Holding the Ryder Cup in the Middle East may sound a bizarre notion. But it is a suggestion that has been floating around for several years now.
Donald Trump was one of those who thought it was a good wheeze. But this admittedly came from self-interest, in connection with Trump building a course in Dubai. “I’m not saying we’ll get the Ryder Cup, but I think we’ll have a great chance,” declared Trump bullishly at the time.
When asked to respond to this in a press conference before the Irish Open of 2014, Graeme McDowell had replied: “It sounds a little kind of crazy. But when you look at what Dubai and the Middle East means to the European Tour, it would be a pretty amazing Ryder Cup venue.
“They have got some amazing golf courses over there. I don’t think the Americans would have a problem with it. It would be a fun place to have a Ryder Cup.”
There are several snags of course. One of them is that the Middle East is not in Europe.
So Europe would be giving away home advantage to a certain extent. However the UAE is home to a large European population and is easily accessible from all corners of the world, so big crowds would be possible and ex-pats living in Africa, Asia and Australia could get there easier than some places in Europe.
But would Europe get its typical partisan following? Unlikely.
The UAE would be expensive destination for fans to get to and stay in. One thing that makes the Ryder Cup special – and why it was not held without spectators in the pandemic, as it could have been – is the atmosphere created by the noisy partisan crowds.
Jumeirah Golf Estates hosts the Race to Dubai finale each year on the DP World Tour
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The DP World Tour has been visiting the UAE for decades now, though, and it is where the Tour Championship takes place and the Race to Dubai champion is crowned each year.
It’s not just Dubai where a Ryder Cup could take place. Abu Dhabi now has a rich golf heritage and is home to the likes of Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Yas Links, both of which have hosted the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in recent years. The tournament is currently on the DP World Tour’s Rolex Series and always attracts a…
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