Irons are still in fire for Ryder Cup

Heads of the two bodies that make up the decision-making Ryder Cup committee poured cold water on the hot gossip.

Speculation began this weekend with newspaper reports that the Celtic Manor had won its bid to stage one of golf's most prestigious tournaments.

But Ken Schofield, executive director of the PGA European Tour, and Sandy Jones, chief executive of the British PGA, have firmly stated that no decision has yet been made. Both men insisted that all six competing venues were still being considered.

"Categorically no decision will be made prior to this September," said Mr Schofield. As well as Newport, bids for the biennial match between Europe and the United States are being made by Slaley Hall, in England, and four venues in Scotland.

Wales is the only one of the three not to have staged the Ryder Cup - Ireland is due to host the competition in 2005.

A new fourth golf course is needed if the Celtic Manor is to host the Ryder Cup, but the proposal, due to come before the council later this year, has met with opposition. Protesters have now called for a public meeting after the Countryside Council of Wales raised objections to the plan, arguing that it did not properly safeguard the River Usk conservation area.

It called for an assessment to be made. Andrew Pimblett, Usk Valley Defence Group chairman, said the council needed to ask for the other planning applications dealing with access to the site which would have to follow the main application.

Without this, the public would be denied the chance to see the full scale of what was planned.

"We have been inundated with complaints that the borough council is rushing an application through that could have enormous effects on local people without giving them any chance to make their views public."

A spokeswoman for Newport council said they were following normal thorough procedures. "We are certainly not rushing a complicated application like this."