France to host 2018 Ryder Cup
The 2018 Ryder Cup will be played on Le Golf National course in Versailles, near Paris after the French bid won a five-way contest on Tuesday to host the biennial match against the United States.
European Tour officials made the announcement at their base in Wentworth, saying one of the main draws had been the "outstanding spectator viewing". France will become only the second country in continental Europe to stage the Ryder Cup after Spain in 1997.
"We always believed. The world of French golf was united and that did not escape European Tour bosses," Pascal Grizot, chairman of the Ryder Cup Committee at the French Golf Federation, said in a statement.
"This great victory is for everyone involved in French golf."
The bid of the proposed Tres Cantos course near Madrid had gained momentum following the recent death of Seve Ballesteros and an announcement will be made shortly regarding a possible change of the Tour's logo to include an image of the Spanish five-times major champion.
The French and Dutch bids were the only two to have completed courses and the French one had huge support from the country's golfing public.
More than 400 000 members of the French golf federation agreed to pay an annual 3 euro levy for 10 years towards a French Ryder Cup bid.
Around 20 miles outside Paris, the spectacular course is one of the best in the world for spectators and can accommodate 70 000 of them.
"Each of the countries matched or exceeded our key requirements but the winning bid stands out for a number of reasons," Ryder Cup director Richard Hills said.
LASTING MEMORIES
"It has truly outstanding spectator viewing and the promise of an exciting climax to the matches.
"Key also was the plan to build 100 urban golf courses and that strong legacy will act as a catalyst to attract new players.
"There is no doubt that the 2018 Ryder Cup will be a dramatic and memorable one."
Georges Barbaret, president of the French Golf Federation, said he was already looking forward to 2018.
"We are envisaging a cultural and sporting occasion, which I am sure, will make the Ryder Cup in France a unique event and will leave lasting memories," he said in a statement. Director general of the federation, Christophe Muniesa, said France was working hard to build the urban golf courses that would be "accessible to everyone".
"We are confident that the Ryder Cup will be a fantastic catalyst for high-level sport and above all a powerful lever for development," Muniesa added in a statement.
The 2012 Ryder Cup will be at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois, Gleneagles in Scotland will host 2014 and the 2016 event will be at Hazeltine National in Minnesota.