Ryder Cup director defends ticket prices: 'On par with a World Series'

In the wake of a social media uproar over ticket prices for the next Ryder Cup, the championship director at the PGA of America, who will oversee the event at Bethpage Black in September 2025, noted the increased demand and likened the event to a Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

"We view ourselves as a Tier 1 event that's on par with a World Series, or with an NBA Finals Game 7," Bryan Karns said Wednesday on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. "That was a part of it. So when we look at pricing, we're able to tap into data from all these different venues."

Karns also defended the prices, which range from $255 for a practice session to $750 for a day of competition at the Ryder Cup in Farmingdale, N.Y., as a potential "bucket list" event for fans.

"We're able to see, 'What do people pay?'" Karns said. "So that really drove this, too. Again, our position in this landscape -- where do we see ourselves? I think that's the reality. There are people who have the Ryder Cup on their bucket list in the same way that someone would have a Yankees opening game World Series on their bucket list. Ultimately, we felt like that's where we are. The demand is at an all-time high for this event, so we wanted to make sure we priced it appropriately."

The ticket prices for the Ryder Cup do include non-alcoholic drink vouchers and unlimited food, for those wondering if there are any additional perks to purchasing tickets.