Gualtieri: "Rome should never rest on laurels"

• golf

During the presentation of the Ryder Cup-themed information point at Termini station, Roberto Gualtieri, the mayor of Rome, responded to those who had doubts about the completion of the event due to ongoing construction. Stressing the global significance of the Ryder Cup, Gualtieri invited everyone to witness the spectacular golf courses being prepared for the competition.

Roberto Gualtieri, statements

The impact of the event is already visible in Rome, with sold-out crowds expected for the end of September. It is fitting that the information point is located at Termini, as it is the arrival point for so many visitors to our great capital.

Gualtieri expressed his gratitude to Grandi Stazioni for their support and acknowledged the Federgolf team for their efforts in organizing such an important event. The mayor's final message was clear: Rome should never rest on its laurels but strive to become the world's number one tourist destination by offering an array of unforgettable experiences to visitors and locals alike.

The Ryder Cup is a golf trophy created in 1927, bequeathed by Samuel Ryder, which rewards every two years the winner of the tournament which has pitted Europe and the United States against each other since 1979. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour and is played alternately on European and American courses.

This competition has its origins in an exhibition match which took place in 1926 between two professional teams, an American and a British, on the Wenworth Club course in the United Kingdom. The first real Ryder Cup was played in 1927 in the United States.

The first meetings between the two teams were very close. After the Second World War, the American team continually dominated the British team, so it was decided to integrate Irish players into Great Britain (1973), then golfers from across the European continent (1979).

This change was made possible by the emergence of a new generation of Spanish golfers, such as Severiano Ballesteros. Since then, Danish, French, German, Italian, Swedish, Belgian, Austrian and Norwegian players have come to defend the colors of the European team.