Shane Ross’s Ryder Cup double bogey
European Tour chiefs had to ask accidental Tourism Minister twice to go to golf’s biggest tournament
MOST politicians would leap at the opportunity to attend the biggest event in the golf calendar. But Shane Ross had to be contacted twice by European Tour chiefs before he consented to attend the Ryder Cup in September.
Questions from Labour TD Alan Kelly reveal that the minister declined an initial invitation to the Cup.
An astonished Mr Kelly noted: ‘It should have been apparent, even to an accidental Sports and Tourism Minister, that meeting the head of the European Tour was a key networking opportunity.’
‘Discuss hosting of Ryder Cup in Ireland’
Mr Ross is not believed to be a keen golfer, but the Ryder Cup took place in Ireland in 2006 at a benefit to the Irish economy of around €240m, according to some reports.
Mr Kelly last night said the minister ‘should have been aware of the importance of meeting European Tour decision makers within the context of Ireland’s desire to host future Ryder Cups’.
Mr Ross’s department was contacted by the European Tour in late August and early September, ahead of the tournament which took place at Paris’s Le Golf National between September 28 and September 30.
Rory McIlroy was the sole Irish player at the Ryder Cup, although major winners Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowall were vicecaptains.
After this initial inquiry, which was directed at Mr Ross and his junior minister Brendan Griffin, Mr Ross told tour chiefs that his department would consider sending senior officials instead.
However, a second approach to Mr Ross was made. This time, the message noted that tour officials wanted to ‘discuss the hosting of a future Ryder Cup in Ireland’.
‘Given the potential value of hosting a future Ryder Cup in Ireland, I reconsidered the European Tour’s request for a meeting,’ Mr Ross explained this weekend.
On September 26 the Minister decided ‘I would travel out to Paris to meet with the European Tour and I cancelled my prior commitments for the day of the meeting, Sunday, 30 September’.
A delegation of Mr Ross, the secretary general of his department, the assistant secretary with responsibility for Tourism and Sport, and his special adviser, travelled to Paris and arrived in Paris on the evening of September 29.
‘Flights for me and my special adviser were booked on 26 September and flight bookings for the secretary general and assistant secretary were made on 21 September. The total cost of flights was €1,989.70,’ Mr Ross said.
‘No costs were incurred for accommodation as this was provided by the European Tour. The agenda was less than stressful with discussions beginning at a meeting in a pavilion at 11.30am at Le Golf National.’
Mr Ross said that talks continued when the group was taken on a tour of the facilities at the event. The minister and officials had a second meeting at lunchtime on Sunday, September 30.
The European Tour provided a high-profile delegation consisting of David Williams, chairman of the European Tour, Tour CEO Keith Pelley, Ryder Cup director Richard Hills, and Irish golfer Paul McGinley. Ireland’s interests were represented by Mr Ross.
Europe went on to win the biannual Ryder Cup against the US.
Responding to the minister’s reluctance, Labour’s Alan Kelly said: ‘I am baffled that our accidental minister for sport needed two bites of the cherry to realise the importance of this meeting.’
He added: ‘Given the “born-witha-silver-foot-in-his-mouth” approach by Mr Ross to sporting events it might be better he not attend such engagements, but we don’t have a choice: the presence of a minister at such events is key.’
‘The agenda was less than stressful’