• The First Major

  • The Inside Story of the 2016 Ryder Cup
  • By: John Feinstein
  • Narrated by: John Feinstein
  • Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (396 ratings)

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The First Major  By  cover art

The First Major

By: John Feinstein
Narrated by: John Feinstein
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Publisher's summary

From the number one New York Times best-selling author of A Good Walk Spoiled, a dramatic chronicle of the bitterly fought 2016 Ryder Cup pitting a US team out for revenge against the Europeans determined to keep the cup out of American hands.

Coming into 2016, the Americans had lost an astounding six out of the last seven Ryder Cup matches, and tensions were running high for the showdown that took place in October 2016 in Hazeltine, Minnesota, just days after American legend Arnold Palmer had died. What resulted was one of the most raucous and heated three days in the cup's long history. Award-winning author John Feinstein takes listeners behind the scenes, providing an inside view of the dramatic stories as they unfolded: veteran Phil Mickelson's two-year roller coaster as he upended the American preparation process and helped assemble a superb team; superstar Rory McIlroy becoming the clear-cut emotional leader of the European team and his reasons for wanting to beat the US team so badly this time around; the raucous matches between McIlroy and American Patrick Reed - resulting in both incredible golf and several moments that threatened to come to blows; the return of Tiger Woods not as a player but an assistant captain and his obsession with helping the US win - which was never the case when he was playing.

John Feinstein's classic best seller, A Good Walk Spoiled, set the bar for golf books. Now Feinstein provides his unique take on the Ryder Cup, which has clearly become golf's most intense and emotional event...it's 'first Major'.

©2017 John Feinstein (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Feinstein compellingly re-creates the excitement, sometimes shot by shot, especially in the classic McIlroy-Reed singles match, which has come to be a symbol of golf at its best, both for shotmaking and sportsmanship. A great moment in golf history, vividly captured." ( Booklist)
"Golf fans love Feinstein's books because he's trusted by the pros and thus can give inside information no other journalist can capture, plus he has a flair for telling a great story.... His journalistic style of short, pithy paragraphs drives the narrative along at breakneck speed. Recommended for any sports enthusiast and a must for golfers of all handicaps." ( Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about The First Major

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Awesome no other words. John Feinstein is great.

John Feinstein writes a great book and performs a great audiobook. The topic left me not wanting to leave my car to listen to more of the book. I must have gotten this one done faster than any other audio book I've ever read. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I can't wait for the next Feinstein book.

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Understand the Ryder Cup

Excellent audiobook exploring and examining the Ryder Cup. I highly recommend this audiobook because it explores the history, and personalities involved.

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Very Insightful!

John Feinstein’s storytelling is great! I enjoyed the story behind the 2016 Part user Cup.

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Simply the best

Nobody writes as well as John Feinstein. I feel I now personally know all of these golfers. I can’t wait for the next Ryder Cup, which never meant much to me until now. I was actually sad when this book ended!

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great story, difficult to follow

I love golf and golf stories, but I think it would have been better if the author wasn't the reader. otherwise, amazing detail to an epic golf chronicle.

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Ryder Cup Fans Delight

Gives you a great background of the 2016 Ryder cup and tells the story of the actual Cup in amazing fashion.

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Great stuff.

Typical Feinstein. This book is a fantastic insight into a fascinating event. Lots of great back stories and entertaining sidebars.

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The Inside Story of the 2016 Ryder Cup

John Feinstein is an excellent sports writer, particularly a golf writer. This book provides a fascinating look at the history of the Ryder Cup, and the American 2016 win at Hazletine GC. Any golf fan will love this book; non-golf fans, maybe not so much.

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Excellent

This was an excellent read. Feinstein details how special the Ryder Cup is to the players and us fans.

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  • JZ
  • 05-26-19

Well authored; well read

If you love golf and wished you could be a fly on the wall when all the best players in the world were together, then this is probably as close as you’re going to get. Great story telling and of course great detail. Loved it.

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