Ryder Cup Europe has been awarded Team of the Year at the Fevo Sport Industry Awards, one of the most prestigious events in the UK sports industry.
The awards ceremony took place in Battersea, London, and saw Ryder Cup Europe win over strong competition from Manchester City FC, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, the England women’s cricket team, the England women’s Red Roses rugby team, and the 11th Hour Racing Team.
After suffering a heavy loss to the United States at Whistling Straits in 2021, Team Europe entered the Rome 2023 Ryder Cup as underdogs.
However, under the guidance of Captain Luke Donald, the team implemented several innovations that contributed to their remarkable 16.5-11.5 victory at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.
These included various team-building activities and the use of data to inform key decisions such as pairings and picks.
The judges, comprised of sports industry experts, highlighted these strategies in their winner’s citation.
The award recognises not only the efforts of the 12 players on the team but also the more than 200 full-time staff at Ryder Cup Europe, part of the European Tour Group, who played a crucial role in delivering an event that broke records in terms of fan engagement and commercial success.
During Ryder Cup week, a record-breaking 271,000 spectators flocked to Rome.
This is the second time that the Ryder Cup has won at the Fevo Sport Industry Awards, having previously received the Event of the Year award in 2019 for the Paris match in 2018.
Guy Kinnings, Chief Executive Officer of the European Tour Group and Executive Director of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, commented on the award, saying: “This award acknowledges the gladiators we had inside the ropes who produced remarkable golf to win back the Ryder Cup trophy, under Luke Donald’s exceptional leadership as Captain.”
“But crucially, it also acknowledges the world-class team we have outside the ropes supporting them.”
“They built from scratch a well-rounded entertainment spectacular that has set a new benchmark for what golf’s greatest team contest can be.”
“A big thank you to the judges and the Sport Industry Group for this honour.”
