Padraig Harrington agrees to get a tattoo if his team win the Ryder Cup

"I’d have given up a lot more."

European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington has promised to follow the example of Thomas Bjorn and get a tattoo if his team win at Whistling Straits this week. Three years ago Bjorn pledged to his players he would get himself inked if they beat the United States in Paris. Of course, they did beat them and the Dane was as good as his word three months later, putting needle to skin.

“I am delighted that that’s all they ask for – I’d have given up a lot more – so yes, I will be getting a tattoo,” said the Irishman. “If my team produce a winning week, I will be getting a tattoo to mark the occasion, and I’m very comfortable that they only asked that much of me because I would have given more.

“I think it’s an unwritten rule, so it has come up in conversation. Maybe they didn’t ask. Maybe I offered and they felt that was enough. “But definitely, it’s a given now in Europe: captain has to get a tattoo. “And I don’t have any other tattoos at this stage, so it would be a new experience for me. “Where on the body? I don’t know. It depends…no, I can’t go that route…. depends how long it is.” US captain Steve Stricker was unwilling to commit to getting a tattoo if his side regained the trophy, adding: “The problem is my girls, my wife and kids, have always asked me to get a tattoo and I’m like, I’m not putting any decals on my body kind of thing.

“The players gave me an idea what I could put on there. I told them where I was going to put it; it was going to go right on my cheek (backside).

“We’ll see what brings about that, but we may have a tattoo artist guy come in on Sunday night. One way or another, it may happen.”