Swimsuit model and singer to lead Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony

The Ryder Cup’s Opening Ceremony will be hosted by Italian TV presenter Melissa Satta and include a special live performance from singer-songwriter Tom Grennan.

The pre-competition ceremony this week will begin at 3pm BST on Thursday September 28, just hours before the Friday morning foursomes kicks off the biennial battle between Team Europe and Team USA.

Satta, who has both Italian and American citizenship, has been lined up to front the curtain-raiser on the Fan Village Stage at Marco Simone.

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The 37-year-old, who is a presenter on Sky Sport Italy and a swimwear model, takes the reins from legendary former footballer David Ginola, who hosted the ceremony at Le Paris National in 2018.

During the hour-long show, captains Luke Donald and Zach Johnson will formally introduce their 12-man teams, with each player being brought on to the stage.

The ceremony will end with the traditional unveiling of the pairings for the opening session, with the foursomes scheduled to begin at 6:35am BST the next day.

We’re excited to welcome @Tom_Grennan as the live music act for the 2023 Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony! pic.twitter.com/Jd1XJF37Qg

— Ryder Cup (@rydercup) August 17, 2023

Before that, rising artist and keen golfer Grennan will take to the stage and hype up the crowd.

“I am so excited to be performing at the Opening Ceremony of the Ryder Cup,” Grennan said. “It is such an amazing event so I cannot wait to be part of that atmosphere.”

Meanwhile, renowned Opera singer Carly Paoli will also perform the Italian National Anthem as part of the ceremony, which will be broadcast around the world ahead of the showpiece.

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Guy Kinnings, the Ryder Cup’s Executive Director, said: “Tom is one of the brightest young stars in music right now, so we’re thrilled that he’s performing at the Opening Ceremony for our global audience.

“Fans will be able to enjoy world class entertainment, including Carly Paoli performing the Italian National Anthem, as well as the announcement of the first morning’s pairings, which always a much-anticipated moment in the Ryder Cup, signalling the end of the build- up and the start of the contest between Europe and the United States.

“I know Tom is a huge golf fan, so we look forward to introducing him to the truly unique atmosphere of a Ryder Cup.”

This year’s Ryder Cup will take place from September 29 – October 1 at the Marco Simone Golf Club near Rome.