Another Irish billionaire set to launch Ryder Cup bid

The Irish billionaire Denis O’Brien is set to launch a bid for a Spanish resort to host the 2031 Ryder Cup, according to reports.

The 2027 Ryder Cup will be staged at Adare Manor in Ireland – which is owned by the billionaire JP McManus.

According to the Sunday Times: “Never mind a superyacht, the real status symbol for Ireland’s mega-rich is hosting the Ryder Cup on your own golf course.”

PGA Catalunya

O’Brien is the owner of PGA Catalunya in Catalonia.

The Spanish press has said that his bid has garnered the support of both the Spanish and Catalan golf federations, while the Spanish government and the Girona county and city council are also said to be supportive of his attempts to lure the biennial competition to Catalonia.

La Vanguardia, a Barcelona-based newspaper, reported that Ryder Cup director Guy Kinnings was due to meet local officials in Girona in the next few days to discuss a formal application. Pere Aragonès, the Catalan president, is due to meet Kinnings as part of the process.

PGA Catalunya

The Catalan course was considered as an option for the 2023 Ryder Cup but the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome was chosen instead. An hour from Barcelona, O’Brien’s complex is home to two championship courses, a five-star hotel and luxury homes.

La Vanguardia claims the Spanish government has committed €96 million in support, while Girona’s regional authority will provide another €4 million if the bid is successful.

O’Brien, 64, who also owns the Quinta Do Lago golf resort in Portugal, has so far declined to comment. La Vanguardia said that figures shared with it by the Spanish government suggested that hosting the Europe v United States event could be worth €570 million to the local economy, with another €590 million into the future from golf tourism.

PGA Catalunya

Several other European courses are also said to be in the running to host the first Europe-based Ryder Cup after Limerick’s 2027 competition, including the London Golf Club in Kent, Gleneagles in Scotland, Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, Vilamoura in Portugal and Bro Hof Slott in Sweden.

A decision on the winning bid is due this summer.