- Luke Donald and Michael Jordan have been close friends for years
- Europe captain lives a couple of doors down from basketball icon in Florida
- Presentation of gifts is a tradition of Ryder Cup captains in the biennial match
Luke Donald has gifted his victorious Ryder Cup players a limited-edition pair of trainers designed by his close friend Michael Jordan.
The European captain lives just a couple of doors down from the basketball icon in a gated community in Jupiter, Florida after they got to know each other in Chicago more than a decade ago.
With the presentation of gifts a tradition of captains in the biennial match, it is understood Donald called on Jordan to help him out with a unique an offering that went beyond the obvious.
The shoes have been uniquely customised for Donald’s 12 men, who completed a stunning 16.5-11.5 win on Sunday to reclaim the Cup.
Jordan has long been the most visible cheerleader for the US at the Ryder Cup, but Donald revealed shortly before the contest that the NBA legend was skipping the showdown in Rome for the first time in 1997.
Jordan predicted to Donald over dinner a few weeks before the match that Europe would win despite being underdogs – whether it was sincere or not, it proved accurate.
Some estimates claim 150 million pairs of Air Jordans have been sold since their launch in 1985, making them one of Nike’s most profitable products.
The edition handed out to the European players in not believed to be on the market.
Golfers from both the European and American teams were also gifted watches by Rolex, who sponsor the match.