Gareth Bale & Novak Djokovic to face ex Chelsea forward & F1 star at Ryder Cup
Gareth Bale and Novak Djokovic to headline All-Star Match before the Ryder Cup gets underway at Marco Simone in Rome.
Golf-mad football legend Gareth Bale will face former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko, with tennis ace Novak Djokovic up against F1 star Carlos Sainz at the All-Star Match that takes place during the week of the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone in Rome.
The All-Star Match takes place on Sept. 27.
Confirmed players taking part include 23-time Grand Slam champion tennis player Djokovic, footballing greats Shevchenko and Bale, Hollywood star Kathryn Newton, Formula One driver Sainz, sportscaster and former Super Bowl winner Victor Cruz, Italian professional surfer Leonardo Fioravanti, and Garrett Hilbert from Dude Perfect, one of the world’s biggest sports and comedy content creators with 12m Instagram and 18m TikTok followers.
In a departure from previous matches, the All-Star match will not be a fight between Europe and the USA, but a blend of nationalities will play for teams named after, and captained by, two iconic figures in Ryder Cup history – Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin.
Both Montgomerie and Pavin, former Ryder Cup captains who went head-to-head at the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, will be playing in the matches.
The celebrities will also be joined in their teams by two leading golfers with a disability – Kipp Popert from England and Tomasso Perrino from Italy – both recently crowned winners on the G4D (golfers with a disability) Tour.
2023 All-Star Match Teams and Matches:
MATCH | TEAM MONTY | TEAM PAVIN |
3 | COLIN MONTGOMERIE GARETH BALE | COREY PAVIN ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO |
2 | GARRETT HILBERT LEONARDO FIORAVANTI | KATYRYN NEWTON VICTOR CRUZ |
1 | NOVAK DJOKOVIC KIPP POPERT | CARLOS SAINZ TOMMASO PERRINO |
The All-Star Match will be played at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club – the same course that Europe and the USA will go head-to-head on as they compete for the Ryder Cup, golf’s greatest team event, from 29th September to 1st October.
The All-Star Match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and The Golf Channel in the United States.
It will also be live streamed on the Official Ryder Cup YouTube and X channels, as well as Ryder Cup Europe and Ryder Cup USA Facebook channels.
Four of the players have strong links to Italy. For Team Corey, Ukraine’s Shevchenko played 208 games and is the all-time leading scorer for AC Milan, Spain’s Sainz currently drives for the iconic Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team, and Italian Perrino is the leading golfer with a disability in Italy. For Team Monty, professional surfer Fioravanti represented Italy at the 2020 summer Olympics.
Speaking about the upcoming match, Montgomerie, said: “I can’t wait to tee it up in Rome and experience some of that Ryder Cup magic once again, this time joined by a team of celebrities who will bring a range of skills to the team, alongside their passion for golf. We have athletes proven at the highest level in Novak, Gareth, Leonardo and Kipp, and Garrett from Dude Perfect is a strong golfer who’ll be bringing some comedic light relief in the heat of battle.”
Fellow captain Pavin added: “Colin and I have had some memorable Ryder Cup battles in the past, most notably in 2010 as competing Captains, so I’m looking forward to going toe-to-toe with him again. It will be a fun match, but there is always a real desire to win and I’m expecting my team’s fierce competitive instincts to help us to victory. Andriy, Kathryn, Carlos and Victor all have strong golf swings, and fellow professional Tommaso is doing great things on the G4D Tour. I’m confident we can get the win and provide a fantastic show for the crowds at the same time.”
Djokovic said: “I can’t wait to tee it up in Rome and experience the incredible atmosphere of a Ryder Cup, which has become legendary. The course looks like a fantastic test of golf and my playing partner Kipp, a seasoned pro, has won a lot on the G4D Tour recently so I’m confident we can get a point for the team. It’s going to be a great spectacle for the fans.”
Newton said: “I’ve been an avid golfer since I was a kid and the Ryder Cup was always must watch TV. To get the chance to play Marco Simone right before Team Europe and USA tee off is going to be incredible. I’m honoured to play and grateful to be invited. It’ll be nerve wracking, but I’ve got some great teammates alongside me and a great Captain in Corey."
Bale added: “The Ryder Cup is a special event, having experienced the incredible atmosphere at Europe’s win in 2010, I can’t wait to experience some of that magic again in Rome in a few weeks’ time. The All-Star Match, under the Captaincy of Colin Montgomerie, will be an amazing experience and I’m really looking forward to tee-ing it up with some great people. It’s sure to be a top event and one the fans will really enjoy.”
