An important milestone was marked today in the preparations for The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles when the Host Nation Agreement was signed on the first tee at the PGA Centenary Course by Scotland’s Minister for Public Health and Sport, Shona Robison, and Ryder Cup Match Director, Edward Kitson.
The official contract between Scottish Ministers and Ryder Cup Europe outlines the main terms, conditions and commitments agreed between the parties in relation to the staging of the event in three years’ time.
Robison said: “The Ryder Cup is the biggest team event in international golf, and one of the main highlights of the sporting calendar, so we are greatly honoured to be hosting such a prestigious tournament at Gleneagles and I look forward to seeing the world’s finest golfers doing battle on Scottish soil.
“With around 250,000 expected over the three match days and a global audience of 600 million viewers, this is a tremendous opportunity to show what Scotland has to offer, not to mention the huge economic benefits for Scotland.”
Signing the agreement on behalf of Ryder Cup Europe, Kitson is delighted with the planning and preparations that are well underway at the ‘Home of Golf’. He said: “We are delighted to be working closely with such supportive and committed partners in the Scottish Government, the key National Agencies, led by EventScotland, and Gleneagles Hotel, the host venue for The 2014 Ryder Cup.
“We have been impressed by the diligence of all the parties involved to gather as much information as possible from their attendance at every Ryder Cup since 2004 in order to create an exceptional event at the Home of Golf. Since last year, our plans and preparations for Gleneagles have accelerated and we look forward to cementing an already robust relationship as we head towards 2014.”
Since being awarded the prestigious event back in 2001, EventScotland, who are leading the delivery of the event for the Host Nation, along with other key partners have been observing the last four Ryder Cups to learn from them and maximise the best possible arrangement for Scotland. A ‘transfer of knowledge’ session was held in January of this year with representatives from Wales, Ryder Cup and Scotland to pass on the lessons learnt from the 2010 event at The Celtic Manor Resort.
Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland said: “Today’s announcement is an important landmark as we move towards the delivery of The Ryder Cup in 2014.
“Scotland has an enviable track record of delivering world class events and we’re now in a position to work with all of our partners to create a Ryder Cup which will demonstrate Scotland as the perfect stage for events.”
Part of Scotland’s commitment to staging The Ryder Cup is to create a legacy around it, including staging a range of professional tournaments but also supporting the grassroots of the game. Through Clubgolf, Scotland’s junior golf initiative which was launched as a direct result of the successful Ryder Cup bid, more than 180,000 have already experienced the sport since 2003. To date, 30 professional tournaments have also been supported, generating in excess of £20million in economic benefit to the country.
The world class calendar of competition continues in 2011 with the Scottish Hydro Challenge, RICOH Women’s British Open, Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open, Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open and the Walker Cup. Scotland is committed to supporting the golf portfolio beyond 2014 to ensure The 2014 Ryder Cup has an impact far and wide.
