Have you ever heard of the Silver Putter? Ryder Cup lovers will no doubt be more familiar with the history of the 1927 trophy, but there may be a new tradition they may not be aware of. The first time it was delivered to the PGA of America dates back to the last day of the 2010 Ryder held in Wales at the Celtic Manor.
Perhaps you will remember the bad weather conditions, as well as the marvelous European victory, even more beautiful due to the presence of the Molinari brothers. Well two years ago, after the resounding defeat suffered at Whistling Straits by the American team, the respective delegations met on the 17th hole, with the immense Lake Michigan as a backdrop, for the now traditional delivery ceremony.
Ryder Cup 2023, statements
The Silver Putter, inside a wooden container, symbolizes the passing of the baton from one location to another. Marco Simone will become the 39th different venue to host a Ryder Cup and only the third in mainland Europe after Valderrama, Spain in 1997 and Le Golf National, France in 2018.
On the Silver Putter which is now located inside the Roman club house, 24 silver golf balls are hung, one for each member of the teams that will compete. The small silver plaques that complete this composition, on the other hand, show the names of the venues where Ryder’s matches have taken place in the past.
Both symbols want to keep alive the link with the past, present and future of the challenges and have arrived at the Marco Simone, where they will be played in a few months, with a ceremony similar to that of the Olympic torch.
The competition, which takes its name from the trophy donated by the Englishman Samuel Ryder (1858–1936) to the American federation in 1924, is co-managed by the European Tour and the PGA of America. From 1927 to 1971 the tournament was played between the selection of the United States and that of Great Britain, with a clear American dominance (15-3) and only one draw.
Ireland was incorporated into Great Britain in 1973 and the rest of continental Europe in 1979. Following the acceptance of the European team as the antagonist of the US one, the tournament was much more balanced: from 1979 to 2018, in fact, there were eleven wins for Europe, eight for the United States and only one draw.
The Ryder Cup is hosted alternately on the two continents: for Europe, British golf courses have always been chosen, with the exception of the 1997 edition, held at the Valderrama Golf Club (Spain) in honor of the former Spanish golfer Severiano Ballesteros , that of 2018, which was played in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (France), and that of 2023, which will be played at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Italy).
After the 1999 edition, due to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, until the 2018 edition the Ryder Cup was always staged in even years. The 2020 edition was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Ryder Cup is re-run in odd numbered years.
Among the European ranks it is worth noting the presence, on three different occasions (1993, 1995 and 1997), of one of the most famous Italian players in the history of golf, Costantino Rocca, remembered for his famous hole in one during the edition of the 1995.
The Italians Francesco Molinari and Edoardo Molinari were instead the first brothers to compete for the European team in the same Ryder Cup, thanks to their simultaneous participation in the 2010 edition. Francesco Molinari also took part in the 2012 editions, in the United States , and 2018, in France. The current champion selection is the US team, which won the title in the 2021 edition.
