The European Tour has unveiled a new Ryder Cup Committee whose aim is to enhance the commercial value of the matches played on home soil.
Chaired by Sir Damon Buffini, a non-executive director on the European Tour Board, the Ryder Cup Committee comprises 2014 Ryder Cup Paul McGinley; European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley; European Tour Deputy CEO and Ryder Cup Director Guy Kinnings; former Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore, and Ian Ritchie, chairman of Premiership Rugby.
Utilising their experience from across the sporting and business sectors, the Ryder Cup Committee will seek to grow revenues from the 2022 Ryder Cup in Italy and beyond.
Its role will also include closer collaboration with the PGA of America – the managing partner of the Ryder Cup in the United States – through the expansion of the worldwide partner and supplier programme. The committee will also oversee investment in Ryder Cup infrastructure to enhance delivery in key areas including sales, hospitality, ticketing and merchandise.
European Tour Chairman David Williams said: “The success of the 2018 Ryder Cup in France demonstrated the global appeal of the modern-day Ryder Cup, but there remains significant growth potential. This committee will look at ways of optimising that, while also protecting the contest’s rich heritage.”
He added: “In many ways, the Ryder Cup Committee mirrors precisely what we have on the Board of the European Tour in terms of a balance between sports professionals and business leaders. It is also illustrative of the best practices of corporate governance that I am proud we have initiated in recent years.
“I am delighted to welcome Ian Ritchie and Richard Scudamore to the committee. They will bring valuable insight from their time in the business of other sports, to add to the considerable golfing expertise brought by Paul, Keith and Guy. And in Sir Damon, who has worked alongside me on the European Tour Board since 2015, the committee has a chairman who is one of the most experienced businessmen in the country.”
Alan White, chairman of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland, the founding partner of the Ryder Cup, which works alongside the PGAs of Europe and the European Tour in Ryder Cup Europe LLP, said: “As custodians of the Ryder Cup since its inception in 1927, we are delighted to see its continued growth, development and global recognition. We have every confidence that this new Ryder Cup Committee will further enhance all elements of the commercial and brand value of the Ryder Cup, while remaining true to the heritage, history and values of this incredible sporting event.”
A record 270,000 fans flocked to Le Golf National on the outskirts of Paris last September to witness Europe triumph 17.5-10.5 over a much vaunted United States team. The victory was Europe’s seventh in the last nine contests and the eleventh in total since the match was expanded in 1979 to include players from Continental Europe and not just Great Britain and Ireland.
Away from Le Golf National, the global interest was just as intense, with the three-day match broadcast to over 40 worldwide TV networks to a total household reach of some 620 million. There were also more than 22 billion social media impressions across the week – the highest in the event’s history.
The host venue for the 2026 Ryder Cup, the next matches to be held in Europe after Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome in 2022, has yet to be announced.