Paul-Ian Armitage - Photo: DR

Paul-Ian Armitage, hello. The Paris Legends Championship is held this year from October 28 to 30, a year before the next Ryder Cup, which will take place from September 28 to 30, 2018 at the Golf National. Symbolic. And also an ideal rehearsal for you?

This indeed gives us a good visibility on the style of course that we can produce for the Ryder Cup. For Alejandro Reyes (the greenkeeper and superintendent of the Albatross at the Golf National), for his teams, for the volunteers, this is good training. Weather side, no real lessons, it remains uncertain. In 2016, during the first Paris Legends Championship, we had hot and dry weather. This year, we had a good dose of rain. But still in the average for a month of September, never really the hecatomb. So we'll see. This tells us more about the general mood of this time of year. For example the hours of sunrise and sunset, exactly one year before.

In terms of course preparation, are you "nicer" to the seniors of the Paris Legends Championship than you could be to the players of the Ryder Cup?

It's hard to say, you can't really compare. For the 2018 Ryder Cup, we do not yet have the instructions and specifications. It is only a month before the start of the event that the folks at Ryder Cup Europe will tell us what they want. The type of mowing on the fairways, cross, roll… The speed of the greens, etc… There, for the Paris Legends, we will have a speed of the greens quite similar to that of the French Open, between 5 and 12 feet at the stimpmeter . For the rest, in terms of preparation, this week we are in a completely different configuration. About 40 people work on the course. For the French Open, it's 60. And for the Ryder, it will be 120.

What does the organization of a European Senior Tour bring to the Golf National, in addition to the Ryder Cup next year, the French Open each year and also the hosting of future Olympic golf events? at the Paris Games in 2024?

Before the announcement of Paris 2024, we were already unique in the world. Now, we will be unique in the world for very, very long years! You can search as much as you want on Google or other, there is not, at the moment, a golf course in the world which is found in the situation of the National Golf. Host site for the next Ryder Cup, future site for the Olympic Games in seven years, organizer of the French Open which is one of the eight major European super endowed tournaments (Rolex Series) and host site for a stage of the Senior European Tour. Yes, it is unique in the world!

How do you, Paul-Ian, personally experience this exceptional configuration?

I live it with great excitement. On the other hand, I keep both feet on the ground. Neither of the two very big events we are talking about has been done. So we haven't succeeded yet. There is no cocorico to be had. I think we will only be able to show confidence in September 2018. When we can say: the Ryder Cup went well, it was a success. But until then, I will remain very vigilant, very focused and very humble in the face of the task that awaits us.

This week, the Golf National is hosting the Paris Legends Championship, sponsored by Alexis Sikorsky and his agency, Pitch & Play. In what conditions ?

Relations with Alexis (Sikorsky) are excellent. In 2016, it was our first try. With just three months to prepare for the first Paris Legends Championship. In 2017, things are going even better. The fact that Alexis and his Pitch & Play team have taken over the tournament is great news. We are very grateful to be able to organize this Paris Legends Championship. France, in view of the Ryder Cup 2018, had the obligation to organize a Senior Tour tournament. And there, it is done in really very good conditions. This recognition, we try to show it by being really partners of Pitch & Play, stakeholder as much as possible.

How does this good collaboration between Pitch & Play and Golf National translate this week?

The Golf National is very very flexible on what we can provide. Everything that can be done is done. And when we have to say no rather than yes, then we really cannot do otherwise. Of course, we keep the Eagle course for our customers because we cannot close everything. But otherwise, the course of the Albatross, our infrastructures, our teams, our carts, our changing rooms, our practices, everything is for the organizer of this stage of the Senior Tour. This week, the Pitch & Play agency is at home at the Golf National! In other words, we are all at Pitch & Play!

Finally, are there any players in this prestigious senior field that you are happy to meet and welcome this week at Golf National?

It is for example a privilege to welcome a great champion like Paul Broadhurst. Which has been revealed a little more since he moved to the seniors (winner of the Senior Open Championship in 2016). And this, on both sides of the Atlantic since he also plays on the PGA Tour Champions. We also have with us this week Mark James, who was Captain of the European Ryder Cup team (in 1999 at Brookline). Friday night, the night before the last lap on Saturday, I'm going to try to chat with him for two or three minutes to ask him his feelings. We are used to having so many positive comments about the Albatross that it's good to share as much as you can with different people. And maybe, to get even better.

Interview by Nathalie Vion, for Pitch and Play

To know more : https://www.parislegendschampionship.com/

To go further, see our other articles on the subject:

• Paris Legends Championship: one year before the Ryder Cup, all at the Golf National!
• 2nd edition of the Paris Legends Championship: 4 confirmed legends
• Paris Legends Championship: one year before the Ryder Cup, all at the Golf National!