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AVERAGE WINNING SCORES AT MAJORS SINCE 2000 US Open: Five-under-par Lowest is 16-under (twice) Masters: 11-under-par Lowest is 20-under The Open: 11-under-par Lowest is 20-under (twice) US PGA: 11-under-par Lowest is 21-under The Players: 13-under-par Lowest is 20-under WINNERS OF MOST MAJORS SINCE 2000 Men and women 13 – Tiger Woods 8 – Annika Sorenstam 7 – Inbee Park 6 – Karrie Webb 5 – Yani Tseng, Phil Mickelson,
WATCH ONLINE Every Hole at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, NY
The 45th Ryder Cup match is at Bethpage Black on Long Island, New York. It’s an hour’s train journey from Manhattan.
Brooks Koepka 4 – Rory McIlroy
3 – Se Ri Pak, Juli Inkster, Anna Nordqvist, Lydia Ko, Padraig Harrington, Jordan Spieth
and when those sold out the remain- ing tickets were found to be priced at $1 300, which gave fans pause for thought. Tickets were $275 at the 2023 match in Rome. General daily admis- sion at the majors is still under $200. The second burst of publicity for the match so well in advance was a leak revealing that the 12 members of the US team would each receive a $500 000 appearance fee. Of this, $300 000 will go to each player’s charity, while $200 000 is for the player’s discretion- ary use. Naturally, this news resulted in some European team members saying they would pay to play in the Ryder Cup, so this is a bone of conten- tion that is set to run on and continue when the gloves come off at Bethpage. Golf Digest writer Joel Beall summed it up. “This has happened against the backdrop of the past three years of civil war, greed and self-interest in the pro- fessional game, a schism that has made many fans feel forgotten as golf’s cen- tral actors appear to care more about themselves than where their actions are taking the sport. The Ryder Cup prices, then, could be construed as another dis to the common fan. Throw in the fact the Ryder Cup is supposed to be the ONE event that’s not about money. Yeah, people aren’t thrilled.” Xander Schauffele though says the money issue is good for the rivalry be- tween the teams. "Whenever there's like a feud, what happens? It juices every-
foremost seaside venues, and wit- nessed a thrilling men’s Senior Open there in big winds in 2023. Situated on the south coast of Wales, it’s an unusual routing – not the typical links out-and- back layout – in that the front nine moves in a clockwise crescent-shape, with the back nine running counter- clockwise inside the crescent. Ranked No 43 by Golf Digest in their World 100, the club hasn’t been able to get on the Open Championship roster because of a lack of infrastructure, including a primitive clubhouse and limited prac- tice facilities. The 18th hole heading towards the Bristol Channel was played as the first in the Senior Open, with the par-5 17th as the finale. The 45th Ryder Cup is already be- ing billed as having the biggest police presence inside the ropes than any golf tournament before it. Such is the level of passion this contest generates among patriotic spectators, and such is the reputation of American fans for boorish behaviour on home soil. And New York crowds are thought to be more boisterous than others. Which is why the cops will be out in force to deal with any morons. A RYDER CUP FULL OF COPS Match 45 has already generated in- tense publicity, firstly with the PGA of America’s controversial ticket prices. They began at $750 for a one-day pass,
thing up around it,” he said. “The Ryder Cup is going to do better because of this thing.” The Black Course at Bethpage, a municipal facility with five courses, is a brilliant choice of venue, unlike modern European venues such as Marco Simone in Rome and Le Golf National in Paris. The Black opened in the 1930s and there was no suggestion over the next 60 years it would amount to anything other than a scruffy state- park layout. Then the USGA saw the potential of this classic AW Tillinghast design, and had it renovated by Rees Jones. The Black held its first US Open in 2002, won by Tiger Woods, then another in 2009 (Lucas Glover). The PGA of America did a deal with the local authority to host the 2019 PGA Championship (Brooks Koepka) in tandem with the 2025 Ryder Cup. It’s on glorious rolling terrain, packed PRIZE MONEY BOOM In 2024, the winners of the five men’s major tournaments (including The Players) banked a record $18.8 million. The winners of the five women’s majors earned a record $7.8 million. In the year 2000, the men won $4.1 million, and the women $1.35 million.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
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