The 42nd edition of the Ryder Cup was a great sporting success and popular. Balance sheet.
An impressive popular enthusiasm
He had only had to stand in front of the grandstand giant tee no. 1 (6 700) to take the measure of this popular enthusiasm unseen in France when it comes to golf. A Marseillaise recovery in unison, songs in English to give you goose bumps, clap grandiose launched sometimes by the players themselves, the fans us gently booed… But also a path black world bathed by a generous sun and which can accommodate each day 55 000 spectators… The magic of the Ryder Cup, has operated all last week at the National Golf, and more particularly during the three rounds of the competition, where about 280,000 people (40 % French, 60 % foreigners among which 15 % of Americans) have been identified on the site. Not counting the 10 000 people, including volunteers, the private security, the security of the State, the personal spaces of hospitality requisitioned to run this beautiful machine… In memory of a fan of golf used to follow the Open de France in a degree of intimacy, we had never seen it. “Give me a sporting event where you made the tail from 5: 30 in the morning and back in the evening after 20 hours, he asks, Pascal Grizot, chairman of Ryder Cup France. I hope that this event will allow us to change the mentalities in our country. One thing is for sure, this competition unique in its kind, has not conveyed the image of a sports elitist, nor a sport reserved for the rich as some claim… ”
A sporting success and breaking records galore
with 17.5 percentage points, to 10.5, the Europe captain Thomas Bjorn has inflicted one of the heaviest defeats in history in the United States, unable to impose itself on the Old Continent since now twenty-five years. The 42nd Ryder Cup has also been the witness of many strokes of brilliance, like the four points on four made by the pair Tommy Fleetwood-Francesco Molinari, a first for the Europeans, or the five on five of the same Francesco Molinari, the Italian becoming the first golfer to join the American Larry Nelson, the only author in 1979 of this feat. Sergio Garcia of spain is on his side made history by beating the record for the most points (25,5 25 against) held by the Englishman Sir Nick Faldo. Phil Mickelson, the southpaw from San Diego, has offered, for its part, the largest number of games played (47 compared to 46 for Faldo). We do not forget, finally, the sad zero pointed from Tiger Woods, beaten four times in four games. The Tiger, if dashing it was eight days after his victory at the Tour Championship, turned out to be completely absent, not to say completely indifferent to the rout of his team. “It’s an extraordinary player, adds Pascal Grizot, but, humanly speaking, this is not someone who makes me dream. Woods, this is not Mr Arnold Palmer, or Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player. He has earned may be more tournaments than these three but this is not the class, nor the sense of sharing with the public… I think that team US is stronger without him… ”
An impact to the golf in France
“I don’t think we can imagine a better audience, a better route and a better location for a Ryder Cup in Europe !” This very beautiful tribute to Jim Furyk, the american captain, proves that France has succeeded. It is now necessary to transform the test. “In addition to lighting popular, this will encourage people to go into the golf clubs, said Olivier Denis-Massé, the representative director of the FFG in charge of marketing and communication. This will also enable the Federation to reach new partners that will help in the construction of new structures while highlighting the benefits of golf. “The FFG is hoping to see swell the number of its licensees (400 000 in 2018) while waiting for the economic fallout of this Ryder Cup is not like the others. The economic activity at Gleneagles in 2014, when the Ryder Cup was halted for the last time in Europe, had been estimated at 25 million euros. “This will be exceeded, because Paris is much more attractive than the north of Scotland,” says Denis-Massé. “The creation of wealth, that is to say, the difference between a year with or without the Ryder Cup, will be very likely 220 to 250 M€ for the French State, adds Christophe Muniesa, the national technical director. France golf just typing a huge hit at the global scale. It was not known for its golf courses. Now, we shall associate Paris, Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, to the home of the biggest competition there is. One of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful of the Ryder Cup…”, And he has only to refer to the hearings of the Canal + group, which was attended by 2.2 million viewers between Friday and Sunday to be sure that the golf now has of the future in France…
