McIlroy, Spieth, maybe Tiger Woods: “We will bring the world champions to Italy, because what we have set in motion is an epochal change. From 2017 our Open will be placed on the calendar just before the big race at Wentworth and will become one of the flagship tournaments of the tour”.
Franco Chimenti, president of the Italian Golf Federation, doesn't have a minute to lose, because 12 years of frenetic work await him and the countdown has already begun. Between one phone call and another, between one meeting and another, however, he finds a moment to exchange a few jokes exclusively with FIRSTonline.
The future stages of the Italian golf growth march are already known in part, but it is worth remembering: “the Ryder Cup in Rome in 2022, an Italian Open with a prize pool of three million this year and 11 editions with 7 million euros each starting from 2017″. The path is long, but the design is unique and has been put in black and white in the Italian dossier to outperform the competition from the other venues competing for Ryder. The beautiful trail of millionaire competitions, among the richest on the tour, certainly made the difference.
“This year the race will be held again at Monza – recalls the president of the FIG – while the 2017 and 2018 offices are still vacant, so I invite the clubs to come forward. In 2019, 2020, 2021 we will be at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, home of Ryder in 2022. Unfortunately, entry will no longer be free and we are discussing these days how much to put in the ticket”.
On the other hand, approximately one hundred and sixty million euros are the costs of the "Ryder Cup plus Open" operation, a hefty figure, supported by guarantees from Sace, Credito Sportivo and, subordinately, the Government. "I cannot go into details, which are covered by contractual confidentiality - says the FIG president - but keep in mind that everything we are talking about, including guarantees, is paid in installments, it must be spread over 12 years".
The figure, although unofficial, can be obtained by adding up various items: 18 million euros was the minimum entry ticket to participate
at the “auction” for Ryder; 80 million are the jackpots of 12 years of Italian tournaments, whose organization will cost a total of at least 20 million euros; to this base we must add the restyling of the Marco Simone course for around ten million euros; another 30 million will be used for a series of good-level open boats for the Senior tour and the Challenge tour and for various works, parking, logistics, hospitality, shuttles, that is, everything that will be needed for Ryder and the surrounding area.
On the infrastructural front, however, the Italian dossier has skilfully exploited a series of works already planned for Rome: a light rail which will also reach the Mark Simon and the connection of the Tiburtina station with Guidonia, a project that brings high speed almost directly to the golf course Laura Biagiotti. The TV rights of the Italian Open will also go to the
Federation and will serve to cover part of the expenses. These are valuable rights, because important tournaments have a share, in the world,
certainly higher than that of the Sanremo Festival. Ryder's TV rights will all go to Ryder, which in Europe is a 60% subsidiary of the European tour and the remainder of the European PGA and the British PGA. In the United States it belongs entirely to the PGA USA. “Everything that is Ryder goes to Ryder – explains Chimenti – rights, tickets, merchandising, sponsors, advertising. This is entirely responsible only for the preparation of the event”.
It is undoubtedly a big bet for the small Golf Federation in Italy, which today has less than one hundred thousand practitioners and which, thanks to this gamble, would like to triple its members. The conditions are there: why 12 years at the top will bring great international visibility, also giving a boost to tourism, investments and sponsorships. "We would like to reach above all those who still don't know golf - observes Chimenti - and we are also working on this front". In short, in such a critical economic moment, golf, an elite sport par excellence, is launching its largest popular campaign in Italy. The warlord is brave, and if you scrolled through Ryder's honor committee, it would appear that he also has a well-armored army. There are many entrepreneurs who are part of it, some of whom are passionate golfers: from Guido Barilla to Giorgio Fossa, from Luca Cordero di Montezemolo to Diana Bracco, from Nerio Alessandri to Piero Antinori, from Leonardo Ferragamo to Rocco Forte. Are they also potential sponsors? “Let's hope – replies laconically Chimenti – surely we will have Credito Sportivo among the sponsors of the Open”.
Finally there is the competitive side of this bet, which sees the players at the forefront. “I have been to Dubai and seen Matteo manassero in great recovery, I am sure he will overcome his problems. Edward Molinari it was a bit unfortunate, but I have a lot of faith in him. Francesco Molinari is our spearhead and he will represent us at the Olympics; Renato Paratore is a very young man with a great future, he was superlative on the last day in Dubai. I'm sure we'll have two Azzurri in Rio, because our boys are really strong. And then we have many young talents”. In short, the Italian future is tinged with great golf.
