Guy Kinnings vows to 'protect' Ryder Cup and keep its 'build' factor

New European Tour Group CEO proud to see 2023 event in Rome pick up top industry award

Guy Kinnings is keen to see the Ryder Cup, with last year’s contest in Rome having just landed a prestigious industry award, continue to “build” in terms of being one of sport’s most popular events.

At a time when golf’s TV viewing figures have nose-dived following the divide in the game created by the launch of LIV Golf, Kinnings was asked by The Scotsman if he was worried the Ryder Cup could also be impacted eventually if it didn’t involve the best Europeans or Americans going forward.

Brooks Koepka made the US team for last year’s match after winning the PGA Championship but fellow LIV Golf players Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed all missed out.

Co-host Laura Woods, Richard Atkinson (Ryder Cup Director), Katie Clayman (Head of Ryder Cup Team Services), David Garland (Director of Tour Operations), Guy Kinnings (Group CEO) and co-host Mark Durden-Smith pictured at last week's awards ceremony in London. Picture: Sport Industry Group

European Ryder Cup legends Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter were in the same position and it now remains to be seen if Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton will be in Europe’s team for next year’s match at Bethpage Black in New York, though Kinnings said last week that he believed the current rules still allowed for that possibility.

“I'm the least impartial person when it comes to talking about the Ryder Cup,” admitted Kinnings, who was director for the biennial event before handing the reins over to Richard Atkinson after recently succeeding Keith Pelley as the European Tour Group chief executive officer.

Referring to Europe’s win at Marco Simone Golf Club on the outskirts of the Italian capital last year, he added: “I think it reminded all of us what golf can look like at its very best and it was brilliant. At a time when we were talking too much about money, which isn't what we want in golf, to see those players do what they did, for each other, for their country, for the continent, it was just wonderful.

“For me, all I want to do is make sure, as one of the many things we do, is protect the Ryder Cup. To be custodians of an event as good as that, which isn't just important for golf but is important for sport in itself, is something you've got to take very seriously and so, absolutely, I want to make sure we elevate everything – make the tour better, and we are, make the Ryder Cup better. You follow the rules as they are, but we've got to build from Rome, to New York, to Ireland (where the match is set to be staged at Adare Manor) in 2027.”

Kinnings was delighted to see Ryder Cup Europe named Team of the Year at the prestigious Fevo Sport Industry Awards, which took place in London last week.

Regarded as the pre-eminent awards ceremony for the sports industry in the United Kingdom, Team Europe fought off stiff competition to claim the honour, getting the nod ahead of treble winning-Manchester City FC, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, the England women’s cricket team, the England women’s Red Roses rugby team and the 11th Hour Racing Team.

The award not only acknowledged the 12 European players inside the ropes, but also the over 200 full-time staff at Ryder Cup Europe who delivered an event that broke all previous fan engagement and commercial records, with 271,000 spectators descending on Rome during the week. “They built from scratch a well-rounded entertainment spectacular that has set a new benchmark for what golf’s greatest team contest can be,” said Kinnings.