Why it's time for the Ryder Cup to ditch the naff uniforms and go back to basics

While undeniably one of the most thrilling tournaments played in recent memory, the 2025 Ryder Cup was, to say the least, a bit of a tasteless affair for a bunch of reasons.

The on-course behaviour of the fans – along with the less than graceful reaction (and eventual apology) of PGA America President Don Rea – was of course the main thing that left a slightly sour taste in the mouth. The golf itself – a birdie-fest laid on by the PGA of America on a criminally easy version of Bethpage's famed Black course – also left plenty to be desired.

One thing that slowly seems to have gotten away from the Ryder Cup in recent outings, however, is its once iconic aesthetic.

The last two decades have seen the Ryder Cup embark on a rapid commercialisation of the its overall look and feel, something not helped by the relatively questionable choices made by those responsible for outfitting both teams. 

The US uniform, designed for the last few tournaments by Ralph Lauren, has descended into a cacophony of stripes, overly patriotic branding and USA slogans plastered on just about every available surface. While the stripes and colours of this year's European uniforms harkened back to those worn by away-winning teams of old, issues like the terrible collars and weird logo placements left a lot of fans scratching their heads – especially given a shirt from manufacturer Loro Piana is liable to set you back over £500. 

Making this all the worse is the Ryder Cup's requirement for the teams to use its – let's be honest – fairly tacky team logos on their uniforms. Introduced in 2011 and designed by consulting agency Interbrand, the Ryder Cup logo isn't a particularly offensive thing when viewed in the context of, say, a commemorative coffee mug. Screen-printed onto a £500 golf shirt, however, it seriously cheapens the overall look and feel of what would likely otherwise be a pretty run-of-the-mill uniform.

What, then, is the alternative? As a brief exercise, it's worth going back to picture what the Ryder Cup players wore during what most consider to be the tournament's golden era. One thinks of Seve's classy knitwear, the more reserved design of each teams' uniforms, and perhaps more importantly the tasteful way the Ryder Cup's own branding is implemented across the entire collection of clothing. 

Given the fact that golf fashion has grown exponentially in recent years by channelling this very golden era of apparel, we find it hard to believe that the Ryder Cup uniforms couldn't be seriously upgraded with a little fresh creative blood going into 2027.

Even more recently, we've seen examples of team events rolling out uniforms that honour the history and heritage of their respective competitions while remaining both modern and tasteful. Take, for instance, last year's President's Cup uniforms, which I'd be far more inclined to wear out on the course than anything either Ryder Cup team wore this year.

Perhaps, then, there's a lesson here for the two Ryder Cup teams: turning your tournament into a billion-dollar branding exercise is one thing. When it comes to the clothes, however, less is very much more.