The 2025 Ryder Cup got underway Friday on New York’s Long Island, where security is tight with President Donald Trump’s arrival.
Fans started arriving at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale before sunrise to enter as soon as gates opened at 5 a.m., with the first round of golfers teeing off at 7:10 a.m.
This Ryder Cup, the 45th in history, is one of the most anticipated ever as top American golfers face their European counterparts at a legendary public course.
United States captain Keegan Bradley speaks during a news conference at the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, on the Bethpage Black golf course, in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Matt Slocum / AP
More than 250,000 fans, from near and far, are expected to attend the three-day event, which wraps up Sunday. It’s predicted to be a $160 million boost to Long Island’s economy.
Organizers said they’re prepared for the massive crowds and that security is high with Mr. Trump in attendance.
America pride on display for Ryder Cup Day 1
Cheers from rowdy crowds in red, white and blue drowned out the Europeans, who got a crash course in New York noise.
“Everyone’s abusing us all day. It’s been brilliant,” said Simon Morris, from Switzerland.
“Really good banter, really good people, very hospitable,” London resident Ian Brocklehurst said.
“It’s the USA, the greatest place on Earth,” said Jeff Lawrence, from Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Most spectators have traveled to Long Island from afar for the event.
“It’s the feeling of USA versus Europe. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, so I’m super excited to get this off my bucket list,” Los Angeles resident Paul Appleton said.
“It’s rowdy and a good time,” said Grayson Smith, from Nashville.
“Got here right at 5:30, right when gates opened. The entire stadium was already filled,” said Chris Cude, from Dallas, Texas.
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Fans of Team United States cheer on the first tee during the Friday morning foursomes matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 26, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York.
Jamie Squire / Getty Images
Bethpage is the first American public course to host the Ryder Cup. Volunteers who signed up 18 months ago said they’re full of pride now that the event is finally underway.
“It’s great to see other people come here and appreciate what we get to play every day,” volunteer Tom Gallo said.
“I grew up playing here once a week. It was 42 bucks to walk up and play. I’ve played every course here a million times, and it’s just unbelievable to have the pros here playing the most important event in our sport,” volunteer Evan Marcus said.
While Mr. Trump made an appearance with his granddaughter, some fans dressed up as historical presidents greeted Nassau Police Commissioner Pat Ryder. Ryder asked if they were having a good time and if they felt safe at the event, and they assured him they were.
“Then we’ve done our job. Our presidents are all happy,” Ryder said.
What to know about Bethpage Black and how to get there
Bethpage Black has been preparing for the event for three years and those in attendance will be experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The Black Course is special because it is a public golf course.
“Public golfers representing so many different backgrounds and demographics that all have a sense of ownership, Bethpage is their golf course. It’s New York’s golf course,” Ryder Cup Director Bryan Karns said.
Crowds of 50,000 are expected on each of the four days, with many fans already concerned about where they will be able to park. Organizers say your best bet is taking the Long Island Rail Road to Farmingdale.
The United States poses for a team picture at the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, on the Bethpage Black golf course, in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Lindsey Wasson / AP
“We will run our shuttles from Farmingdale train station to the main entrance. We will have ride-shares on site — Yellow Course, No. 11 — and then we have Jones Beach for general public parking, which will run shuttles,” said Evan Crowder, operations manager for the PGA of America.
LIRR will be adding extra train service throughout the tournament and offering a $175 special event ticket. There will be eight extra eastbound trains and one extra westbound train on weekdays during the tournament and nine extra eastbound trains on the weekend. For a full schedule, click here.
No parking is allowed at Bethpage State Park or Farmingdale Station, the MTA says. Those who choose to drive will have to park at Jones Beach, then take a shuttle bus to the golf course. Parking at Jones Beach is not free.
Drivers can also park at the Ronkonkoma, Central Islip, Brentwood, Deer Park and Wyandanch LIRR stations for free on weekends, then take a train. Drivers can also park at the Mineola Intermodal Center for a fee.
Residents renting out driveways to Ryder Cup ticketholders
Many fans attended the practice rounds on Thursday and Wednesday’s celebrity match and opening ceremony to take in some of the excitement, but it does come at a cost. Many locals said the crowds are disrupting their routines, taking up parking spots and causing major road closures.
Some people who live near Bethpage Black are even renting out their driveways and homes to fans.
United States fans cheer during the opening ceremonies for the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, on the Bethpage Black golf course, in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Lindsey Wasson / AP
“It’s cool, but there is definitely a lot going on, lot of chaos and traffic,” Jonah Han, of Farmingdale, said. “A lot of places you can’t turn, making getting home hard.”
“It’s really nice to show them what we have here in Farmingdale,” Kimberly Goetchius, manager at Croxley Ale House, said.
To help ease the burden, SUNY Farmingdale shut down its campus and opened 4,000 parking spots for the Ryder Cup. The school’s chief of police, Dan Daugherty, said planning started over a year ago and that the event is not impacting the academic calendar.
Ryder Cup rosters and format
The Ryder Cup is held every two years, with each team’s roster consisting of six automatic qualifiers, based on where they stood in the points standings in mid-August, and six captain’s picks.
Team USA Captain Keegan Bradley recently announced automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked player in the world and owner of five PGA Tour wins this season, plus J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English, and two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.
Bradley later added captain’s picks Justin Thomas, a two-time PGA Championship winner, Collin Morikawa, a former PGA and Open Championship winner, Patrick Cantlay, Ben Griffin, Sam Burns, and Cameron Young.
Fans greets United States’ Bryson DeChambeau on the 17th hole during a practice round at the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, on the Bethpage Black golf course, in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Matt Slocum / AP
Team Europe’s roster is nearly identical to the 2023 squad that beat the U.S. at Marco Simone Golf and County Club in Italy. Rory McIlroy, this year’s Masters champion and an eight-time Ryder Cup participant, leads automatic qualifiers Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Rasmus Höjgaard, who replaced his twin brother Nicolai, and former U.S. Open champion Justin Rose.
Captain Luke Donald selected Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick and former U.S. Open and Masters champion Jon Rahm as his captain’s picks.
The players will compete in a combination of match play formats over three days — foursomes (alternate shot), four ball (best ball), and singles. Each match is worth 1 point and to win the Ryder Cup, one side must amass at least 14.5 points.
The U.S. has won the Ryder Cup a record 27 times, but since the event switched to a U.S. vs. Europe format in 1979, Europe leads 12-11, including the 16.5-11.5 victory two years ago.
What the captains are saying
Despite winning the Travelers Championship, recording nine Top 20 finishes in 16 starts, and sitting at No. 11 in the world rankings this season, Bradley chose not to pick himself. If he had, he would have become the first playing captain for the U.S. since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Needless to say, more of a spotlight is now on the six players he did pick.
“I’m very well aware of that,” Bradley said late last month. “No matter what decision I made, I’m going to be defined by this decision. If we win, it doesn’t matter what decision I make.
“The only thing I care about is on Sunday of the Ryder Cup, that we win the Ryder Cup. Then I’ll know I made the right decision,” Bradley added. “Until then, I won’t know. It’s going to be pretty wild.”
The Ryder Cup has been increasingly difficult to win on the road. Europe’s only victory on U.S. soil, at Medinah in 2012, required the greatest comeback by a visiting team, and it figures to be especially difficult at Bethpage Black, which is known for its hostile crowd.
Europe captain Luke Donald speaks during a news conference at the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, on the Bethpage Black golf course, in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Matt Slocum / AP
“Even though we have a lot of continuity, this is a different animal,” Donald said. “We understand how difficult it is.”
Donald said his team needed to be constructed with mentally tough players.
“You have to understand who you are playing against, what course you’re playing and what the environment is going to be like,” Donald said. “Understanding all of that had a big factor in choosing the guys I did. They understand they can go head-to-head. I think they feel like they can compete with these guys.
“That was significant in my thinking why they deserved to be on that team.”
