The 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy May Be a Tough Ticket for Italians

About 90 percent of tickets sold so far for the biennial event, being played for just the third time in continental Europe, have gone to fans outside Italy.

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — The biggest team event in golf is coming to Italy and the Ryder Cup’s organizing committee is concerned that the locals might miss the party.

About 90% of the tickets sold so far for the 2023 contest between the United States and Europe at the Marco Simone club outside Rome have gone to foreigners, according to Gian Paolo Montali, a former coach of Italy’s national volleyball team who is the local organizing committee’s executive director.

“That surprised us a lot,” Montali said. “On one hand I’m surprised. But on the other hand we’ve been doing everything we can to promote Italian products (abroad). And we’re not a country with a golfing profile.

“But what I’m afraid of is that the Italians will show up at the last minute and realize what’s going on. That’s the real concern. I tried to see if we could put aside some tickets for that last period but the organizational structure was already in place.”

At $950 per ticket, the full allocation of season passes for the Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2023, event sold out in seven hours.

While Ryder Cup Europe would not disclose exact numbers, it did say that it’s the most season tickets ever sold for the event in Europe.

“I’m in charge of the Ryder Cup and I have friends asking me for tickets to whom I have to say, ‘No,’” Montali said.

A ballot is currently underway to sell general admission daily tickets—which comprise the majority of the tickets.

“We are delighted with the terrific response we have had,” Ryder Cup match director Edward Kitson said. “So far, we have had applications from people in 122 different countries, including strong interest from Italian fans. The ballot remains open until Oct. 16, so there is still time for people to apply.”

Marco Simone will become the third venue in continental Europe to host the Ryder Cup after Valderrama in Spain (1997) and Le Golf National in France (2018).

“We’re hoping to have a total of up to 280,000 spectators for the week, including practice rounds,” Montali said. “With up to 50,000 per day.”

Those numbers could surpass the 270,000 who attended Le Golf National in 2018.

Major champions Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick were impressed by the challenges that the completely redesigned Marco Simone course presented when they played it in last month’s Italian Open.

“The course is defending itself well,” Montali said.

U.S. captain Zach Johnson and Europe counterpart Luke Donald are currently in Rome for the year-to-go festivities, which will include a photo shoot with the captains hitting shots into the Colosseum on Tuesday, followed by a private audience with Pope Francis on Wednesday.

Montali would like to arrange an audience with the pope during Ryder Cup week, too.

“But that won’t be easy with 24 players,” he said. “It’s one thing to arrange for two people—quite another for two dozen.”