Body Art of Victory: Ryder Cup captains contemplate tattoos

Ryder Cup victory could leave an indelible mark on either European captain Padraig Harrington or his US counterpart Steve Stricker.

Harrington said he'd pledged to follow in the footsteps of 2018 captain Thomas Bjorn to get a commemorative tattoo if Europe retain the trophy they won in France three years ago.

"I am delighted that that's all they ask for, but I'd have given up a lot more," Harrington said of his players' call for the mark of victory.

"I think it's an unwritten rule, so it has come up, yes, in conversation. Definitely, it's a given now in Europe. Captain has to get a tattoo. I don't have any other tattoos at this stage, so it would be a new experience for me. Where on the body? I don't know."

Stricker said he and his players had "discussed tattoos in our room."

There's one snag for the Wisconsin native: squaring it with his family.

"The problem is my girls, my wife and kids, have always asked me to get a tattoo and I'm like, 'I'm not putting any decals on my body kind of thing.'

"So, yeah, I'd have to check with them first, I think, to see if I could actually get a tattoo from the Ryder Cup.

"The players gave me an idea what I could put on there. I told them where I was going to put it -- it was going to go right on my cheek," Stricker said pointing at his backside.

Stricker indicated that ink as well as champagne might flow in the team room to celebrate a US victory.

"We'll see ... but we may have a tattoo artist guy come in on Sunday night."

© 2021 AFP