Ryder Cup Europe revealed that Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey have all indicated an interest in hosting the event and met the August 31 deadline for submitting an initial bid.

All seven interested nations will now be given an official information pack before a series of meetings and inspection visits by Ryder Cup Europe officials are undertaken before the end of the year.

Official bids will then need to be formally lodged by February 16 next year.

Following that, a period of detailed analysis of each bid by a management team working on behalf of Ryder Cup Europe - together with the assistance of an independent panel of experts - will be undertaken.

Ryder Cup Europe have outlined the key criteria for a successful bid, including strong political and Government support, a commitment to the development of a world class golf facility, proximity to a major international airport and viable commercial opportunities for the Ryder Cup brand.

There are also criteria related to the overall development of the game in the host country in terms of legacy, contribution to the professional game and increasing the levels of golf participation.

The announcement of the successful host country and venue for the 2022 Ryder Cup is expected in autumn 2015.

US captain Tom Watson (left) and Europe captain Paul McGinley will lead their sides in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles later this month ©Getty Images



"We are absolutely delighted at the level of interest we have received from across Europe in respect of hosting the 2022 Ryder Cup and we welcome each and every one of the seven letters of intent, each received through the respective national golf association, in accordance with bidding regulations," said Ryder Cup director Richard Hills.

"The implementation of this kind of formal bidding process for the 2018 Ryder Cup marked a new era for us all at Ryder Cup Europe, and this take up for 2022 shows that the introduction of a fair, transparent and objective methodology has been welcomed across the continent.

"Not only that, we feel it is a process which befits a sporting event of the stature of the Ryder Cup and, as we have consistently stated, the key criteria in place will enable us to evaluate each bid equally on both its sporting and commercial merits while, at the same time, allowing us to judge each bid fairly, thoroughly and on a level playing field."

Spain is the only one of the seven bidders for 2022 that has staged the Ryder Cup before when the late Seve Ballesteros captained Europe to victory at Valderrama in 1997
©Getty Images



Of the seven countries bidding for the 2022 tournament, Spain is the only one to have hosted the Ryder Cup before when it staged the 1997 edition at Valderrama which saw the late Seve Ballesteros captain Europe to victory over the United States on home soil.

The 1979 Ryder Cup in West Virginia was the first time that a European team competed in the competition - up until then it was Great Britain and Ireland.

Since then the tournament has only been held outside the British mainland on two occasions, in Valderrama in 1997 and at the K Club, County Kildare in Ireland, in 2006.

This year's tournament is taking place at Gleneagles Golf Club in Scotland later this month, while the next time Europe hosts the Ryder Cup in 2018 it is scheduled to be held at the Le Golf National in Paris.

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