| The lifting of a trophy or a cup is
the pinnacle of any given sporting occasion,
symbolic of great achievement. The Royal
Trophy is quickly becoming one of the
select few magical Events that include
a physical prize as storied and significant
as the Competition to which it belongs.
Golfing great and Captain of the
European side, Seve Ballesteros, originally
wrote a letter to His Majesty King
Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in
hope of bringing all of Asia together
for a team golf competition in the
Kingdom. The Spaniard was very enthusiastic
about the team component of the Ryder
Cup, where Europe plays the United
States, being applied as the model
for the Royal Trophy. The people of
Asia and Europe would have a very
strong reason to pledge their allegiance
to a side as it was to be the reputation
of one’s homeland that was on the
line.
With the inter-continental format
in place, galleries would consist
of not only golf enthusiasts but also
those simply supporting their continents
and their Asian or European golfing
heroes respectively. Such ardent support
by an enthusiastic fan base ensures
that the Royal Trophy would be much
more than simply a great sporting
event.
Ballesteros wanted Asia to experience
the raw emotions of waging war on
the sports map. In the letter Ballesteros
asked His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej,
the longest reigning Monarch in the
world, for his blessing in having
Thailand play host to the first ever
competition between the Asians and
the Europeans. His Majesty The King
not only welcomed the Asians coming
together in Thailand to compete against
the Europeans for the epic inaugural
championship, but also graciously
donated a beautiful perpetual 16-kilogram
solid-silver Trophy, making the Royal
Trophy the only physical prize in
the sport provided by a Monarch.
From an aesthetic standpoint, it
had to be beautiful to everyone. As
the perpetual Trophy, it had to last
a lifetime. But as for its significance,
it had to represent the Kingdom of
Thailand as it fits into the international
game of golf – as a generous gesture
of His Majesty. The Trophy features
the Royal Emblem at the top front,
along with His Majesty’s kind words
of donation. It is more coveted for
what it represents than how it looks.
“The fact that it weights sixteen
kilos appropriately illustrates the
fact that a ‘continental effort’ is
required to ‘lift it’, and that one
individual alone cannot do it”, added
Ballesteros. “We will play as a team
and we will do all we can to “lift”
the Royal Trophy once again”.
The Golf Champion Trophy, most commonly
known as the Claret Jug, has been
awarded to the Open Championship winner
for the last 133 years. Although it
is on permanent display in the Royal
and Ancient Golf Club, it is more
than an ornament. Representing one
of golf’s toughest tests and vied
for by the best golfers in the world,
the Claret Jug embodies the fruits
of hard labor and is celebrated in
just such a fashion.
History has made trophies like the
Claret Jug highly distinctive from
the scores of other trophies. The
Royal Trophy needs time to cultivate
humorous anecdotes and tearful memories,
but the high caliber of the Event’s
competitors is unrivaled. A few more
kisses from its champions need to
touch the Royal Trophy before it becomes
worn from contact with golf’s best
athletes. His Majesty the King’s donation
does however give the Royal Trophy
an immense stature – something that
cannot be purchased. It represents
a whole people, a nation and the game
of golf in a very global world.
The Royal Trophy could one day be
the most coveted piece of hardware
offered in all of sports. |
