London (AFP)
The Ryder Cup, a legendary biennial golf event between teams from the United States and Europe, would be inconceivable without an audience, European captain Padraig Harrington said on Wednesday who rejected the idea of a closed session.
"No one wants to see the Ryder Cup without the supporters present. There is no doubt that they are making the event so much better," the 48-year-old Irishman told the BBC.
"I think the current consensus is that the Ryder Cup will not be contested if the fans aren't there," added the golfer, who was named Ryder Cup captain in January and has won four times in six appearances, in succession from Dane Thomas Bjorn.
"Non-golfers and golfers around the world are watching the Ryder Cup because of the tension created by spectators," said the man who has three major titles on his list.
This year, the Ryder Cup, which is contested alternately in Europe and the United States, is scheduled for September 25-27 in Wisconsin (northern United States).
But, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the calendar of professional golf is shaken: the three tricks of the Grand Slam in the United States - PGA Championship, US Open, Masters--, were rescheduled in the second half, including US Open one week before the Ryder Cup.
The British Open, the fourth grand slam tournament to be held in July, has been canceled.
Despite the big calendar disruption, Harrington declared last week in favor of keeping the Ryder Cup on schedule.
© 2020 AFP