Pope Francis meets Ryder Cup captains ahead of 2023 competition in Rome

The 2023 Ryder Cup captains enjoyed a rare meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday.

With just over a year until the event starts in Rome, Europe skipper Luke Donald and his US counterpart Zach Johnson made the trip to Italy.

Donald shared a replica of the prestigious trophy with the Pope, while Johnson gave their host a book about the history of the Ryder Cup.

The US have not won the competition on European soil since 1993.

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