LONDON-Reuters.

Spain is hosting more European Tour events this year than any other country and wants to protect that powerhouse status by winning the bid to stage the 2018 Ryder Cup, a leading official told Reuters.

Seven events are due to be held in Spain in 2010 and national golf federation (RFEG) president Gonzaga Escauriaza said in an interview his organization owed it to all their tournament promoters to land the Ryder Cup vote.

Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and France are the other nations in the running, with the winning bid to be decided in April 2011.

“The European Tour really associates professional golf with Spain and I think one of our special assets in terms of the bid is having seven events,” said Escauriaza on a visit to London.

“One reason we want the Ryder Cup is that we need to give the tournament promoters something, a weapon to go out and try to secure these tour events into the future.”

Escauriaza said the RFEG had carried out research among British golf fans and it showed Spain was the preferred 2018 host, with 37 percent in favor ahead of Portugal (23) and Sweden (18).

“It is very pleasing to see the support and affection that UK golf fans have towards Spain and the Madrid bid,” said the RFEG president.

“These results show how Spain is perfectly placed to host the 2018 event and how our culture, climate and infrastructure are all key attractions for golf tourists.”

The tour has suffered as a result of the global economic downturn, with several sponsors and tournaments falling by the wayside.

Spain, however, can boast the World Match Play Championship, Spanish Open, Madrid Masters, Andalucia Open, Mallorca Open Castello Masters and Andalucia Masters on a proud portfolio of front-line events.

“The financial climate is difficult now... we (the RFEG) need help, we cannot finance all the Spanish tournaments so we thought we really needed the Ryder Cup to make it easier to sell our events in the market place,” added Escauriaza.

“With the Ryder Cup the interest among the media and the fans is huge. I think we owe the promoters that and the Ryder Cup would be special for them.” If their bid is successful the RFEG will host the biennial contest between Europe and the United States in Madrid.

“We also want the tourist aspect of this for Madrid and we want to have a legacy which will help to keep alive the other tournaments,” said Escauriaza.

“The Ryder Cup will help us reach out to the general media as well as to the golfing media so we can spread the word among the non-golfers, this is our aim. “We need to go out and introduce the game to them.”

Only once has a home match been staged outside Britain and Ireland since the Ryder Cup started in 1927, when the Spanish course of Valderrama hosted the 1997 edition.

Thanks to the Sports Media Department at Oklahoma State University

When it comes to women's golf, Sweden has been very good to Oklahoma State and the Cowgirl golf program.

Swedes Maria Boden, Pernilla Lindberg, Karin Sjodin, Linda Wessberg and Emma Zackrisson all polished their games stateside in Stillwater before moving on to the professional ranks.

The 2009-10 edition of Cowgirl golf is anchored by the next in the long line of talent from the European nation in sophomore Caroline Hedwall.

Despite coming to OSU with an impressive list of credentials that included a spot in the 2008 Women's British Open as well as extensive experience as a member of the Swedish National Team, immediate success for Hedwall was not a certainty.

The transition to college can be difficult for any freshman, much less someone dealing with cultural barriers. For Hedwall, she had an additional obstacle to overcome. She and her twin sister, Jacqueline, made the decision to attend different schools, separating the sisters for the first time. While Caroline made the decision to don the orange and black, Jacqueline opted to enroll at LSU.

"We went to school all the way through high school together. That first semester was different because I didn't meet her the whole fall," Hedwall said.

Even though the decision to go different directions was a difficult one, Hedwall says the move was for the betterment of both sisters on and off the golf course.

"We both said from the beginning that when we go to college we want to split up. That was just a good time to do that," Hedwall said. "We realized that there are always people comparing you. It is almost like you are the same person. It is good to get away from that person. I miss her a lot of course, but it has been good because we have both developed as people."

While leaving her sister proved to be difficult, Hedwall was not without a touch of home. Last year's squad included two Swedes in seniors Karin Kinnerud and Lindberg. Sjodin also resides in Stillwater and spends significant time at Karsten Creek around the team as well.

"It is a long Swedish tradition. I knew it was a good place to come. It was just clear that I wanted to come here. The facilities and everything are so good here," Hedwall said.

From Nick Kosmider of the Arizona State University statepress.com, we find that Stockholm homeboy, Jesper Kennegard, had another top-10 finish and paced the No. 9 ASU men’s golf team to a third place finish at the USC Invitational, which concluded Tuesday afternoon at the North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, Calif.

The ASU Sun Devils finished at 3-under, two shots behind second-place California, but well behind the event champion, Oregon, which won going away at 21-under par. It was the first top-5 finish of the season for ASU.

Kennegard, a junior, who has been ASU’s top finisher in each of the Sun Devils’ three spring tournaments, opened the event with back-to-back rounds of 3-under 68 before experiencing some struggles on his way to a final-round 3-over 74.

As was the goal for ASU heading into the tournament, coach Randy Lein’s squad jumped out to a blistering start, shooting the field’s second-lowest round on day one. But the Sun Devils missed a chance to move up, posting their lowest round on the final 18 holes.

Not that there would have been any catching Oregon, which placed three golfers in the top five, including medalist Eugene Wong at 10-under.

Still, Kennegard finished in a tie for eighth for his second straight top-10 finish. The Sweden native, who earned All-American honorable mention honors as a freshman, is on pace to top that distinction this season.

His coach at ASU, Randy Lien says this about Jesper. ""I watched Jesper for three straight years before he arrived at ASU. He joined a long list of very successful Swedish players who have attended ASU. Chris Hanell was the Golfstat Player of the Year in 1997 and Niklas Lemke was Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2006-2007. I strongly believe that Jesper will have equal success, win tournaments, and receive similar accolades as Chris and Niklas. Jesper is one of the best I have recruited."

ASU will have 10 days off before competing in its next tournament, the Southern Highlands Invitational in Las Vegas, Calif.

Photo by Matt Pavelek