Organisers hail Gleneagles Ryder Cup's economic and tourism legacy 25 November 2014 Last updated at 11:42 Organisers of the 2014 Ryder Cup say the Gleneagles tournament has left a "strong economic and tourism legacy." Ryder Cup Europe paid tribute to the local community as the final pieces of tournament infrastructure were removed from the Perthshire golf resort. The event team hailed "significant investment, tourism and education initiatives all providing a major economic boost to the area." The Ryder Cup was staged in September with Europe defeating the USA 16½-11½. Antonia Beggs, operations director at Ryder Cup Europe, said there was no doubt the Gleneagles Ryder Cup was gone but not forgotten. She added: "We believe that a strong legacy is being left for the area through new education materials, infrastructure improvements, upgrades to the telecommunications network and, not least, a very strong tourism legacy." Sports minister Jamie Hepburn said: "The local support around the course was fantastic, giving a warm welcome to visitors from 96 countries and showing half a billion TV viewers that Scotland is the perfect stage for world class events. There are lasting benefits for local businesses, residents and school children, while the successful ClubGolf programme will be expanded to give more people the chance to try golf. A stream of world class tournaments will ensure Scotland continues to be a leading golf event destination in the coming years.