“When I make predictions, I often take it. And today I say that Italy will get the 2024 Olympics and do you know why? Because we are an amazing country and because the Olympics are an easier goal than the 2022 Ryder Cup.” Thus Franco Chimenti, president of the Italian Golf Federation, on the occasion of the presentation to the press of the "National Open Championship", a competition for professionals from the Belpaese, scheduled at the Le Fonti golf club in Castel San Pietro Terme from 6 to 9 April.
Chimenti arrives in the Bologna area fresh from being confirmed as head of Coni Servizi ("a decision that arrived yesterday and which I was very pleased with") to present an event which is the first of ten important competitions planned for this year. The path that leads to the Ryder in Rome in 2022 is in fact full of excellent sporting events. The "Castello" appointment opens the ball, with a prize pool of around 50 thousand euros, 112 professionals and about twenty amateurs.
Between May and August a tournament of the Italian Challenge Tour and four races of the Alps Tour will take place, a circuit designed above all for young people. From 15 to 18 September it will be the turn of the Italian Open, the first of a long series of very rich tournaments at the top. This year, with a date (September 15-18) that overlaps with the FedexCup Playoffs, the FIG has limited the prize money to 3 million euros (it was 1,5 million in 2015), starting next year however and for 11 years thereafter each time it will be 7 million.
“Ours will become a magical Open – Chimenti reiterates – with all the most important players in the world, from Spieth to McIlroy to Tiger Woods, if he gets back on his feet. I want all the best and that's part of the deal I signed up for Ryder. The date will be in May, before the PGA Championship in Wentworth, to date the most important competition in Europe after the Open Championship. But Wentworth will also have to up the ante if he is to stay on our level. As of now, I ask all Italian clubs to suspend amateur competitions starting from May 2017 during the week of the Italian Open, so that the public can come in large numbers to support the big names. Golf must grow in Italy and our motto will be 'win and convince'. We need Azzurri to climb to the top step of the podium. Unfortunately at the moment our athletes are not in very good shape, but they will recover and to give them a hand I have called a genius of world sport like Gian Paolo Montali to direct the Ryder project. Ryder in Rome is sparking an incredible interest in the world. Do you think that in Canada I saw a sign inviting you to book for 2022 for the last places still available ”.
The 2016 professional calendar in Italy continues in October with another appointment of the Italian Challenge Tour, one of the Alps Tour and finally a nice Senior championship, which will be held in Udine starting from 20 October.
