The Ryder Cup is one of the signature events in golf and one lucky venue gets the honour of hosting the event every two years. Wales played host to the competition in 2010 when Colin Montgomerie’s Europe defeated the USA by a one-point margin to reclaim the crown. It proved to be a logistical challenge at the Celtic Manor Resort as the elements threatened to derail the tournament.
Usually held over three days, the competition had to be extended into Monday in order for the singles games to be completed. It was the first time in the history of the Ryder Cup that the tournament was played into a fourth day, and the organisation of the tournament was sublime, allowing the event to run seamlessly. The Ryder Cup will be held in the United States as part of the rotation in 2021, with the USA considered the 4/6 favourites for the title in the betting on golf with Betfair.
It would end Europe’s hold on the cup after regaining their crown in Paris in 2018, and set up another tense battle in 2023 when the event will shift to Italy for the first time. The Marco Simone Golf & Country Club will stage the 2023 competition, offering a picturesque course for the 44th edition. It is located only 10 miles outside of Rome, therefore there will be tourists aplenty flocking to Italy to witness one of the great sporting contests.
Who’s going to be there in 2023? The view looking down on the 17th green at the proposed Ryder Cup course at Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy #render pic.twitter.com/wZx47TfhkG
— Harris Kalinka (@harriskalinka) January 21, 2021
The 2027 venue for Europe has also been locked into place with Ireland taking the mantle. The Golf Course at Adare Manor in County Limerick will hand Ireland the hosting duties for the second time, with it previously staging Europe’s dominant victory in 2006 at the K Club. A lengthy period of time has passed since Ireland last staged the Ryder Cup, and they have patiently waited their turn.
Wales is not a haven of the sport, despite the prestige of the Celtic Manor course. Ian Woosnam has been the standard-bearer for the country, winning the 1991 Masters at Augusta as well as captaining the 2006 European team to victory in the Ryder Cup along with four triumphs as a player. Jamie Donaldson represented Wales in the competition in 2014 in another Europe victory. However, the European teams since have not included a Welsh golfer, and there are no signs of that changing in the near future.
When considering future venues for the Ryder Cup, the European Tour will take into account the enthusiasm for golf in the region. There will always be an audience for an event the first time it arrives in a venue, and the 2010 Ryder Cup was evidence of that. The impact was felt in Paris in 2018, even though it’s not commonly a sport that enjoyed a strong French presence, particularly outside of Victor Dubuisson and Thomas Levet in the 21st Century.
Unless Wales – and France to a degree – displays a prominent interest in developing golfers to aid the cause of the European Tour, to add both talent and success to Team Europe, then the country may have to wait a long time before the Ryder Cup returns to Celtic Manor or another venue within the region.