Golf: Just 1,000 days left to the Ryder Cup

Jan 4 2008 by Staff Reporter, Western Mail

THERE are just 1,000 days to go until the start of the biggest event in Welsh sporting history when the 2010 Ryder Cup tees off at Celtic Manor.

There will be 100 countries receiving coverage beamed round the world from Newport between 1-3 October 2010 for the third most-watched sporting event behind only the Olympics and football World Cup.

The tournament is already having a substantial impact on Welsh golf, according to 2006 Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam.

“The announcement that the Ryder Cup is coming our way has done wonders for golf in Wales,” said Woosie, an ambassador for Welsh golf.

“The successful bid to host the Ryder Cup in Wales has already made an impact on the number and standard of golfers within Wales and the popularity of the sport will continue to grow as we approach 2010.”

It means there are just 1,000 days for Wales to gear up towards making the most of the opportunity, both in terms of golf and the wider world.

Hosting the FA Cup finals at the Millennium Stadium gave Wales massive publicity round the world, but not much in the United States, while holding the Rugby World Cup final in 1999 also had a major impact, but in a smaller number of countries.

The Ryder Cup will get massive coverage for Wales in the United States, all round Europe and Asia, in particular, making it the largest event ever to land in these shores in terms of the global impact.

Also because Wales went head-to-head with the home of golf, Scotland, for the 2010 tournament, the bid had to have clearly more of an impact on the game for the Celtic Manor to have a chance of hosting one of European golf’s biggest events.

Those promises have led to increased investment in tournaments and individuals, giving Welsh players greater opportunities and exposure as well as offering Welsh fans a regular diet of world-class performers to watch.

Even before taking into account those who have rented out their homes for the first week in October in 2010, the hundreds of thousands of tourists likely to come for the live event and the long-term benefits of the TV coverage, the results are obvious.

Golf tourism to Wales has greatly increased, it is a way of selling Welsh business – particularly in the United States – and of course it is a chance for fans to watch one of the world’s most dramatic sporting events on their doorstep.

“The economic and business advantages available to Wales from hosting such a high-profile event are already clear,” admitted Rhodri Morgan, First Minister for the Welsh Assembly Government.

“There are opportunities for Welsh companies to supply goods and services to the event itself and obvious advantages to those seeking to raise the profile of Wales as a business and tourism destination in the meantime.

“No doubt the focus on Wales will intensify when the handover to Wales is made directly after the 2008 Ryder Cup later this year in Kentucky. Then the whole of the country will get itself ready to welcome the World to Wales in 2010.”

John Jermine, chairman of Ryder Cup Wales, explained, “Wales is becoming recognised as a world-class golfing destination and hosting the Ryder Cup is attracting interest throughout the golfing world.

“The match will be broadcast to over 100 countries and will give us an opportunity to showcase Wales to the world. We are a small golfing country packed full of quality with many challenging, unspoiled courses set in superb scenery and offering wonderful value for money.

“The Ryder Cup will attract many business decision-makers to Wales and we will be offering them a range of opportunities to explore the rest of the country, to enjoy our hospitality and to appreciate that Wales is a great country in which to live and invest.”