Palm Beach Gardens, FL – In anticipation of the 42nd Ryder Cup in Paris, the PGA of America unveiled plans today for the 2018 Ryder Cup Trophy Tour across the United States. The Tour is designed to build support and excitement for the United States Ryder Cup Team and the spirit of the Ryder Cup.
The Tour tees off on Aug. 14 and concludes Sept. 16, two weeks before Team USA defends the Trophy it captured two years ago over Europe at one of the pre-eminent events in sports. The 2018 Ryder Cup will be conducted at Le Golf National near Paris, Sept. 28-30.
Golf fans across the United States will have an extraordinary opportunity to show their support for the American team, and get up close and personal with the Ryder Cup, as the Trophy travels 9,000 miles and makes stops in 11 cities. U.S. Ryder Cup Team Captain Jim Furyk, 66th U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and past Ryder Cup Captain Hal Sutton will join the Tour at special locations.
“The Ryder Cup Trophy Tour will allow fans across the country to celebrate and show support for the U.S. Ryder Cup Team, as well as present a rare opportunity to see the iconic Trophy right here at home,” said Furyk. “As we prepare to compete against Europe in one of the most remarkable events in sports, we want to thank our fans by giving them a special chance to connect with the Trophy.”
Furyk, will have the honor of leading the crowd in the “Terrible Towel Twirl” at Heinz Field for the Pittsburgh Steelers home opener vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 16.
Rice will accompany the Trophy in Stanford, California, as the Stanford Cardinal take on the USC Trojans, on September 8. She serves as a Professor and Senior Fellow at Stanford.
Sutton will present the Trophy in Houston twice. First, the Ryder Cup will appear with him at the Dallas Cowboys-Houston Texans NFL preseason game at NRG Stadium on Aug. 30. Fans can also see the Ryder Cup two days later with Sutton, as the Los Angeles Angels take on the defending World Series Champion Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Sept. 1.
The Tour will officially kickoff in New York City on Aug. 14. Over three days, the Trophy will make stops at iconic venues across the city, as well as make guest appearances on prominent television shows.
Along the way, the Ryder Cup Trophy will also make appearances at several high-profile sporting events and golf venues including:
• Aug. 22: Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers (Miller Park)
• Aug. 22: Whistling Straits at Destination Kohler – Host of the 2020 Ryder Cup
• Aug. 25: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears preseason game (Soldier Field)
• Aug. 27: Bethpage Black – Host of the 2024 Ryder Cup
• Aug. 30: Dallas Cowboys vs. Houston Texans preseason game (NRG Stadium)
• Aug. 31: Minnesota Twins vs. Texas Rangers (Globe Life Park in Arlington)
• Sept. 1: L.A. Angels vs. Houston Astros (Minute Maid Park)
• Sept. 2: LSU Tigers vs. Miami Hurricanes (AT&T Stadium)
• Sept. 8: USC Trojans vs. Stanford Cardinal (Stanford Stadium)
• Sept. 16: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Heinz Field)
Additional special appearances will be announced later this summer. For a current list of venues and stops, visit: RyderCup.com/TrophyTour.
The Ryder Cup, one of the greatest sporting events founded on prestige, rather than prize money, pits the best American professional golfers against those of Europe. The inaugural Trophy Tour occurred in 2016, and led up to the Americans defeating Europe for the first time in eight years.
Follow along with the Tour on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram via @RyderCupUSA #GoUSA
