It was at a tournament sponsored by one of his businesses that Ryder took an aspiring English professional under his wing.
The origins of the Ryder Cup can be traced to the cathedral city of St Albans in Hertfordshire. It was here that seed merchant Sam Ryder developed a passion for the sport and great respect for the skills of professional golfers.
Ryder retained Abe Mitchell as his private professional to allow him to concentrate on tournament golf and fend off the increasingly powerful American challenge for the Open.
Mitchell moved to St Albans and set up home at 19 Cunningham Avenue – just a few hundred yards from the Verulum Golf Club. Through illness, Mitchell missed the inaugural Ryder Cup in 1927 but did represent Great Britain in three matches between 1929 and 1933. Sadly, the Open Championship eluded him.