Kingsbarns bids to be 2009 Ryder Cup venue

Mike Aitken, The Scotsman, 11 November 2000

Kingsbarns, the course located near St Andrews which has won acclaim as the last great Scottish links, made an offer this week to host the 2009 Ryder Cup should Scotland be selected as the venue for the match between Europe and America.

A letter of intent from the course in Fife has been received by the Professional Golfers Association, the body which next year will decide both the country and course for 2009.

The letter expressed a wish to be considered as a possible site for the most prestigious event in world golf.

After opening for play to the public in July, Kingsbarns will make its debut on the European Tour next autumn when the course is due to be one of three hosts for the £3.4 million Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, along with the Old Course and Carnoustie.

Bearing in mind that golf has been played on the hallowed ground of the Old Course for centuries, Fife can now lay claim to offering both the most ancient as well as the newest places to play golf in Scotland as possible Ryder Cup venues.

Although Gleneagles, Loch Lomond, Turnberry, Carnoustie and St Andrews were the five official candidates mentioned in the Scottish Executive’s official bid document last month, there’s nothing to prevent any other Scottish course arguing its case.

Far from the race being over, the number of runners and riders in the chase to stage the 2009 match is, in fact, increasing.

Bearing in mind the interest expressed by Muirfield, which last welcomed the Americans to Scotland in 1973, no fewer than five of the seven interested Scottish parties for 2009 are seaside links.

Coming on top of Tiger Woods’ declaration that he would like nothing better than the chance to play in a Ryder Cup on a links, one source acknowledged: "If Scotland gets the match in 2009 then the chances of the match being played on a links are now probably better than 50-50."