NEWS & ANALYSIS
{interview}
Costantino ROCCA
Italy’s most successful golfing export shares his views on the industry with Peter Ellegard
How did you start playing golf? I was lucky I was born at the top of a golf course — Bergamo L’Albenza [in the north of Italy]. I could see it from my house. I started as a caddy when I was seven years old. But we were not allowed to play on the course so we could only play in the dark, at night, running with torches. I started working in a factory and came back when I was 20 years old. I became caddy master and it gave me the chance to start playing.
What was the launchpad for your career? My professional career started in 1981. It was very diffi cult because I didn’t speak any other language. The most important thing was watching everyone and learning. My fortunes changed in 1989 when I got my card for the European Tour from the Challenge Tour. The next year, I won three tournaments and got fi ve second places and it gave me the confi dence to go on to bigger things.
What has been the highlight of your career? The most important thing for me was playing in the Ryder Cup. It’s like playing for your national team at Wembley. I have played in three Ryder Cups and even beat one of the best players [Tiger Woods in a singles match in 1997].
How important is it for Italy to be hosting the Ryder Cup in 2022? It is the most important time for golf and indeed sport in our country. In Italy we have 80,000 players out of a population 60 million. We need to give everyone the chance to play, not just the children of the rich. Having nine- hole courses for kids is very important. I may have lost the Open at St Andrews but to lose the opportunity to improve golf in Italy would be the worst thing that could happen to me. In Italy we are known for our rich history and culture among other things but we have to make sure we invest in our golf education and promote golf tourism where we can. Emilia Romagna was one of the fi rst regions to invest in golf; Veneto has been promoting golf for 20 years. This is signifi cant but we need to do much more for golf in Italy. We have this chance now with the Ryder Cup and we have to take this opportunity because it may never come back.
What do you think about golf being back in the Olympics and what are your thoughts on some of the top golfers who pulled out of Rio? Golf is a very important sport for the Olympics and the Olympics are very important for golf. It was a shame some of the golfers decided not to go because the
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