Easy Ryder: Sponsors sign up for golf tournament

ORGANISERS of the 2014 Ryder Cup golf tournament at Gleneagles have signed up BMW, Diageo and Rolex as the first of its top-tier sponsors and expect to announce others shortly.

European Tour officials were at the hotel yesterday ahead of a two-year campaign to market the event, which could generate £100 million for Scotland’s economy.

The contest is expected to attract more than 250,000 golf fans and a worldwide television audience of 600 million. TV rights have been sold to ESPN, NBC and Sky. Tour officials are working closely with VisitScotland and the organisers of the Commonwealth Games being staged in Glasgow just weeks earlier.

Organisers are considering appointing a celebrity ambassador for Gleneagles and are monitoring the impact of film and pop star Justin Timberlake, pictured, who is promoting this year’s Ryder Cup tournament in Chicago.