How Many Fans Are At The Ryder Cup?
The biennial match at Marco Simone is one of the most prestigious occasions in the game, but how many fans are attending?
The Ryder Cup is one of the most eagerly anticipated occasions in the game, so it’s no surprise that tickets to attend the match are always in high demand.
This year’s match at Marco Simone in Italy is no different, and the size of the grandstands has already got people talking, including Team Europe captain Luke Donald, who said: “I’ve never seen stands as big as these.”
However, while plenty of work has clearly gone into ensuring as many fans as possible can watch the action, according to Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols, there was three times as much demand for the supply of tickets. Even with that, though, a whopping 250,000 fans are still expected to attend.
She wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Watching the Ryder Cup Live From replay. Paul McGinley said 750,000 people applied for 250,000 tickets. Fans represent 80 counties. Wow.”
Watching the Ryder Cup Live From replay. Paul McGinley said 750,000 people applied for 250,000 tickets. Fans represent 80 counties. Wow.September 26, 2023
Wow, indeed. That’s significantly more than the 150,000 fans who attended the previous match at Whistling Straits as Team USA cruised to a 19-9 victory. Meanwhile, the fact that fans from 80 countries will attend is in indication of the Ryder Cup’s global appeal.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, when the decision was taken to postpone the 2020 edition by a year, Team Europe player Rory McIlroy said the match without fans “isn’t a Ryder Cup.” His teammate Jon Rahm agreed, saying: “For me, a Ryder Cup without the spectators is just not a Ryder Cup.”
In that case, the pair – who will be key figures in Team Europe’s attempt to reclaim the trophy it lost two years ago – will certainly be gratified by what they see this year.
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The Europeans have not lost at home for 30 years, and, as well as factors including course set-ups favourable to the home team, the presence of big crowds largely backing the hosts has surely helped the team retain its dominance on the continent for so long.
While many who attend this year’s match will be cheering on Zach Johnson’s Team USA, too, the majority will undoubtedly be rooting for Team Europe. Donald will be hoping the huge turnout over the three days will be enough to see his team take the trophy for the seventh successive time on home soil.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
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