EXCLUSIVE: British fans will outnumber those of all other nations at the 2023 Ryder Cup – including hosts Italy…  as hordes of Brits are hit with lengthy delays at Rome Airport

British fans will outnumber those of all other nations at the Ryder Cup in Rome – including those from hosts Italy.

Mail Sport understands that Europe supporters from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have snapped up more tickets than those from any other country for the trans-Atlantic tussle, which begins on Friday.

They are followed by the Americans, with the Italians in third place. Behind them come fans from Germany and then Ireland. In total, people from 80 countries are expected to attend over the duration of the tournament.

While final numbers are yet to be calculated, officials are expecting around 32 per cent (16,000) of the 50,000 expected each day to hail from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

As this newspaper revealed, there could be as many as 15,000 Americans present to roar on Zach Johnson’s visitors each day with a much higher contingent crossing the Atlantic than that which travelled to Paris in 2018. 

Around 32 per cent of the 50,000 expected each day will hail from Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Around 15,000 Americans are present to roar on Zach Johnson’s visitors each day

While Italy is not one of golf’s powerhouses, the fact that the tournament is in Rome has boosted ticket sales to put those from here in third place in terms of numbers.

Meanwhile, hordes of Brits were hit by lengthy queues at Rome Airport on Thursday morning with delays of more than an hour reported at passport control.

The issues were put down to the fact that, post-Brexit, Brits now have to have their passports stamped at European airports. 

One fan ruefully explained: ‘You have thousands of people from Britain coming here to support Europe but they were not allowed to go in via the gates with the flag of the side they’re all out here to cheer for – which were empty. The irony was not lost on them!’