Ryder Cup fever has started to take hold of Italy, host country of The 2022 Ryder Cup, with the Golf in Piazza initiative taking place in the picturesque city of Naples.
After Team Europe’s stunning victory at Le Golf National in September, the biennial contest will visit Rome for its next European staging in 2022 and the Italian Golf Federation have already begun showcasing why Italy is the perfect venue for the prestigious showdown between Team Europe and Team USA.
Taking place in the historic setting of Castel dell’Ovo, the oldest standing fortification in Naples, Golf in Piazza was part of the third event on the ‘Road to Rome 2022’, a series of events designed to help more Italian nationals discover the game of golf.
In the presence of the Mayor of Naples Luigi de Magistris, Sport Councilor Ciro Borriello and General Director of the Ryder Cup 2022 Project Gian Paolo Montali, Golf in Piazza officially opened with a symbolic tee shot from the Terrazza dei Cannoni on Castel dell’Ovo.
Enhanced by the breathtaking scenery of the Neapolitan gulf, former Napoli Football Club forward Giuseppe Incocciati and Italian soap opera actor Davide Devenuto were among those to hit exhibition tee shots into the Gulf of Naples.
Regional champion Roberto De Salvi also teed it up on the Terrazza dei Cannoni and the trio were assisted by Italian professional Pasquale Schiavone.
The Italian Golf Federation’s aim of Golf in Piazza is to symbolise the message of sport being accessible to all and the enhancement of tourism to Italy through golf.
Luigi de Magistris, Mayor of Naples, said: "Congratulations to the Italian Golf Federation for having given life to a very beautiful and original event. With its landscape and nature, Castel dell'Ovo is a magical place to practice this discipline. Golf can be an important investment for our city, which has one of the highest numbers of young, sporting people in Europe.”
Gian Paolo Montali, General Director of the Ryder Cup Project 2022, commented: “In our journey towards the Ryder Cup, a city like Naples could not be missing. We are very happy to have had the privilege of taking golf to Castel dell'Ovo, one of the pearls of our country. The Road to Rome 2022 events have the aim of enhancing Italy's international appeal through golf tourism and bringing people closer to golf, taking this sport to the heart of the city.
The third seasonal event of the Road to Rome 2022 began in Salerno on Lungomare Trieste, where many young people and numerous families experienced the thrill of the first tee shot with the support of qualified technicians.
The weekend in Campania closed on Sunday in Naples on Lungomare Caracciolo, where the Italian Golf Federation made 11 stations available to the city’s habitants to spend a day discovering golf while offering free melanoma check-ups, courtesy of Fondazione Melanoma Onlus.
