Portugal drops out of 2022 Ryder Cup bidding

Portugal has dropped out of the race to host the 2022 Ryder Cup, leaving just four countries – Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria – in the running for the biennial matchplay event.

Manuel Agrellos, president of the Portuguese Golf Federation, says that Portugal pulled out because ‘the prevailing economic environment would prevent us from developing as strong a bid as we would wish’.

Portugal had previously tabled a bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup, which was won eventually by France, although its plans were plagued with problems, most notably the choice of venue – Herdade do Comporta, an as yet unbuilt golf resort in the Alentejo region, some 80 miles north of Lisbon.

Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria have all hosted inspection visits from a delegation of Ryder Cup officials within the last month, with the successful country and venue due to be announced by the European Tour’s Ryder Cup Committee in the autumn.