Ryder Cup and Penfold Golf Histories Converge With New 1927 Collection

98 years ago, one of golf's greatest events began in earnest.

What were once informal matches between American and British golf professionals was now the Ryder Cup, with a Walter Hagen-led United States squad competing against a Ted Ray-led Great Britain team at Worchester Country Club in Worchester, Massachusetts in 1927. The Americans would claim the first Ryder Cup, 9.5-2.5, kicking off a near-century of riveting team golf, national pride and drama that encapsulates the biennial matches.

That same year the two teams were competing against each other for the first time, across the Atlantic Ocean, A.E. Penfold was setting up shop to produce what would become an iconic line of golf balls, accessories, and equipment in Birmingham, England, under the name Golf Ball Developments Ltd. Today, that same company is known as Penfold Golf, and has evolved into a premier golf lifestyle brands that pays tribute to the past with a wide variety of standout products.

While the Ryder Cup and Penfold ran on dual tracks back in 1927, this year at Bethpage Black, they're colliding together in the best way.

Given that its opening day for the Black Course on April 12 — a time-honored tradition that New Yorkers line up for in their cars the night before — it feels like a perfect chance to shine a light on Penfold's Ryder Cup 1927 collection. High-quality waxed canvas golf bags, backpacks, shoe bags and durable ball markers with the Ryder Cup trophy emblazoned on them - and a 1927 intertwined within of course - are available for purchase and represent the combination of two historic names coming together for something really cool.

"It celebrates the enduring spirit of competition and craftsmanship that has defined both Penfold and the Ryder Cup," says Penfold Golf CEO Gavin Perrett. "Both have seen and shared incredible moments in golf throughout their 98 year history to date, and no doubt many many years to come."

Penfold and the Ryder Cup aren't just linked by their founding dates either, Perrett shares. There's several other tie-ins and historical nuggets, too; even to this year at Bethpage Black.

"Their histories have intertwined throughout the last 98 years through venues and players that Penfold sponsored including Seve Ballesteros and Sir Henry Cotton," says Perrett. "One of the most significant was Dai Rees, who was a lifetime Penfold staffer. Rees was the captain of the 1957 Great Britain team that won the Ryder Cup off the Americans for the first time since 1933!

"The New York connection then goes back to 1933 too when Penfold opened its golf ball factory — the first golf ball manufacturer to have two plants in two different countries — in Bush Terminal in Brooklyn. Bethpage Black was then opened in 1934 just a few miles down the road."

When you're putting the Ryder Cup logo on something, there's a certain standard that it must carry. Perrett says that the Ryder Cup 1927 collection meets that with an intense focus on the materials used.

"Our product is not only part of a rich history, the physical materials used have their own story, too," Perrett notes. "The canvas for these products is made by British Millerain, the original pioneer of waxed canvas, and is sourced and made in England. They have been around since 1880, and the innovation of the Tekwax canvas we use for our products is the best in the world."

While the 2025 Ryder Cup will be hosted on American soil, another great part of the collection is that it comes in both teams' colors. The red trim represents the United States while the bright yellow represents Europe.

"That's one of my favorite things about the line," says Perrett. "It's not only the premium quality of the product, but the ability to represent your team with the option of either U.S. or European-inspired colorways."

At its core, the collection draws on the history of both the Ryder Cup and Penfold, names that have been around the game in different ways for almost a century. While golf has evolved quite dramatically since 1927, its a line like this one that doesn't forget its heritage . . . and for good reason.

"Traditions have often gotten lost in the current wave of golf enthusiasm. This range is a reminder of that," says Perrett. "It's that deeper connection between the two that has inspired it."