France to host 2018 Ryder Cup

Golf:France will host the 2018 Ryder Cup. The 42nd edition of the biennial match between Europe and the United States will be staged at Le Golf National in Versailles, just outside Paris, which has been the venue for 18 of the last 20 French Open tournaments.

The Ryder Cup has been played on the contintent just once before, at Valderrama in Spain in 1997 when Seve Ballesteros captained Europe to victory.

There had been calls from the Ballesteros family to award the event to Spain in honour of the five-time major winner, who was patron of the Madrid bid and died earlier this month. But the European Tour resisted the emotional pull and selected France ahead of Spain, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands.

The decision not only hinged on the venue as the tournament’s popularity means the Ryder Cup is now big business.

Each bidding nation had to give financial commitments and outline plans for a lasting legacy of the match. The French bid had government backing with president Nicolas Sarkozy deeming it a priority.

France have already secured hosting rights for the 2016 European football championships and are also bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Chicago, Illinois will host the 39th Ryder Cup next year as America try to regain the trophy after losing at Celtic Manor in Wales last October. Gleneagles has already been selected as Europe’s next venue in 2014.

French Ryder Cup committee president Pascal Grizot was thrilled that his country’s bid had been successful.

“The decision of the Ryder Cup committee to select France to host the 2018 Ryder Cup is a real honour for our country, for the French golf federation and for all private and public partners who have supported our bid.

“Above all it is a huge accolade for all the French golfers who have as one contributed to this project. We are particularly proud of this collective support we have had on this journey.”

On Ballesteros, he added: “We all remember Severiano Ballesteros as an icon in our sport and someone who epitomised the spirit of the Ryder Cup. He is in our thoughts today.”

European Ryder Cup director Richard Hills was full of praise for the French bid.

“The winning bid from France stands out for a number of reasons,” he said. “The venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup, Le Golf National, is a truly outstanding golf course, providing excellent spectator viewing and the promise of spectacular climaxes to the matches. Transportation, logistical and infrastructure plans are also of the highest quality.”

He added: “There is no doubt that the 2018 Ryder Cup will be memorable and dramatic and which tens of thousands of golf fans will be able to enjoy.”