Who is the man on the Ryder Cup trophy?

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Former professional golfer Abe Mitchell is the man on the top of the Ryder Cup trophy.

Mitchell, who finished in the top 10 of The Open eight times between 1914 and 1933, was a private coach to English businessman Samuel Ryder.

Ryder is responsible for sponsoring the first contest between British and American golfers, and also donated the trophy for the inaugural Ryder Cup in 1927.

The gold trophy is 17 inches high and as a thank you to Mitchell for teaching Ryder how to play golf, he had a figure of his coach placed on top.

"I owe golf a great deal," said Mitchell at the time.

"What you have done, putting me on top of the cup, is more distinction than I could ever earn."

Mitchell was also part of the Great Britain team at the 1929, 1931 and 1933, with Britain winning the 1929 and 1933 editions.

He was also due to be Great Britain's player-captain in 1927, but Mitchell was unable to make the trip due to appendicitis.

During his professional career, Mitchell won two professional singles titles. His first was the Southern Open 1922, which he tied with Leo Diegel. He also won the Miami Open in 1924.

Away from golf, Mitchell also served on the front line during World War One and spent much of his time during the war in northern France.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

The Ryder Cup trophyImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The golfer on the top of the Ryder Cup trophy is based on Abe Mitchell, who featured three times in the competition

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