Why the Ryder Cup Is Ruining Golf
I love golf. But I did not enjoy watching the Ryder Cup. And it's not just because America lost.
The Ryder Cup brings out the worst in golf—and in us. What should be a friendly exhibition between the world's best players has devolved into something ugly, hostile, and completely at odds with what makes golf beautiful in the first place.
The Crowd Problem
Jeering New Yorkers. Insults hurled at players. Loud, obnoxious fans who've been drinking since 6 AM, screaming obscenities at some of the game's most talented athletes. This isn't unique to New York—Rome was just as crude.
If you're an American player, this is supposedly the crowd you represent? These are your countrymen? How do you feel pride when what you're hearing is disrespect and hostility? The environment is toxic, and it shows in how the players perform under that kind of pressure.
False Narratives and Manufactured Intensity
The patriotic fervor feels pumped up and hollow. This isn't war. This isn't life or death. It's golf—a game that, at its best, is quiet, calm, focused. A game of inner composure and outward grace.
Instead, we get captains fueling intensity, players cracking under manufactured pressure, and a narrative so overwrought it's tough to find any joy in it. The beauty of golf is nowhere in sight. The Ryder Cup makes the sport look unappealing, stripping away everything that makes it special.
Greed Over Game
The desire to build stadiums and maximize revenue has brought the deplorable business side of golf into full view. Too much advertising. Too high-priced. Too big, too loud, too stupid. The event has become low-brow entertainment—the kind of thing you wouldn't want your kids to see. Usually I’ll try to get my nephews to tune on The Masters of U.S. Open and steer their attention to it… this one wasn’t worth the energy. They’re better off not witnessing the showboating and screaming.
Enough of calling this the best… its best days are far behind it. T-Mobile isn't the best network. New York pizza isn't the best pizza. And this version of golf sure as hell isn't the best golf.
THE MOMENT THAT MATTERED
I'll admit: the golf on Sunday was magic. The charge, the belief, the refusal to give up—it was genuinely thrilling. The players showed what's possible when you fight for something.
But even then, all that yelling and fist-pumping felt excessive. Maybe that energy would be better saved for the next swing. The one moment that truly mattered? When Scottie Scheffler's dad gave his son a hug after getting battered on Saturday... Because that's what these worn-out, overpressured players actually need—not another roaring crowd, but human connection and perspective.
A Better Way Forward
The Ryder Cup needs to return to its roots: a fun, friendly match between great players from across the pond. Here are some ideas:
Open it up to amateurs. Make it a Ryder Open where people have to qualify, like the U.S. Open. Let it actually represent the breadth of the game.
Dial back the manufactured patriotism. Play for yourself. Play for your friends and family. Country is silly when it's being used to sell tickets and stoke artificial rivalry.
Make it family-friendly again. If you can't bring your kids, it's not going to inspire the next generation of golfers.
Add levity. The seriousness needs a dose of laughter. The most tasteful part about this year’s Ryder Cup was Colin Jost having Breakfast at Bethpage.
The Real Problem
I'd root for Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, or Bob MacIntyre any day, regardless of what continent they're from. I like these guys. I don't want to hear them insulted or rooted against. I want to see them play great golf, act like gentlemen, and compete against themselves—not against drunken mobs.
The sportsmanship has sailed and sank. We're brewing toward something dangerous—before one fan makes a grave mistake, before things escalate into something we all regret something needs to shift. The greed keeps feeding the event's growth, and the energy keeps building until it will inevitably implode.
If I were a player, I'd pull myself out. Out of dignity and respect for golf, the best thing they could all do at the next Ryder Cup is opt out and not show up.
The Ryder Cup, as it exists today, doesn't inspire me to play golf. It doesn't celebrate what makes the game great. It needs to change—or it needs to end.
P.S. The Ralph Lauren gear is cool, though. I'll give them that.