"PGA needs to get a grip", "Nothing short of price gauging": Fans enraged over Ryder Cup charging volunteers $350 to help

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be held at Bethpage Black Golf Course in New York from September 25 to 28. Golf.com has reported that the PGA of America will charge volunteers $350 at the event next year.

The report also states that this price is higher than any Major championship and includes volunteer uniforms and food during shifts, among other things.

Since this report went viral, fans on social media have expressed their disappointment about the PGA of America charging volunteers. One on X (formerly Twitter) replied:

"The PGA needs to get a grip and realize they about to ruin this event."

"As a resident of Farmingdale and a member of a club based at BSP, all I can say is that @PGA dropped the ball. Making the "People's CC" into an elitist enclave is probably the worst marketing decision since "New Coke" 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️," another tweeted.

"Unfortunately people will pay but they shouldn’t," a third wrote.

Here are more reactions:

"It feels like this Ryder Cup, in terms of patronage or volunteering, is nothing short of price gauging."

"I won’t be there. That is how I feel. This is dumb," a fan said.

"When did this become a trend where you have to pay to volunteer your services for an event? This is ridiculous," another wrote.

Before this report, golf fans had expressed disappointment over ticket prices for the 2025 Ryder Cup. According to the event's official website, the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday ticket costs $750. PGA of America Director Bryan Karns defended the pricing on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. He said the event's level matches the NBA Finals Game 7 and MLB World Series.

A look at the players leading in the standings for the 2025 Ryder Cup

Here is a look at the points and standings for Team USA and Team Europe for the 2025 Ryder Cup:

Team Europe

Rasmus Højgaard (Denmark): 399.03
Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland): 354.07
Niklas Nørgaard (Denmark): 351.5
Matt Wallace (England): 350.5
Tyrrell Hatton (England): 295.84
Dan Bradbury (England): 274.95
Angel Hidalgo (Spain): 269.17
Matteo Manassero (Italy): 234.76
Jon Rahm (Spain): 205.3
Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spain): 194.55
Tommy Fleetwood (England): 185.63
Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium): 180.32

Team USA

Xander Schauffele: 9,580.956
Scottie Scheffler: 9,145.556
Bryson DeChambeau: 6,993.000
Collin Morikawa: 2,478.133
Brian Harman: 2,250.561
Billy Horschel: 2,037.223
Wyndham Clark: 1,936.213
Patrick Cantlay: 1,613.255
Russell Henley: 1,600.426
Tony Finau: 1,575.878
Sahith Theegala: 1,234.287
Max Homa: 1,229.883

Luke Donald will captain Team Europe for the second consecutive time at the 2025 Ryder Cup. 2024 Presidents Cup winner Keegan Bradley will captain Team USA.

About the author

Varun is a Golf and MLB journalist for Sportskeeda with over 4 years of work experience in his bag. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he worked for many sites, including EssentiallySports, FanSided, Khel Now, Get Football, and a few others.

Varun is a fan of golfer Scottie Scheffler due to the latter’s mindset, and he admires Aaron Judge and his ability to keep being consistent. As a purist golf fan, he would love to compete at the Masters if given the opportunity, but is also happy with LIV Golf driving more eyeballs towards the sport. If he gets the chance to play for an MLB team, he would love to play for the New York Yankees.

Varun’s mantra for writing factually correct feature articles is thorough verification. Another key element in his writing is staying updated with both sports through the official websites of pro wrestling and Golf. He has had the privilege of interviewing MMA legend Greg Jackson in his career so far.

Varun likes to spend his free time reading or writing poetry and fiction. He also plans to learn and play golf in his spare time.

Know More

Edited by Aayush Kapoor