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Europe’s players will wear Ryder Cup roll numbers on kit for first time

<span>Photograph: Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports</span>
Photograph: Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports

Europe’s Ryder Cup players have expressed gratitude towards Pádraig Harrington after the captain made a point of emphasising their place in history. Having gathered in Wisconsin on Monday evening, the European team were shown a video, later released to the public, which depicted their role as part of an elite sporting group.

In a move similar to one employed by the England cricket team, the European kit at Whistling Straits will for the first time feature numbers depicting each player’s Ryder Cup roll number. The figure, which reaches only 164 with Bernd Wiesberger, dates back to the Great Britain & Ireland team that took on the United States during the inaugural Ryder Cup in 1927. Harrington pointed out that 570 people have been into space, 5,780 have climbed Mount Everest and 445 have won the men’s World Cup.

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“It was very powerful,” said Sergio García. “I didn’t know my number. I’ve always known that being a part of the Ryder Cup team is very difficult, but I didn’t know that only that little amount of players have made it. So that showed you how difficult it really is.

“That’s why every time I’m a part of a team, that’s why we give it the respect that it deserves, because it’s so difficult to be a part of it. It’s an honour and we treat it like that.”

The 43rd Ryder Cup Matches will be played at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, having been postponed from 2020 due to Covid-19. Europe won the last edition at Le Golf National course in 2018.

Each team captain has selected 12 players, who will all play in Sunday's singles matches. There are also two sets of foursome and fourball matches on Saturday and Sunday, each of which requires eight players from each team.

United States

Captain: Steve Stricker.

Automatic picks (6): Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay.

Captain's picks (6): Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Daniel Berger, Scottie Scheffler.

Vice-captains: Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples.

Europe

Captain: Padraig Harrington.

Automatic picks (9): Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Bernd Wiesberger, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Paul Casey, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Lee Westwood.

Captain's picks (3): Shane Lowry, Sergio García, Ian Poulter.

Vice-captains: Robert Karlsson, Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson.

Lee Westwood, who is participating in his 11th Ryder Cup, agreed. “You have a far greater chance of going into space or climbing Everest than you have representing Europe in the Ryder Cup,” said the Englishman. “We’ve all got numbers, mine is the smallest, obviously, 118. It’s something to be very proud of.”

Viktor Hovland, making his debut, revealed he had been provided with a tough indoctrination by his new teammates. “There’s been some that have gotten some old pictures of me and had some fun with them,” said the Norwegian. “But it’s all good banter, just bringing us closer together.”