The Ryder Cup has officially begun, and the Team USA vs. Europe showdown has the world split, but everyone was able to find common ground immediately after play began.
Not long after Jon Rahm opened the festivities by hitting his tee shot on the first hole at Bethpage Black, golf fans tuned into the USA Network were hit with a deluge of commercials. Foursomes were on tap for the first session of Day 1, meaning there were only eight golf balls on the course at the peak of play.
Despite that, the USA Network telecast missed shots early and (in the minds of many) often, leading to a groundswell of gripes from fans — and players — around the world.
Pro Golfers Rip USA Network for Ryder Cup Coverage
Graeme McDowell, a Ryder Cup veteran himself, was apoplectic at how few shots were being shown as USA knocked viewers over the head with a heavy commercial load.
“This (USA Network) coverage driving me insane already,” McDowell posted to X. “Think we are on the fifth commercial break. May have to flip on the (Sky Sports) version. Any better?”
McDowell was far from alone. He wasn’t even the only pro golfer complaining. Byeong Hun An weighed in, too.
“We could be seeing more commercials than golf today,” he tweeted.
Upstart PGA Tour star and social media darling Michael Kim echoed the sentiments.
Kim tweeted: “How do they miss this many golf shots with 8 golf balls in play 😂”
Fans Lose It Over ‘Horrendous’ Ryder Cup Coverage
They certainly weren’t alone, either. Plenty of golf fans — the ones who have come to expect this sort of coverage, especially from the NBC/Universal telecasts — couldn’t help but bemoan the coverage (or lack thereof).
The popular golf account No Laying Up put out a straightforward poll on X shortly before 10 a.m. ET asking its followers a simple question: “How’s the TV coverage?” After just 10 minutes, nearly 94% of the more than 4,500 voters chose “Bad.”
In addition to the onslaught of commercials, viewers also were subjected to an interview with PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague in the 8 a.m. ET hour, about an hour into the actual competition.
That gladhanding during which no on-course shots were shown went over about as well as you’d expect, too.
This might just be what golf fans must get used to for Ryder Cup weekend. The second half of the Friday coverage remains on USA, and NBC has the weekend matchups with two more team sessions Saturday before Sunday singles.
It probably won’t get any better, and it might get even more frustrating. If USA is missing shots with only eight balls on the course during foursomes, it might get even trickier in four-ball play when each player will play their own ball. The only hope is that NBC/USA are going heavy with the commercials while there’s not as much action on the course to show more later in the day. Wishful thinking, perhaps.
Ryder Cup Viewers Furious Over ‘Horrendous’ Commercial-Filled TV Coverage