EUROPE’S Ryder Cup heroes toasted their incredible Bethpage triumph with a whopping £230,000 booze order.
Luke Donald’s men partied the night away in New York after sealing a historic and unforgettable win over the Americans on a dramatic final day.
And SunSport can confirm the likes of Rory McIlroy and Sunday’s hero Shane Lowry weren’t just sinking puts over the weekend.
The Europeans sank some top-notch drink with a price tag which was well over par.
A tasty 120 bottles of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial champagne were ordered at a cost of £967 a bottle, which adds up up to £116,109 for the lot.
They didn’t stop there, though.
Sixty Moet MCIII and 60 Moet Rose Champagnes were also there for everyone to enjoy at a total of £74,053.
There was also £18,000 worth of high-quality Belvedere Vodka – £1,861 each – and 10 £2,233 limited edition Hennessy 250th Anniversary cognac.
In addition that haul, each player was offered a special Hennessy Richard Lunar New Year 2025 cognac. They retail at £14,896.
An insider involved in the celebrations told SunSport Donald’s men wanted everyone involved with support staff, wives and family all enjoying a celebratory knees-up.
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The source said: “It was a unique opportunity and a unique moment to celebrate, as winning on American soil is such a great achievement for Team Europe.
“After a long weekend of tension and stress, the goal was to have them celebrate and enjoy some of the best drinks we could offer.”
HEART disease is the world’s biggest killer.
It includes conditions that narrow or block blood vessels and can cause heart attack or stroke.
While we know they are emergencies, many people aren’t aware that their daily habits can have a profound impact on their heart health.
Things that increase your risk include smoking, stress, alcohol, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, having obesity, diabetes, and not being active.
High blood pressure and cholesterol are often referred to as “silent killers” because in many cases they don’t cause symptoms so can be hard to spot.
If you think you may have either, speak to a pharmacist or your GP – Over 40s are entitled to free NHS health checks which test both and many chemists offer free blood pressure checks for over 40s, while a blood test is needed to detect high cholesterol.
Lifestyle adjustments can help manage both, alongside, when necessary, medication. It’s not about a complete overhaul of your life, it’s about small, consistent changes.
Quit smoking, use less table salt, add an extra serving of veg to your meals, or swap a night in front of the TV for a brisk walk.
If you fear you’re suffering symptoms of heart attack or stroke, which include chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness or numbness in the face or arm, sudden confusion and trouble speaking, dial 999 immediately or get to A&E.
Here’s a selection of what readers asked me this week . . .
Q: I AM 68 years old and have had discomfort down below for a year.
I treated myself with Vagisil and Dr Wolff moisturising cream, to no avail.
My GP sent me for blood tests, which were fine. A urine sample was also clear.
When examined, my doctor said it was dryness and gave me an Estriol pessary, which didn’t do anything, and then Prasterone.
I am at my wits’ end and feel permanently bruised in the outside area.
A: Ongoing genital discomfort can be distressing, especially when treatments haven’t provided relief.
At 68, the most common cause of these symptoms is genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), which includes vulvovaginal atrophy (thinning, dryness, irritation) due to low oestrogen.
Estriol and Prasterone are both treatments for GSM, but sometimes local oestrogen needs several months to work or is more effective if given as a different formulation (cream vs tablet vs ring).
If they haven’t helped, it’s worth considering what else could be going on.
The next diagnosis to consider is Lichen sclerosus, a chronic inflammatory skin condition that most commonly affects the genitals and anus. It can lead to itching, pain, thinning skin and scarring, which may cause difficulties with going to the loo or sexual intercourse.
The cause is not fully understood, but is thought to be an autoimmune reaction and most commonly presents in women after menopause.
Treatment typically involves potent topical steroids to manage symptoms, as well as monitoring because, very rarely, women with LS can develop vulval skin cancer.
If you think this sounds like what you have, it’s important to have it diagnosed and treated.
Unfortunately, LS is often missed or misdiagnosed, so my advice would be to ask to see a doctor or nurse who specialises in women’s health.
They should do a vulval skin examination.
Other potential causes include vulvodynia (chronic vulval pain without a clear cause, that can feel like bruising or burning); chronic vulvitis (inflammation due to irritants, soaps, laundry detergents or incontinence pads); infections (candida, bacterial or viral); or dermatological conditions (eczema, psoriasis or contact dermatitis).
Q: I HAVE had four lots of antibiotics over the last eight weeks for a UTI.
My urine test results are not being read for days.
On Friday, I rang for the latest results and was told they are back, but not read. I was told the same on Monday and Tuesday.
I am getting worried now, having had previous problems.
Two years ago I had kidney stones and nephrostomies, and had a stent fitted after that.
A: It’s entirely understandable that you would be worried and it must be very frustrating to know that the results are there, but you can’t access them.
Often it is the case that the receptionist would be able to share the result with you if it was normal.
It’s worth asking if they can reassure you of a normal result.
If you had an infection, I would expect the practice to contact you and act accordingly, with antibiotics prescribed.
This does make me wonder if the result is somewhere in between.
Sometimes urinalysis reports come back as inconclusive – an example is where there is mixed growth of bacteria thought to be due to contamination, rather than infection, and this is best interpreted by the doctor who knows you and the backstory.
My advice as to what you should do right now depends somewhat on your symptoms.
If you remain well but still have blood in your urine and recurrent urgency, you should not wait – call your GP practice again and explain your history of kidney stones, repeated antibiotics, and visible blood.
Ask for an urgent appointment with any available GP, not just the one you were originally assigned.
If the practice cannot offer an urgent review, consider calling 111 for further advice.
If you develop fever, chills, flank pain (around your sides/back), nausea/vomiting, or feel acutely unwell, go to A&E as these could be signs of kidney infection or sepsis.
Long-term, you will likely need investigations to look for any kidney stones or other structural abnormalities that could be increasing susceptibility to UTIs, and if the blood remains in the urine, a urology referral.
SEE a “Pharmacist First” for issues such as UTI, shingles, sore throat, sinusitis, insect bite, impetigo, ear and eye infections or a cold.
If your symptoms persist or get worse, make sure to see a GP.
Q: Am I ever going to grow out of my eczema?
I’ve had it since childhood and have it under control, but the last bits seem to be staying! I’ve stopped using creams and I’m using baby oil as it has less chemicals in it.
A: Many children with eczema do see it improve as they get older, but not all.
Common triggers include stress, weather changes, harsh soaps, allergens like pollen and certain fabrics.
For some, it persists into adulthood, though often in a milder, more manageable form. You may be someone who has a tendency toward chronic eczema, meaning you may never be cured.
But with the correct management, you may be able to achieve clear skin or minimal eczema symptoms most of the time.
Stopping medicated creams too soon, before the skin has fully healed, can cause eczema to bounce back.
I wonder if persisting slightly longer in your case might just help – but please check this with your own doctor or nurse.
Moisturising the skin is of high importance, even when the skin is healthy, as it prevents future flare-ups.
While baby oil locks in moisture, it doesn’t actually add hydration (since it’s mineral oil without water).
Many people with eczema do better with fragrance-free, thick emollient creams/ointments.
It can take a bit of trial and error to work out which emollients are best for you, so buy the small pots as a trial.
Apply while skin is still damp as this helps trap in moisture.
If your eczema patches are not healing or show signs of infection (red, weepy, painful), check back in with your GP.
ANDY Burnham last night made a humiliating climbdown from his campaign to replace Sir Keir Starmer.
Pushed on whether the PM is the right person to lead Britain and Labour, the Manchester mayor said: “Yes.”
It came after days of criticism, which sparked fury from Cabinet ministers.
But despite saying “you’d have to wrench me out of Manchester”, Mr Burnham used day two of the Labour conference in Liverpool to continuing sniping at the PM.
The ex-minister said now isn’t the time to roll out digital ID.
And he implored the Chancellor to be “flexible” with her fiscal rules to increase spending capacity.
Hitting back at accusations from Labour ministers that he’d crash the economy, the mayor told The Guardian’s Politics Weekly podcast: “I reject entirely this idea that I’m sort of hopeless and I’ve no idea about how to make it add up.”
New polling by YouGov yesterday showed 62 per cent of Labour members would back Mr Burnham to be PM, compared to 29 per cent who support Sir Keir.
The mayor conceded that he “can’t launch a leadership campaign” because “I’m not in parliament”.
He added: “So that is the bottom line.”
Mr Burnham also said that if it were up to him Britain would rejoin the EU in his lifetime.
AN asylum seeker who said he did not know trawling online for underage children was wrong has avoided jail.
Fahad Al Enaze, 31, had sent sexual messages to an undercover investigator posing as a teenage girl.
Despite the decoy saying they were aged 14, Al Enaze continued to ask for photos in August last year.
He asked her whether she liked sex and said they could have a relationship together to “teach her everything”.
Prosecutor Chelsea Kearns said: “He had been sending sexually explicit messages to a 14-year-old decoy child.
“Al Enaze was arrested and told the officer, ‘I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong’.”
The Kuwaiti, who lives in a migrant hotel in Liverpool, was confronted by paedophile hunters group Widnes Parents Against Predators in September last year.
At Warrington magistrates’ court on Friday, he admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
He was sentenced to eight months’ jail, suspended for 24 months, ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity days.
Al Enaze was issued a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offender register for ten years.
He was told to pay £272 in costs and a surcharge.
JP Paul Chadwick told him: “You are very lucky today not to go to immediate custody.
“In this country we take these offences seriously.
“You should be truly ashamed of yourself.”
SMUGGLERS are making a fortune trafficking the latest weird pet obsession — woodlice.
They buy exotic variants of the critters from countries such as Vietnam and Thailand to sell to growing numbers of British fans.
The isopods, which come in many colours and have species nicknames such as Rubber Ducky and Panda King, can sell for up to £50 each.
While buying and selling the invertebrates in the UK is legal, non-native and endangered species are often sourced unethically from abroad.
Unscrupulous traders are shipping them into the country using plain packaging to evade export and import fees, and customs and import checks, The Sun has learnt.
An insider said: “Trading these insects is incredibly lucrative.
“There are people in these groups who have told me that they used to sell cocaine but now they trade isopods because they make more money and way less risk.
“There are people who have bribed flight attendants to courier them into the country.
“They are smuggled like drugs.”
Legitimate sellers are calling for action on smuggling and a ban on selling isopods caught in the wild.
Clare Goodwin, from Bugs and Beyond in Lincolnshire, said “Some species are under threat of extinction due to the pet trade destroying their home.”
Defra said a licence was needed to import invertebrates while anyone caught releasing non-native species into the wild faced prosecution.
A TINY studio flat gives new meaning to the phrase, “if you want breakfast in bed, sleep in the kitchen”.
The flat advertised on Rightmove for £750 pcm has sent house hunters into a frenzy over peculiar set-up.
The advert said it was: “The perfect property for a professional individual looking to live in a vibrant area.”
The apartment is in Salford, Greater Manchester, where most other studio flats go for more than £1000pcm.
But there is one catch – what the online listing called an “open-plan living room” is in fact a bed in the middle of the kitchen.
The description does not mention the odd sleeping arrangement, only that “the modern kitchen is equipped with a range of appliances”.
The listing said: “This outstanding property boasts a prime location, stylish furnishings and all the necessary conveniences for modern living.”
Online house-hunters have been left confused by the nature of the “modern kitchen”.
One user joked that the apartment would be well-suited to breakfast in bed and wrote: “I thought it must be London at first. Brings a whole new meaning to ‘breakfast in bed'”.
Another wrote: “My horse has a bigger stable than this, the rent is utter lunacy.”
Others users were concerned noise from the fridge freezer may lead to a disturbed sleep for the tenant.
“A lovely peaceful night’s sleep being serenaded by the Arctic wind impressions by the fridge/freezer,” said one post.
Another comment suggested the tenant would be able to perform all their household chores from the comfort of their own bed.
They said: “Love the description, as you enter the flat you will discover an open plan living space.
“What you mean is as you open your door you are greeted by a 6ft x 6ft room where you can do the washing, cooking and cleaning up all from the comfort of your bed.
“And the best part is there’s so little floor space you’ll only need a dust buster to hoover the carpet.”
If the renter desires more open space, the studio is “surrounded by nearby parks”.
The estate agents, Happy Homes UK Ltd., said: “Don’t miss our on the opportunity to make this studio your ideal home.”
East Manchester letting agents Happy Homes have been contacted for comment.
This small but mighty home in east London is also ideal for those looking for a cosy option.
