Perthshire prepares for 2014 Ryder Cup

Oct 8 2010 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THOSE behind Gleneagles’ Ryder Cup bid yesterday insisted they were relishing the challenge posed by staging the event in four years time, writes Johnathon Menzies.

Several key figures responsible for bringing the intercontinental contest to Perthshire were at Celtic Manor at the weekend to see Europe triumph over the USA 14½ points to 13½.

Scott Fenwick, Gleneagles’ courses and estate manager, ran the rule over the Welsh resort both before and during the 38th edition of the historic competition.

Monsoon-like weather conditions resulted in a Monday finish for the first time in the tournament’s 83-year history.

Despite the delay, Fenwick yesterday praised organisers and outlined the huge amount of work, some of which has already begun, necessary to stage such a flagship occasion.

He told PA Sport: “Heavy rain is always going to be an issue at this time of year, but I think the grounds staff at Celtic Manor did really well considering what they had to deal with.

“You’re going to have muddy areas, no matter what the weather is like, if you have 45,000 people all gathered in the one place.

“Everyone took it in their stride, there was a great atmosphere and I didn’t hear a single person complain about the conditions the whole time I was there.

“We’ve been doing drainage work on the course at Gleneagles for the last three or four years.

“But it will be another two or three before we can start to plan what we are going to do in terms of dispersing that number of spectators.

“There’s no doubt hosting the Ryder Cup will be a challenge, but we’re used to rising to them at Gleneagles.

“We’ve successfully hosted the Scottish Open, Johnnie Walker Championships and the G8 summit, and I’m confident 2014 will be no different.”

Perth and Kinross Provost, John Hulbert, was present for the first 48 hours of the four-day showpiece, and attended a dinner on Friday night hosted by First Minister Alex Salmond and tourism body, VisitScotland.

Mr Salmond recently claimed that the sporting showpiece could generate as much as £100 million for the local economy.

Dr Hulbert said: “This was a chance for us to see if we could learn anything ahead of Gleneagles hosting the event in 2014, and for us to get a feel for an event of this size.

“With 45,000 people attending the each day, it works out as the third largest sporting event on the planet, behind the Olympics and the football World Cup.

“The Ryder Cup certainly has a special feel to it. Golf, obviously, is usually an individual sport but the team dynamic in this event creates quite a spectacle.

“It was interesting to see all the different European nations competing under one flag and a sense of nationalism coming to the fore.

“It was just a shame that, Colin Montgomerie apart, there were no Scots in the team – I very much hope there’s a larger Scottish contingent at Gleneagles.

“I’ve seen the Open at both Carnoustie and St Andrews, but they don’t really compare to the Ryder Cup in terms of atmosphere and spectacle.

“I’m very proud that an event of this magnitude is coming to Perth and Kinross.”

For more Ryder Cup coverage, see pages 6 and 61 of today’s PA.