SEVE BALLESTEROS PLAYED ON eight European Ryder Cup teams and was captain of another squad in 1997. Even though I rooted against him (national allegiance), there’s zero doubt that he was a spectacular match-play competitor, amassing a Ryder Cup record of 20-12-5. Only three European players have won more Ryder Cup points: Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie.(Photo: Seve Ballesteros, center, with nicely dressed people associated with Spain’s Ryder Cup bid.)
Now as Spain’s official bid patron, Ballesteros is once again exerting his influence in the Ryder Cup arena. His homeland hopes to lure the prestigious event to Madrid for the 2018 matches.
“Being a part of this bid is a huge honor for me,” Seve said at a March launch event in Madrid. “I believe Madrid is more than able to organize this magnificent event. I have great memories of the 1997 Ryder Cup in Valderrama and I hope we all see this great competition in Spain in 2018.”
At the event, Ballesteros also unveiled the official Ryder Cup Madrid 2018 logo, which depicts the sport of golf combined with the colors of the Community of Madrid. The campaign tagline is “Todos Juntos, All Together.”
In addition to Spain, other candidates for hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup are France, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Sweden.
Ryder Cup Notes
• In terms of turnover (events that change venues), the Ryder Cup is the world’s third-largest sporting event behind the World Cup and Olympics.
• The Ryder Cup is the largest international golf tournament.
• The 2018 matches will be the 42nd event in more than eight decades of competition.
• The 2006 Ryder Cup pumped 240 million euros into the Irish economy.
−The Armchair Golfer
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