Will the Captains Ever Play at the Ryder Cup? Tracing the History of Golf’s Biggest Patriotic Showdown

The prestigious women’s golf event, the Solheim Cup, concluded yesterday. Team Europe defended its title over the American side with an entertaining stalemate. Next in the line, the iconic Ryder Cup is keeping the golf world on edge. And curious questions about it surround our minds.

The European and American roster for the men’s professional golf event will meet in Rome at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. Continental Europe will host the patriotic event for the third time. As per the records, Europe has won the first two home matches in Spain and France. Do you think they will continue the streak? But that’s not the curious question!

Why don’t captains play in the Ryder Cup?

One of the highest honors in golf can be assumed, without fault, as being the Ryder Cup captain. While selecting one, the authorities choose those who have shown outstanding commitment to the event. Additionally, it prefers those who have played a few times and experienced how it is to be a vice-captain.

So, during the actual event, do captains of the Ryder Cup ever play? Once the captains are announced a year before the bi-annual event, they prioritize preparing everything leading up to the Ryder Cup. They pay attention to what can go into having a winning team on their side.

The criteria for choosing the player for the Ryder Cup roaster might also not allow the captains to qualify. For instance, team USA’s skipper, Zach Johnson, played in fewer tournaments this season due to the iconic event’s preparations and faced four missed cuts. His scores are not in place for him to play among those who spent the whole season collecting points for the event.

However, there are exceptions in every sport. Ryder Cup’s history is rich and goes long back. America is on a mission to end a 30-year-old losing streak on foreign soil. There might be a chance that some rules were broken along the way!

Also Read: How Did the Ryder Cup Get Its Name? Unveiling the Story Behind Golf’s Biggest Patriotic Showdown

The patriotic showdown’s exceptions

The legendary golfer Arnold Palmer left for the heavenly abode in 2016. He had many feats under his name, including being the last-playing captain of the Ryder Cup on either side. East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta witnessed him carding history in 1963.

That year, America won the iconic event, beating the then-Great Britain team. If we go back further than that, the first-ever non-playing captain, Walter Hagen, led the United States to win the Ryder Cup in 1937, marking the first-ever loss of the host team.

While highly unlikely, do you think either Johnson or Luke Donald will pull the rabbit out of their hat and tee off on the opening day of the Ryder Cup? Let us know in the comments below.

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