The Ryder Cup trophy was on display at Eurostar’s St. Pancras London International transit hub last month.
European golf team captain Thomas Bjørn generously provided his golf car for the event. Fans had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the trophy, while having their photograph taken as they lounged in the cart.
With France set to host the 2018 Ryder Cup in less than a year, the event was organized to showcase the convenience of travelling by train for interested UK residents. Last year, France hosted about 11.9 million tourists from the UK. That number is expected to increase by at least 5% this year.
The trophy belongs to The Professional Golfers’ Association in Great Britain, after it was donated by the founder of the sporting event, Samuel Ryder, in 1927. Ryder was a successful seed merchant who envisioned the best golfers from Great Britain and America competing in an official golf tournament.
The base of the trophy is engraved with the names and scores of the first match winners. Over the years, bands have been added to the bottom of the trophy to allow for more results to be recorded.
The trophy is made out of gold and weighs 1.8kg. It stands at 43cm in height and 23cm wide. This makes it larger than the FIFA World Cup trophy, but much smaller and lighter than the Stanley Cup.
Winners of the Ryder Cup receive specially designed engraved awards to memorialize their win. Most commonly, champions are presented with a smaller version of the original trophy.
