Stars of The Open de España support Spain's bid for The 2022 Ryder Cup

The stars of The Open de España give their support to Costa Brava-Barcelona 2022

(RELEASE) - On the first day of The 2015 Open de España, Sergio García and Miguel Ángel Jimenéz have spoken about what a Ryder Cup in their home country would mean to them.

Having appeared in The Ryder Cup on four occasions, Miguel Ángel Jimenéz spoke of his ambition to bring The Match to Spain in 2022: “The Ryder Cup represents the spirit of golf and, to me, so does Spain. Ever since the introduction of European players to The Ryder Cup, Spain has contributed greatly. Some of Europe’s greatest players have been Spanish and made their mark on this unique event.”

When asked about the chances of the Spanish bid, Miguel Ángel adopted his typically confident style: “Why would we not win? Our bid is serious, we have the experience and we will deliver [The 2022 Ryder Cup Match] with great zeal. We have a large field of supporters – the public institutions, players, fans, everyone. Of course we can win!”

Speaking about the impact a Spanish Ryder Cup would bring, five time winner Sergio García said: “The Ryder Cup means everything to me. It’s the most exciting tournament we have in golf and one of the most exhilarating sporting events on the planet. I hold it very close to my heart.

“It would be truly amazing to have a Ryder Cup in Spain,” he continued. “It’s very important for our new generation. It helped increase participation considerably in 1997 and it would be a great boost for Spanish golf.”

Sergio García and Miguel Ángel Jimenéz will compete for one of European golf’s oldest prizes against an array of Tour stars including José Maria Olazábal, Francesco Molinari, Thomas Bjørn, Pablo Larrazabal, Thomas Aiken, David Howell and Ross Fisher.

The Open de España will showcase Catalunya’s credentials as host for The 2022 Ryder Cup Match. Ryder Cup Europe are currently evaluating four candidates and will announce the successful host in Autumn 2015.

The 2015 Open de España is being played at Barcelona’s RCG El Prat course from May 14-17.

Watch the interview with Sergio García here

Find out more about the Costa Brava-Barcelona 2022 bid at www.costabravabarcelona2022.com.