, some of the most enduring moments in golfing history occur in the Ryder Cup, and this year’s captains, José María Olazábal and Davis Love III, will be hoping some of their players manage to embellish that illustrious history.