Ryder Cup captains Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker have joined forces to emphasise their unity amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Team Europe and Team USA’s leaders have reiterated the values of the iconic biannual match.
And despite covid-19 forcing a reshuffle to the golf calendar, including the cancellation of The Open, the 2020 Ryder Cup remains on track to take place in Wisconsin in September.
In the letter, Harrington and Stricker wrote: “Every two years Europe and the United States of America come together.
“We are united by the shared values of sportsmanship and our desire to defeat a formidable opponent.
The Ryder Cup is still scheduled to take place as planned (Getty)
“In doing so, we witness some incredible displays of determination, passion and spirit.
“When Europe takes on the United States in The Ryder Cup it is always fiercely contested but it is just golf. It is not a matter of life and death.
“Today Europe and the United States are united like never before. We have a formidable opponent, but it is not each other. It is like nothing we have ever faced before.
“Defeating Coronavirus won’t happen in three days. It won’t happen because of the efforts of only 12 men. It needs all of us to play our part.”
Harrington and Stricker went on to pay tribute to the health workers who have put their lives on the line to head to the frontline of the crisis.
They added: “Instead of celebrating someone in a Green Jacket, this week we rightly celebrate those selfless people around the world wearing scrubs, wearing white coats, wearing supermarket uniforms, together with everyone else working round the clock to protect us and keep the world functioning.
“You are our true heroes.”
PA
