Ryder Cup Matches Memorabilia
The great championships are the high points in the golfing calendar. Their history is central to and plays a major role in the development of the game. Many collectors make them the focus of their collection – often choosing one particular event to focus on. The Opens, the Masters, the Amateur Championships and great team events like the Ryder Cup or President’s Cup Matches, are the most popular specializations. However, there are many collectors who collect items from other tournaments on the U.S., European or other tours.
Such collections often include a wide variety of items, including scorecards, badges, tickets, medals, trophies, programs, equipment, art, photographs, autographs and many others. And, tournaments are regular events, providing the opportunity for a collection to continually expand or add new types of items.
The story of the great championships is also the story of great champions. The memorabilia from a particular competition may become more valuable if it comes from an event that saw the setting of a new record or a great moment in the career of a golfer.
As the popularity of the Ryder Cup Matches has grown over the years, interest in memorabilia from the Matches has also grown. Items from early Matches are relatively limited and quite expensive. Contemporary pieces are widely available, however, and official and souvenir programs and other items are easily obtained on both sides of the Atlantic.
Shown here are photographs of a variety of Ryder Cup Matches collectibles, including some early programs, dinner menus, badges and photographs.
Images courtesy of Mark Emerson and The PGA Historical Center
