Friday, 22nd September 2006 (2360 views)

The bi-annual battle for golf's greatest team prize, the Ryder Cup, teed off at the K Club in County Kildare, Ireland this morning (Friday, September 22nd).

Europe are the odds-on favourites to take the gold trophy ahead of their American counterparts after victory in the 2004 event, despite Team USA containing the top three golfers in the world today - Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk.

The trophy, one of the most recognisable in all of sport, is a gold cup, first presented to the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain in 1927.

It stands 17 inches high, nine inches from handle to handle, and weighs around four pounds. The single figure atop the famous cup is Abe Mitchell, a friend of the trophy's benefactor Samuel A Ryder and a Ryder Cup competitor himself between 1929 and 1933.

The competition takes place over three days, with the climax of the singles rubbers on Sunday and the trophy being awarded on Sunday evening, weather permitting.

 

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