• Ryder Cup

Spain hit out at Ryder Cup rivals

ESPN staff
May 17, 2011
Seve Ballesteros won the Ryder Cup as a captain at Valderrama © PA Photos
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The head of Spain's failed Ryder Cup bid has criticised rivals for bringing the death of Seve Ballesteros into the spotlight.

Ballesteros, a huge supporter of the Ryder Cup and winner of the competition as a player and captain, was patron of the Madrid bid prior to his death earlier in May following a battle with cancer.

There had been calls for Madrid to be awarded the hosting of the 2018 even to honour Ballesteros. Thomas Levet, who was at Wentworth on Tuesday to see his home nation of France win the bid, claimed at the weekend that it would be wrong for Madrid to win the race in memory of Ballesteros.

Gonzaga Escauriaza, president of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, was full of praise for the French bid but felt it was wrong that Ballesteros' name was brought into the debate.

"I saw some comments from some of the bids that they shouldn't give it to Spain because of Severiano," he said. "I don't think that was fair because there wasn't a single press release from me mixing anything Ryder Cup with Severiano.

"We could have done it because he was a huge supporter of the Ryder Cup but we didn't because we didn't want to put that pressure on the committee.

"We thought it was not fair. But it's not fair either to hear other people talking about it. The only regret I have is that some people from other nations said it shouldn't have been given to Spain.

"The committee had a difficult choice and they didn't deserve to have pressure on them. That was a terrible thing to happen."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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