During the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed some mysterious numbers embossed on the European team golf bags. Sitting beneath their name and the European logo, many wondered what these numbers signified.
Essentially, each member of the team was assigned a number denoting that they had become, in the case of Shane Lowry for example, the 163rd player to represent Europe in the matches. It was an idea inspired from other sports, including Rugby's British and Irish Lions, as well as the England cricket team.
The players were all assigned numbers during the 2021 Ryder Cup
Rory McIlroy certainly enjoyed the concept at Whistling Straits.
"We have this thing this week where we've all been given a player number, so there's been 164 players that have played for the European Ryder Cup team, or GB&I way back in the day," McIlroy said.
"So that's a pretty small group of players.
"I'm No. 144; I think Lee is No. 118. But then you just look at all the players before you, and you look at Bernd Wiesberger who's making his debut this year who's No. 164.
"It's a small collection of people that have played for Europe in the Ryder Cup.
"I think that's what brings us very close together, and that's been one of our sort of big focus points this week is just being here is very special and being part of a European team.
"Very few people can call themselves a European Ryder Cup player."
The European Solheim Cup team had their individual representative numbers subtly tucked inside their yardage books in 2021 and most likely placed them discreetly once again last week in Spain.
62 @LETgolf members have played for @SolheimCupEuro a very exclusive group,,I am honoured to be #18 a theme we used to great effect @GleneaglesGolf for @solheimcup #2019 inspired by @lionsofficial 🦁,,let’s go @RyderCupEurope 🤛🤛🇪🇺🇪🇺 @padraig_h pic.twitter.com/h5aQnN1JhzSeptember 22, 2021
Notably however, this year Captain Luke Donald has decided not to continue with the sentimental idea, at least in the form of the bags anyway, and the European team staff bags are simply embroidered with the players names and the European team logo.
This year the European bags no longer have numbers
Perhaps this is Captain Donald stamping his own mark on proceedings or perhaps he is simply trying to avoid anything that reminds his players of the record defeat last time round at Whistling Straits! If we uncover the reason, we will be sure to let you know…
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