Ryder Cup course is home to colony of SWAMP RATS who could cause mayhem for golf stars

THE RYDER CUP is about to get underway – but the showpiece could be severely disrupted by SWAMP RATS.

The 44th Ryder Cup will officially start on Friday and will conclude on Sunday 1 October.

The 2023 Ryder Cup takes place at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in RomeSportsfile

GettyThe course is home to a colony of nutria, which are large swamp rats[/caption]

Team USA defeated Europe 19-9 in the 2021 edition in what was the largest margin of victory in modern times.

But with that being held at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, USA, our lot are hoping for better luck on home turf this time around.

Macro Simone Golf and Country Club, located just outside of Rome, is the venue for this week’s showdown between golf’s greatest.

However, it may not just be the American and Europeans that the thousands of Ryder Cup spectators that are heading to Italy will have to keep an eye out for.

A large colony of nutria, amphibious rodents, live on the Marco Simone grounds.

And they have been known to roam the fairways – which could cause mayhew over the upcoming week.

Nutria, which can grow up to 25 inches long, are considered one of the most ecologically harmful invasive species in the world and have aggressive potential. 

The rodents, which are also known as the coypu or swamp rat, make their homes close to freshwater.

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And there are plenty of places for them to nest at Marco Simone with four holes lined by water along with several creeks that drain into the pond on the eighth hole.

Nutria – which weigh up to 30lb – are known to devour plants and snails with their inch-long teeth eating a quarter of their body weight a day.

And they can also have a huge impact on public health and safety. The rodents serve as hosts for several pathogens, including tuberculosis and septicemia, which can infect people, pets, and livestock.