Ryder Cup venue in Rome goes up in flames: Smoke billows from course where Europe’s golf stars triumphed over US

Firefighters are battling a huge blaze at the luxury golf venue where Europe sensationally won the Ryder Cup last week after beating the United States.

Dozens of firefighters and police were called to the temporary catering building of Rome’s Marco Simone Golf Club at 5:07 p.m. to tackle the massive inferno that sent flames and smoke shooting into the sky.

The fire occurred in a three-story grandstand to the right of the first fairway used to house hundreds of spectators for last week’s tournament.

An eyewitness told local media: ‘The smoke and flames are amazing. It’s huge and you can feel the heat from a distance.’

No one was injured in the fire, which was in the grandstand and did not spread to the golf course itself. The Ryder Cup said it is investigating what caused the fire.

Dozens of firefighters were on the scene to tackle the massive inferno that sent flames and smoke shooting into the sky

Images showed on Thursday afternoon how one of the catering establishments on the Marco Simone golf course went up in flames

Thousands of fans watched last week from one of the catering establishments on the course

A spokesman for the Italian Golf Federation said: ‘The fire is in the stand set up for the Ryder Cup and it is being dismantled, but that is all we know.’

The fire broke out at the first hole and footage posted online determined golfers could still be seen playing the 18th despite the massive blaze.

The stand, built for last week’s tournament, housed spectators and housed bars and restaurants for the three-day event.

Officials said it was made of metal and wood and had a plastic covering, which caused the fire to spread quickly and smoke because it is highly flammable.

The Ryder Cup Europe said the fire brigade was called at 5.07pm today and the fire was being investigated

Fans surround the 18th green as Team Europe’s Shane Lowry at Marco Simone Golf Club on October 1

The grandstand, which took several months to build, was dismantled so that the course could return to normal in December.

There were unconfirmed reports in the Italian media that the fire was started by fuel or gas bottles left behind by caterers.

The Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome was set on fire on Thursday, just days after hosting the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Images appearing on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed the track’s catering structure shrouded in fire and smoke.

It is not yet known what started the fire and whether there were any injuries. Reports from Italy claim that ‘firefighters arrive on scene to contain the flames’.

The incident comes just four days after Team Europe lifted the 2023 Ryder Cup title on the same course.

The Marco Simone club is located 16 km from the center of Rome and has 2 golf courses, an 18-hole Championship Course and a 9-hole Resort Course.

The incident comes just four days after Team Europe claimed the 2023 Ryder Cup title in Rome

Team Europe captain Luke Donald poses with the trophy and wife Diane Antonopoulos as his team kisses their partners during celebrations after winning the Ryder Cup

Team Europe’s Rory McIlroy celebrates with his wife Erica after Europe regained the Ryder Cup

Captain Luke Donald of Team Europe holds the Ryder Cup Trophy with players

Ireland’s Shane Lowry and the European team roar with joy as he lifts the Ryder Cup alongside (L-R) Matthew Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Ludwig Aberg, Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland during the official presentation

The European WAGs took a strange photo alone with Norwegian star Viktor Hovland, the only single man in the team

Luke Donald’s European side secured a resounding 16.5-11.5 victory over Zach Johnson’s American team, overturning the upset of their 2021 Whistling Straits loss.

Donald’s side strolled to victory over the USA after taking an early lead in a thrilling start to the action, before Rory McIlroy produced a stunning surge to help them secure victory.

McIlroy top scored in Rome with four points as Donald’s team reclaimed the trophy, later admitting that Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and himself felt encouraged to go the extra mile. Together they contributed 10.5 of the European total of 16.5 points.

He said: ‘They’ve had an incredible Ryder Cup career and they’ve made their choices. No one can take away the impact they have had for Europe over the years.

“But this week, without those big personalities in the team room, other guys got the chance to flourish and shine: Viktor, Jon, myself. There wasn’t much space taken up in that room by some of the other big personalities. We are a young team.

‘We can all grow together. Next time I could possibly be the oldest person on the team. It’s a new era. And it’s a pretty good one.’