You need a pretty strong constitution to be the European director of the Ryder Cup.
The bidding process to be the host country for the lucrative biennial battle is a bit like an all-you-can-eat buffet these days as representatives of those nations that are eager to dip their bread in the sloshing gravy boat tease and tempt the powers that be with, quite literally, a taste of what to expect. Perhaps the way to the Ryder Cup is through a man's stomach? Spain, one of the contenders to stage the 2022 contest, was on the menu yesterday and, in bustling Barcelona, Richard Hills, that aforementioned director, absorbed the sights, sounds, smells and flavours of 'La Boqueria', the Catalan city's vibrant indoor food market, and seemed to have more nibbles than an ambassador's cocktail party. Even a spoonful of sea urchin didn't faze this man of varied palate. "I'm also very fond of an Arbroath smokie," he reported mid-mouthful as he continued his whistle stop tour of the bidding nations that also include Germany, Italy, Portugal and Austria.
Hills had his big taste of Scotland during last year's impressively hosted Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and many of the ingredients from that successful staging may be flung into the Spanish pot. The splendid Stadium course at the PGA Catalunya resort near Girona is Spain's chosen venue for 2022 but the Ryder Cup nowadays goes far beyond the tees, fairways and greens. "I think some knowledge has been shared between Scotland and Catalunya beyond the golf," said Hills. "For instance, the bid team here observed what happened with Clubgolf (Scotland's junior programme that was formed on the back of the successful Ryder Cup bid) and they've observed what happened with the education curriculum and some of the health initiatives that were undertaken in Scotland."
The Spanish are using the phrase 'Ryder Cup Plus' as they look to build a flourishing future for the game in these parts, should the 2022 bid be successful. The country has always had strong links with the European Tour and was one of the great heartlands of the circuit. In 2011, Spain hosted seven events on the schedule but the ravages of the Eurozone crisis has led to that number dwindling to just one. History and tradition remain alluring qualities, however, and the links to the Ryder Cup are strong. When GB&I expanded to include the rest of Europe in 1979, Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido were the first continental players to be drafted into the team while Valderrama in the south of the country staged the transatlantic tussle in 1997 with Ballesteros the passionate skipper. Fast forward to 2012 and it was Jose Maria Olazabal who was savouring success as a captain with the memory of the late Seve very much a driving, inspiring factor in Team Europe's ranks.
"Golf is now an Olympic sport and when the Olympics came here in 1992 we saw the rebirth of Barcelona," added Hills. "In 2022, it will be 30 years on from that Olympic Games. It will also be 25 years on from the Ryder Cup at Valderrama. So you have some landmark dates and we have thought about that."
Gonzaga Escauriaza, the president of the Spanish Golf Federation, is hoping a successful bid will help breathe new life into golf in this corner of the globe. "This could be a turning point for us to get back to where we were," he said as looked to put solid foundations down for a lasting legacy. "We would like to name it 'Ryder Cup Plus'. We want to be a bit more ambitious, we want to extend it and not just make it a one off event. We want to strengthen our links with the European Tour for a decade and more and to put golf in society, into schools and try to bring back sponsors. We sum the bid up with three phrases. Firstly it is history, and that includes the contributions we have made to the tour and to the Ryder Cup with players, captains and courses. Secondly, there is a certainty about the quality of the ingredients of the bid. And thirdly, we have the passion, which is the very epitome of the Spanish people."
There was, of course, a sombre back drop to yesterday's curtailed proceedings and the official press conference to launch the Spanish bid was cancelled in the wake of Tuesday's airline disaster that claimed the lives of 150 people on a Germanwings flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf.
"Obviously, we are saddened by the tragedy which has affected this city as well as Dusseldorf and Spain, Germany and many other countries," said Hills. "We adjusted our programme as a mark of respect for what happened and our hearts go out to those people affected."
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