Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup captain’s Club Car buggy, signed by every player in Team Europe, is on its way to his home in Florida as a memento of the victory in Rome.
Donald was presented with the buggy during the celebrations at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club on the Sunday evening, with Rory McIlroy saying a few words of thanks to his captain on behalf of the team.
Club Car has been an official supplier to the Ryder Cup since 1997, and the tradition of the captain keeping his golf car began in 2002, when Sam Torrance led Europe at The Belfry. In 2018 the players added a special touch and started a new ritual by signing the cowl of the vehicle with a gold marker pen.
Donald said: “I’m humbled and grateful for this gift and for the words of my team-mates when they presented it to me. The Ryder Cup was one of the best weeks of my life, and it was an honour and a privilege to lead the team. The guys were immense and to have the car signed by all of them means a great deal. Every time I drive it at home I will remember their incredible performance which led to the epic celebrations in Italy.”
Club Car, a Worldwide Supplier to the 2023 Ryder Cup, provided 550 vehicles which were used in many different areas of the event including staging, security, medical, catering and rules – as well as the official team golf cars.
Kevin Hart, Club Car’s Golf Sales Director EMEA, said: “As a longstanding supplier of the Ryder Cup we have a wonderful relationship with the event, and this tradition with the captain’s golf car further adds to that. Luke’s dedication to the captaincy was remarkable and he fully deserves the praise and thanks he received from his team when they presented him with the buggy.”
The cowl of Donald’s car was removed and shipped separately to the rest of the vehicle as a precaution. The vehicle was transported by road to Hamburg, where it was then loaded on to a ship bound for Florida.