Gleneagles needs a regular tournament befitting the “most coveted, best presented golf property on the planet right now” believes First Minister Alex Salmond.
Although with only a few weeks left in office until his resignation following the independence referendum, the First Minister is working towards helping the Perthshire luxury resort gain a new event bigger than the annual Johnnie Walker Championship, to build on the runaway success of hosting the Ryder Cup.
“The Johnnie Walker has been a fine tournament but this place needs something more than that,” he said. “I will be having discussions with the tour about further events here in the next few weeks because this is the most coveted, the most wonderful, the best presented golf property on the planet right now.
“It has been presented by TV to a worldwide audience in all its magnificence. This is not a place for a normal European tournament any more. This needs an event that befits the status of one of the world’s most famous, and I think the most wonderful, venues.”
That might be a signal that Gleneagles will pitch for one of the World Golf Championship events, but whatever the scale of the tournament the need to build on the Ryder Cup success was paramount.
“Let’s see what happens, I’ll leave it to the media to speculate,” he said. “But whatever the tournament is it needs to be at a high level.
“I think this is a place that needs to have an event of that standing, and hopefully that will emerge over the coming weeks. This weekend has been a pinnacle, but we have to move on.”
The Ryder Cup has vastly exceeded expectations, he believed.
“I think this is now established as the key golfing property on the planet. When I saw the pictures at 7.35 on Friday, the first TV shot up the glen, shrouded in cloud, sun peeking over the hill, I thought “Yes!”
“One thing that Medinah taught us was to not look back to that or Celtic Manor but think forward, for example knowing that everyone would have a smartphone, the size and scale that was required.
“This has been the best and biggest Ryder Cup in history because we thought ahead and looked at the scale of it.”
The First Minister plans to continue to promote golf in his last few weeks in office, with a further £1 million over four years announced to enhance the clubgolf programme which aims to put a golf club in the hands of every nine year old in the country into “familygolf”, where youngsters invite the parents to participate.
But he makes no apology for making golf one of his administration’s key objectives and indicated that this would continue after his considerable personal involvement in promoting the sport – specifically in supporting the Scottish Opens of both men and women – as First Minister had ceased.
“Golf has more power than any other game on the planet in terms of economic impact. We shouldn’t regard it as a kind of luxury that only some people can afford.
“Nobody turns down an invitation to the Ryder Cup, and very few to the Scottish Open. Golf is the easiest way in the world to meet decision makers, we are announcing deals this week that were brokered at the Ryder Cup at Medinah two years ago.
“This has not been an indulgence, not a personal fascination, not about me liking golf and therefore the sport being part of the Scottish Government’s objectives.
“It makes business sense, it’s not frippery, it’s doing what we’re good at, hosting big events on our great and historic golf courses. The investment side that stems from that is very important, and golf will remain central to the government’s objectives.”