One of sport’s greatest trophies, The Ryder Cup, will complete its European tour next week at the Italian Open in Milan.
The Ryder Cup Trophy Tour has been on the road since April to help build further European excitement ahead of The 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. A series of events across Europe have given golf fans a rare chance to get up close and personal to one of the sport’s great prizes.
The European stages of the tour come to a close next week, with visits to Rome - the host city of The 2022 Ryder Cup – and Milan. By the end of its journey, the Trophy Tour will have travelled over 3,000 miles since being launched by Darren Clarke in his hometown of Portrush.
On Tuesday, after landing in the Italian capital, the Trophy will be welcomed by 50 young golf fans who will join the golden cup on an open top bus tour of the city, taking in iconic sights such as the Colosseum, Circus Maximus and Castel Sant'Angelo.
The Trophy will also visit future Ryder Cup venue Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, where Costantino Rocca – the first Italian to play in The Ryder Cup – will welcome it, alongside former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance. The two golf legends will play an exhibition match at the Rome course and support a Ryder Cup gala dinner raising funds for the recent earthquake in northern Italy.
On Wednesday, after travelling north to Milan, The Ryder Cup Trophy Tour will visit the city’s famous cathedral before arriving at Golf Club Milano ahead of the Italian Open, where six of Europe’s team heading to Hazeltine are in action.
Fans will have their chance to have a unique photo taken with The Ryder Cup when the Trophy is put on display at the tournament on Thursday 15th September, before it departs for the USA – to continue the Trophy Tour stateside, in recognition of this year’s hosts and in conjunction with the PGA of America.
Richard Hills, European Ryder Cup Director, said: “The Ryder Cup Trophy Tour has been a huge success with thousands of fans coming to see it in cities across Europe. I’m delighted that we’ve got the chance to visit two of Italy’s biggest cities next week and help build excitement for this year’s Ryder Cup and also for 2022, when Italy hosts the event itself.
“It is important to get fans from across Europe behind the team heading to Hazeltine and I’m sure Ryder Cup Trophy Tour will generate significant support from the people of Italy.”
Fans can find out more details about The Ryder Cup Trophy by clicking here.
