Gleneagles will host the first ever European Golf team championships – following on from its success at staging the 2014 Ryder Cup.
It’s been revealed that the Perthshire hotel/golf course will stage the tournament as part of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships.
Gleneagles has been named as the official supporter of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships.
To be staged every four years, the European Championships will combine the existing European Championships of Athletics, Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon. The first edition will be held next year in a unique sporting partnership between host cities Glasgow and Berlin.
The European Golf Team Championships is the only new event being staged as part of Glasgow 2018 and will take place at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course – the same venue that hosted Europe’s memorable victory over the USA in the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Aileen Campbell MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Sport, said: “Gleneagles has staged many prestigious golf tournaments through its history and was the home to what many regard as the best Ryder Cup ever in 2014. In 2018 Gleneagles will be the magnificent setting for European Championships and will see elite men and women golfers compete together for the first time.
“In 2014, the Ryder Cup players spoke about the top class facilities, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd and left with good memories and we know it will be the same for those taking part in the inaugural European Championships in 2018.”
And Bernard Murphy, Gleneagles’ managing director, added: “We’re proud to be associated with what will be a ground-breaking moment in sporting history. The event will build on Gleneagles’ long history of raising the bar in golf and breaking cultural boundaries in sport – including the first match between British and American professionals in 1921.”
Councillor Frank McAveety, leader of Glasgow City Council, commented: “The European Championships will be a new highlight on the global sporting calendar, set to be played out in front of a potential television audience of up to one billion people.
“Gleneagles is a world leader when it comes to golf and we are delighted that they will play such a crucial role in the delivery of the new European Golf Team Championships, which will be a real first for world sport.
“Partnerships such as this with Gleneagles will help us bring one million more people to the city as part of Glasgow’s Tourism and Visitor Plan to 2023.”
As part of the inaugural European Championships in 2018, around 3,000 athletes will visit Scotland for six events – aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon, while a further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin as part of the European Athletics Championships.
