YouTube golf star Rick Shiels has predicted why the Ryder Cup has decided to ramp up ticket prices for the 2025 event at Bethpage Black.
USA fans were left fuming after extortionate prices were announced on Monday evening. Practice day tickets are $250, and weekend entry is set to cost in the region of $750, which will see many miss the chance to watch golf’s most prestigious match-play event.
Luke Donald’s Europe could benefit, with the eagerly anticipated Bethpage Black atmosphere set to be impacted by the overpriced entry fee.
Shiels has since reacted to the news and attempted to explain why the tickets are out of reach of the regular golf fan.
Rick Shiels reacts to 2025 Ryder Cup ticket pricing
The Youtuber, talking on the latest edition of the Rick Shiels Golf Show, believes the hike in prices could be due to a decreased attendance at the famous Long Island venue.
“The prices are ridiculous,” Shiels said. “Apparently, these are just normal admission tickets. For Tuesday, a practice day, entry is $255. Wednesday is the same. Thursday is $423. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are $749.51. Apparently, that is the normal ticket price and just general admission. That’s a lot!
“Certainly, for European fans and even a lot of US fans, unless you live in New York and you don’t have to pay travel and accommodation, once you have thrown in your travel, most people are going to have to fly to New York and get accommodation, which for that week is going to be astronomical.”
Shiels continued: “There might be a couple of things here. The first thing for me is, have they hiked the price up because they can’t get as many people on the ground? Somewhere like Rome, you can get a lot of people on the ground. It felt like it was really busy every single day. Is it because it felt like we are not going to get as many people there for the event? Is it a venue which gets fewer participants because Bethpage is a stadium golf course? It hosts huge events.”
The Englishman then claimed he would want to play the course if he parted with $750.
“After that, I’m out of suggestions why it’s so expensive other than they want to make lots and lots of money,” he added. “I’d want to play the golf course for that kind of money! It’s very expensive. Certainly in America I feel like sports events are different to the idea in the UK, it’s more of a corporate day out than going to watch the Ryder Cup.
“Last point on this: you don’t watch a lot of golf at the Ryder Cup. Even on the final day, you are only watching 24 golfers!”
The Ryder Cup turns corporate after 2025 ticket prices revealed
The ticket pricing for the 2025 event is a clear indication of where the Ryder Cup is heading. Clearly, the organisers are looking to benefit from what is a huge corporate opportunity; getting partners and sponsors through the door appears to be the main priority.
Interestingly, Patrick Cantlay’s 2023 protest was rumoured to be motivated by the huge commercial gain made from the Ryder Cup while the players went unpaid.
The latest move will undoubtedly anger several players, who are essentially the reason the Ryder Cup takes place.
Whether ticket prices will change remains to be seen, but given fan anger and the overall reaction, the Ryder Cup decision-makers would be wise to make a partial U-turn.
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