- Mail Sport understands the percentage of tickets sold within Italy is 10 per cent
- It is believed there will be more fans from UK, America, Ireland and Germany
- The Molinari brothers are from Turin but have kept a low-profile this week
The Ryder Cup is giving every impression of loving Italy — but whether that feeling is reciprocated is far more open to question.
For the host nation, not unlike Paris five years ago, it is a case of playing host to other nationalities, and to walk the course is to be struck by the conspicuous lack of locals.
The DP Tour were being distinctly coy this week about the exact breakdown of fans at the Marco Simone Club, but well-informed sources have told Mail Sport the percentage of tickets sold within Italy has amounted to barely 10 per cent.
The only official word is that the five nations most highly represented in spectator numbers are the UK, the US, Ireland, Germany and Italy, and it is probably in that order. A bumper turnout from the US sees their fans contriving any which way to exhibit the Stars and Stripes, while the locals appear more like reserved onlookers.
The problem for the host nation — although clearly not perceived as an issue in winning the bid — is that golf is around the 15th most popular sport in this country.
The percentage of Ryder Cup tickets sold within Italy has amounted to barely ten per cent
The five nations most highly represented in spectator numbers are the UK, USA, Ireland, Germany and Italy – likely in that order
The Molinari brothers are from Turin and are vice-captains but have kept a low-profile (Francesco and Edoardo pictured top row)
Moreover, the strongholds of the game are much further north, around Turin and Milan. These cities have a far higher concentration of Italy’s 229 18-hole courses, and certainly more than Rome.
Turin is home to the Molinari brothers, who still make up two of the three highest-placed Italians in the men’s rankings, although these days Francesco leads the way with the modest listing of 185.
At least the mistake of Paris in 2018 has not been repeated, when nobody from France was involved with Team Europe. The Molinaris are both vice-captains here but, strangely, have kept a low profile this week.
Neither Francesco nor stats guru Edoardo have been front and centre, which will not have done much to entice quizzical locals to tune in.
The Italian Golf Federation (FIG) are nonetheless hoping that the event will create enough of a buzz to increase their figure of 94,000 registered golfers.
They are trying to combat the perception of the sport being elitist.
Italy would also like to be seen more as a golf destination to help grow the number of courses although, as one industry figure pointed out, in this they are up against the hugely developed southern Europe markets of Spain and Portugal.
The Federazione Italiana Golf hopes the event will create enough of a buzz to increase their figure of 94,000 registered golfers
‘Golfers are obviously not as recognisable as footballers here, and not as recognisable as the top tennis players, for example,’ said an FIG spokesperson.
‘Francesco did become very popular after what he achieved in 2018 (winning the Open at Carnoustie and five points at the Ryder Cup), while Costantino Rocca (1995 Open runner-up) was big because he was the first.
‘We are trying very hard to change the image of golf in Italy and we are currently running a large project of putting golf in schools, which we think will make a long-term difference.’