A special report by Suzanne Kemper

A little over year ago the golf world was taken aback – particularly Spain and Germany, when the calls came announcing the 2022 winner – Rome’s Marco Simone Golf and Country Club owned by the fashion legend Laura Biagiotti and managed by her dynamic, attractive daughter, Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna.

Amazing, shocking…but clearly the Italians lead by Lavinia Cigna’s fashion, sport “dream“ team from Marco Simone (plus Italian Golf Federation’s and CONI’s technical support members) not only demonstrated why the Eternal City was “the” choice but added allure, style, conviction to staging a memorable Ryder Cup. 2022’s Cup will exude unique Italian flair and classic Italian culture and tradition to maintain the values of the world’s third most popular sporting event.

Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna proudly points to the logo promoting Italy at the host of the 2022 Ryder Cup. (Photo – Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Biagiotti Fashion Group.”

A first ever too, a woman presenting and winning the site bid for The Matches.

Crowded into the Italian Golf Federation’s offices awaiting the selection, the room was packed with supporters and all in a state of  suspense. When the call came, Lavinia was on the opposite side and was forced to crawl under the President Franco Chimenti’s desk to get to the phone and be able to accept the nomination!

She spearheaded a phenomenal bid with the team including whisking officials around Rome’s many attractions of seduction; proving from center Rome officials could quickly arrive at Marco Simone in 15 minutes; fostered programs – cooking, art, visits – to make golf fun plus speedy for “Green Widows” – wives, partners left behind; launched 12 hole competitions in spite of members refusals; and massively committed to grow they game throughout her beloved Italy with the Federation and Olympic Committee’s support, approval.

Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna with her mother, Laura. (Photo – Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Biagiotti Fashion Group.”

Cheers, singing…joy, surprise, and glee were overwhelming. “It was such a long road, so much to learn, do, drive, commit, and hosting visits since we started presenting our bid in April 2015. We did our best, we couldn’t have done more,” she maintained before the decision. “It was tough, all men, so much tradition, closed circles of power and old attitudes, but my father’s motto from Ronald Reagan kept me going ‘It can be done’.” And she did it…winning the Ryder Cup as a tribute to her father’s “Green Dream” when they built Marco Simone and thrilling her Mother plus all Italian golfers.

“Marco Simone – a" Green Dream" – located only ten miles from Rome’s centre where keen golfers, amateurs and beginners can play golf 52 weeks of the year in mild weather. It’s Jim Fazio 18-hole championship course – to be remodelled ahead of 2022’s Matches – and a 9-hole layout plus extensive practice facilities, provide special features – the view of St Peter’s Dome and the Tower of the Marco Simone Castle that dates back to the 11th Century,” enthuses Cigna. “We also are only 15 minutes from three UNESCO Heritage sites” plus all of Rome’s other treasures from the Coliseum to the Vatican, via Condotti’s elegant retail therapy, and Rome’s bountiful famed eateries.

Keith Pelly welcomes Italy as host of the 2022 Ryder Cup. (Photo – European Tour)

Italy’s Constantino Rocca was the initial Italian Ryder Cup player in 1993; he also played in 1995 and 97 Matches, where in ’97 he beat Tiger Woods in Sunday’s finals at Valderrama. The Molinari brothers carried the Italian flag in 2010’s European win at Celtic Manor, as did Francesco Molinari’s 1/2 point over Tiger Woods putting Europe’s seal on 2012 “Miracle of Medinah”.

Since winning the bid, Lavinia is now focused 80 percent on golf, and 20 on fashion and the other Biagiotti Group activities. “At first, I was so scared, I couldn’t sleep, what are the next steps, how, when…it was important to feel this fear, drive and now all is going forward,” stresses Lavinia. Even though she grew up in a castle with a warm, loving family and grandmother, Delia, the founder of the Fashion House, she studied, traveled, learned and worked hard wanting to be a doctor.

She abandoned that idea with her father’s death when she was only 17. She would golf with him daily after his chemotherapy discussing her lessons, the nature, sharing this special father-daughter time.

Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna had been forced to crawl under a table within the Marco Simone GC to take the phone call that confirmed the Rome club had been chosen to host the 2022 Ryder Cup. (Photo – Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Biagiotti Fashion Group.)

Joining her Mother, Lavinia Biagiotti worked in the Biagiotti Group Business also collaborating with the launch of various fragrances to support “Roma” their flagship. Moving into the fashion side, she brought sport into fashion and then onto the runways, then was chosen to carry the 2006 Torino Olympic torch. In 2004, she was the youngest Board Member Italian National Chamber of Fashion, and has received numerous national and international awards plus authored “Pronto and Indossato”.

She learned the “Power of Sharing” from her Mother and her work with all the tailors lunching together, sharing. Her creative side is full of flair, creativity adding allure to Marco Simone’s fairways with trees, nature, vegetation flowing fluidly “like models on a catwalk”. Smiling, exuberant, Lavinia loves cooking, art, all things Roman, travelling, and is grateful for being “born lucky”. Her magic and vision will definitely bring a spectacular style and impact to 2022’s Ryder Cup at Marco Simone.

And the stunning view of St. Peter’s Basilica from the 17th tee at the Marco Simone course. (Photo – Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Biagiotti Fashion Group)