The Trophy

In 1927, English seed merchant Samuel A. Ryder presented the Ryder Cup to The Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain to place as a prize for an international competition between American and British professional golfers. The Ryder Cup was commissioned for 250. The trophy stands 17 inches high, is nine inches from handle to handle and weighs four pounds. The golfing figure depicted on the top of the trophy reflects the image of Abe Mitchell, a former gardener himself and a friend and instructor of Samuel Ryder. A bout of appendicitis prevented Mitchell from competing in the inaugural Matches in 1927. But he returned to compete for Great Britain in 1929, '31 and '33.