Ryder Cup Captains recreate Palmer’s famous shot from Eiffel Tower

2018 Ryder Cup Captain’s Thomas Bjorn and Jim Furyk spent Tuesday morning recreating Arnold Palmer’s famous shot from the Eiffel Tower.

In honour of the 2018 Ryder Cup being held in France for the first time at Le Golf National next September (28th-30th), the Captain’s from the United States and European teams spent the morning promoting the event – and paying tribute to Arnold Palmer in the process by recreating a famous shot he hit from from the same spot 41 years ago. 

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Fittingly, one of Palmer’s Ryder Cup golf bags stood beside those belonging to the two captains as they hit balls from the Eiffel Tower – a further tribute to “The King”, who passed away last year on the eve of The 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National.

Bjørn said: “It feels like we have had a long list of unique experiences these past two days, but hitting balls off the Eiffel Tower was pretty special. I saw that picture of Arnold Palmer a while ago, and so to recreate that for the Ryder Cup, and for France, shows how big the Ryder Cup is and how France is really getting behind it.

“It was an amazing experience for Jim and me. It’s going to take a while to sink in, and every time you see that photograph now it will remind you. It will stick with you for the rest of your golfing career.”

Earlier in the day, the two captains had breakfast with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palais de L’Eysee where they presented him with a specially produced Ryder Cup golf bag which featured the European emblem on one side and the US emblem on the other.

Furyk said: “There is only one Arnold Palmer, but it was an honour for Thomas and I to be part of this, hitting balls from the Eiffel Tower, and everything else we have done.  France has really rolled out the red carpet for us, so I must thank Ryder Cup Europe and everyone involved. 

“We had dinner at the Palace of Versailles last night, we had breakfast with the President this morning and now we’ve hit a golf shot from the Eiffel Tower. It’s incredible. I’m pinching myself – it seems a bit storybook, but it shows how big The Ryder Cup is and how important it is to a country like France to showcase how beautiful this country is and how wonderful Paris is.”

Le Golf National, France, will host The 2018 Ryder Cup from September 28-30, 2018, when Europe will try to regain the Ryder Cup following defeat at Hazeltine National last year. Bjørn’s team will be looking to extend an impressive winning record on home soil which stretches back to Valderrama in 1997.

watch the video below to find out how it went!