Expect supercharged fans and enhanced security to open Ryder Cup
Heavy rains pelted New York’s Bethpage Black on Thursday, washing out much of the Ryder Cup’s final practice rounds. The lack of action may have raised the anticipation for Friday’s first round matches to an all-time high.
What does it cost to get into the Ryder Cup?
The ticket prices are already the highest in tournament history. Face value tickets went for just under $750 per day, selling out online almost instantly when they went on sale in November of 2024. Verified resale tickets through SeatGeek range from $749 to $5,675 for a single-day ticket at last check, and prices are much higher on the secondary market.
The biennial tournament between the United States and Europe is expected to host more than 50,000 fans each of the three days of competition, starting Friday morning. The American team is expecting a raucous crowd to support them in their quest to win back the cup. They lost to the European team in Rome in 2023.
More than the ‘usual’ PGA Tour atmosphere
Through three days of practice rounds, U.S. team member Collin Morikawa said he thinks the crowds at Bethpage Black so far have been “tame,” but he’s hoping that will change.
“I hope Friday is just absolute chaos,” Morikawa said. “I’m all for it. We want it. We want to use that to our advantage.”
It’s not often golf fans have a chance to deliver “chaos.” The PGA Tour is used to fans practicing golf etiquette and behaving in a more reserved fashion — to its detriment, some would say.
Morikawa, however, hopes the U.S. can use the “craziness of New York” to its advantage.
“I think we really have to tap into that,” Morikawa said. “I hope they come strong.”
To prepare for the fierce rivalry, the Europeans have used a variety of tactics, including equipping each player and caddy with virtual reality headsets complete with crowd noise and “New York-style” insults to simulate the expected atmosphere. Captain Luke Donald said his players are embracing the “us vs. them” mentality.
“I think my job as captain is to prepare the guys for every scenario,” Donald said. “Obviously, there’s a bunch of us in our team that have experienced away crowds — maybe not New York — and we’ve certainly talked about it as a group: What you’ve learned, what you think you might have done well, what you think you might have changed.”
How will the president’s visit affect the tournament?
Before those fans attempt to influence the golf action, they’ll need to navigate extra security to get into the venue on Friday. President Donald Trump, continuing a string of high-profile appearances at major sporting events, will take in the tournament’s second session on Friday. Trump attended the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, the U.S. Open men’s tennis final, a Yankees game, and several Ultimate Fighting Championship fights this year.
The PGA cautioned fans to arrive several hours early and anticipate “enhanced security measures and additional restrictions” at the course. All attendees in the grandstands surrounding the first tee and the 18th green, as well as the clubhouse, will be “subjected to TSA-style screening points.”
Some items typically allowed at major golf events will not be permitted on Friday in the clubhouse area of the golf course or near the first tee, including portable folding chairs, insulated beverage coolers, large umbrellas and rangefinders.
Team USA has won just three of the last eleven Ryder Cup tournaments. The hope, at least from some players, is that the president’s visit gives them a boost.
“I hope he’ll inspire us to victory. I think he’ll be a great force for us to get a lot of people on our side,” said Bryson DeChambeau.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
