WATCH: Fans flock in and have a mad dash hours before Ryder Cup tee off

The Ryder Cup is finally here, and fans brought the energy early at Bethpage Black. Hours before the first shot, crowds packed the venue to see Team USA take on Team Europe in the highly anticipated showdown.

Videos from the course flooded social media. Some fans chanted “USA” in support of Keegan Bradley’s side, while golf writer Matt Vincenzi shared a clip on X showing fans sprinting through the gates as they opened.

“Gates are open and we have a mad dash from the fans!” he wrote.

Watch the madness here:

Bethpage is known for its loud, rowdy atmosphere. European star Ian Poulter recently criticized the behavior, calling it “complete and utter embarrassing stupidity” and saying,

“It's only in America the stupid... the stupidness comes out. It's just so annoying. It's annoying...Our fans, when they come and watch golf, are very respectful," he said.

However, not all are against the noise. On Wednesday, US star Collin Morikawa urged the New York crowd to create “absolute chaos” for this week’s matches.

The motivated crowd was even seen singing Queen’s 1977 hit We Will Rock You on Thursday, with Bryson DeChambeau joining in before hitting his shot. The first round teed off at 7:10 a.m. ET, with DeChambeau and Justin Thomas facing Europe’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton in foursomes play.

Team USA to receive first-ever payout at 2025 Ryder Cup

For the first time in Ryder Cup history, Team USA players are receiving a payout. While the biennial event has always been about national pride rather than prize money, the PGA of America introduced a new compensation plan for the 2025 edition at Bethpage Black.

Each American golfer will get $500,000. Of that amount, $300,000 must be donated to a charity of the player’s choice, while the remaining $200,000 can be used however they wish. Team Europe’s players will not receive any payment for competing.

The Ryder Cup itself does not have a traditional prize purse. The focus remains on the competition between the United States and Europe, with the trophy and bragging rights as the ultimate rewards.

Fans can watch all the action from Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York. Coverage runs from 7:05 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET on Day 1 on USA Network, with live streaming available on the Ryder Cup app and rydercup.com. On Days 2 and 3, play begins at 7 a.m. ET and continues until 6 p.m. ET on NBC.