The Ryder Cup 2031 still does not have an official venue. Camiral Golf in Caldes de Malavella, Girona, remains the favourite. Having overcome the first hurdle of not being able to build a third course at the resort due to the refusal of the Generalitat de Catalunya, its second project presented with a new 18-hole layout built on the existing 36 has been to the liking of the Ryder Cup Europe officials, the entity in charge of awarding the venue and which belongs to the DP World Tour.
Being the favourite does not mean that there are no alternatives. There are two other Spanish cities, as we have been reporting on TenGolf for weeks, that have already raised their hand asking for the 2031 Ryder in case Camiral is not the chosen one. One is Madrid and the other is Bilbao. Today Jon Rahm has spoken out for the first time on the matter. It was in Jumeirah, where this week the grand final of the European Circuit is being held in Dubai.
Jon has no doubts about his preference. He would be delighted if it were played in any city in Spain, but logically he votes for Bilbao. “Honestly, there is little I can do to bring the Ryder Cup to Bilbao, but I would do everything in my power, whatever I could. It would be something incredible. What I don’t know is what the weather would be like in September…”, he joked to the Spanish media in Dubai. This is the first time Rahm has spoken out on the matter. In fact, he even expressed his surprise that he had not been asked before.
It should be remembered that the Bilbao project for the Ryder Cup 2031 is elaborated with Meaztegi Golf as the venue, a course designed by Seve Ballesteros that belongs to the Provincial Council of Vizcaya and which would undergo a major renovation to adapt to the demands of an event of this nature. The Provincial Council of Vizcaya is the institution that is backing the project.
In addition to the three Spanish bids, no one rules out that another proposal from outside Spain may emerge at the last minute that ends up winning the bid. There is a lot of interest, especially after learning about the positive economic and social impact that the last Ryder Cup in Rome has had. It is estimated that it has generated more than one billion euros for the city and its surroundings.
There is no official date to know when the venue for the Ryder Cup 2031 will be made official. Some were betting that it would be something immediate, although it is also not ruled out that the decision may be postponed until next year. The next Ryder Cup in Europe will be in 2027 and will take place on the Irish course of Adare Manor. Another Irishman, Dennis O’Brien, is the one behind the Ryder Cup project at Camiral Golf and Wellness.
