Ryder Cup in the Eternal City: will it be a gamechanger for golf in Italy? | Sean Ingle

While the US and Europe fight it out on the course, there will also be a battle for hearts and minds in a country where golf is rarely in the headlines

Amid a truculently chaotic Roman rush hour, the taxi driver is ranking the sports that are more popular than golf in Italy. It is a long journey. Which is just as well, because he has a lengthy list. “Football, tennis, formula uno, Moto GP,” he begins, before the language barrier intervenes and we veer sharply towards mime. Finally, after performing the actions for swimming and – possibly – volleyball, he concludes: “E il golf!”

Welcome to Ryder Cup week in the Eternal City, and a fresh battle for hearts and souls. More than 150,000 fans are expected over the next three days at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, 10 miles east of Rome, for the biannual contest between Europe and the US. It is expected to again be a huge sporting and financial success. Yet one great imponderable remains: will it also be a gamechanger for golf in Italy?