Last week I had the chance to go to the Ryder Cup. Needless to say, it was an awesome experience, and I am very happy to say that it lived up to my expectations. The event was full of patriotism and raw energy. I don’t like to use the word electric, but it really was. One of the most notable things I took away (besides what I will talk about below) is that the players are completely bought in. That is obviously what I hoped would be the case, but there was something in my mind wondering if all the theatrics were real. I can gladly confirm they are. So, although it didn’t happen to be our weekend, I still walked away with the experience of a lifetime.
Notable takeaway number two: why can’t any team seem to get uniforms right?
Image credit: GolfWRX, “Elliott: The 2025 Ryder Cup – a masterpiece disguised as controversy” (2025). Source: GolfWRX
I know there are more people out there saying Team Europe’s uniforms were better than Team USA’s and that they “won the kits match,” but I would hardly call it a win. Frankly, both were bad. Straight up.
What I saw from Team USA was a spitting image of what we have seen for over a decade. The same modern USA script. The same large color blocking. The same vest/full zip combo. And the same idea of “let’s make an R, W, B motif of some sort and toss it on a poly polo shirt.” One could say the soccer collar making an appearance was unique. Unique, yes. Good? I don’t know.
I am sorry to be so brutal about it, but Ralph Lauren, you’re the GOAT. What’s the deal? I don’t get it. I see campaign after campaign of yours and it is so good. Why is it so hard to make Team USA uniforms? Heck, you do it for the Olympics, and at least some years in recent memory have been good. All I am saying is do better. Or call me. Or better yet, open it up and let people submit ideas, make it a national event.
Image credit: Ryder Cup, “Ryder Cup 2025 – Saturday Morning Foursome Pairings” (2025). Source: Ryder Cup
But I get it. It’s hard, especially for a brand synonymous with American style. Expectations were sky high at Bethpage. It was just the same story: boring renditions of red, white, and blue. Again. Nothing wrong with RWB, but nothing added either. No nod to New York. No story about Bethpage. No signature piece that fans will remember years from now. Just boring cuts, familiar patterns, safe choices.
To put it in perspective, Bryson wearing a long puffer jacket is something we can all recall, right? While it may not have been stylistically strong to many, it was memorable.
The problem with safe is that it drifts into bland and boring. Fans called the gala looks “lazy.” Social media piled on with “uninspired.” And they weren’t wrong. The kit wasn’t offensive, but it wasn’t memorable either.
At a Ryder Cup, that’s not enough.