Tiger Woods suffered his first Ryder Cup singles defeat the last time Spain hosted the event.
The tournament will return to the country for only the second time in 2031.
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Woods was handed his first Ryder Cup singles defeat at Valderrama in 1997Credit: Getty
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Italian ace Costantino Rocca stunned the then-Masters champion the last time Spain hostedCredit: Getty
It comes after the Camiral Resort in Girona was confirmed as the host of the 48th edition of the Ryder Cup.
Woods was a member of Team USA the only previous time the tournament was held in Spain.
On that occasion, Valderrama played host for the 1997 Ryder Cup.
However, Woods suffered a Sunday to forget on his debut appearance despite being the world number two at the time.
Fresh from winning his first major at the Masters earlier in the year, he ended the event with a 1-3-1 record.
Of those defeats, one came against Costantino Rocca in the singles.
The five-time European Tour event winner had been making his third Ryder Cup appearance.
Despite having a career high world ranking of 18th, Rocca had pedigree at the Ryder Cup.
He famously produced only the third hole-in-one in its history two years earlier in 1995.
Rocca produced more heroics in front of Team Europe captain Seve Ballasteros as he wrapped up a 4&2 win over Woods.
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Rocca is best known for forcing a dramatic play-off at The Open in 1995Credit: Getty – Contributor
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The five-time European Tour event winner achieved a career-high ranking of 18thCredit: Getty
His victory was sealed on the 16th green after the American conceded the hole and the match.
The result left Europe on the brink of a second consecutive Ryder Cup, which they would ultimately secure 14 ½-13 ½.
Reacting to Rocca’s stunning triumph, the commentator exclaimed: “What a day for Costantino Rocca.
“He will never forget the day he tamed the Tiger.”
As the Italian was approached for an interview, he added: “The interviews start although it will be sometime before he can probably talk.”
Prior to beating Woods, Rocca was best known for his agonising play-off loss at The Open in 1995.
Upcoming Ryder Cup host venues
2025 – Bethpage Black, USA
2027 – Adare Manor, Ireland
2029 – Hazeltine, USA
2031 – Camiral Resort, Spain
2033 – Olympic Club, USA
2035 – TBA, Europe
2037 – Congressional, USA
He had forced an extra four holes by sinking a remarkable 64-foot putt on the 72nd hole of the week at St. Andrew’s to draw level with John Daly.
However, Rocca missed out by four strokes in the play-off after a triple bogey on the 17th.
That would be the closest he would come to winning a major championship in his career.
Now aged 68, Rocca is a regular on the European Seniors Tour.
Meanwhile, Woods has gone on to appear at eight separate Ryder Cups, with the USA winning on just one of those occasions.
As injuries continue to keep Woods off the course, he is out of contention for this year’s event after turning down the chance to serve as captain.
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Instead, Keegan Bradley will lead Team USA at Bethpage Black in September.
He will be aiming to regain the Ryder Cup following Europe’s triumph at Marco Simone in 2023.