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The PGA of America aren’t only hiking their Ryder Cup ticket prices – you will now have to pay a hefty fee just to volunteer!

That’s according to GOLF.com, who have reported that workers at next year’s match between the United States and Team Europe will be charged an inflated “volunteer package” fee to participate in events at Bethpage.

It is understood that multiple volunteers have confirmed that the governing body will charge them $350 (£269) for the privilege of free labour at the showpiece on Long Island. The total fee rises to close to $400 (£307) with credit card fees and taxes.

• Ryder Cup standings: Who’s heading to Bethpage in 2025?

• Perry: Ryder Cup farce gives us a look into golf’s soulless future

For clarity, it is not at all uncommon for volunteers on-site to be charged at the biggest golf events for their credentials, particularly in recent years.  It appears that the days of marshals getting free gear for their week-long services are long gone – as far as the PGA of America are concerned anyway.

The fee for volunteers this time around at Bethpage will include the uniform, a drawstring bag, a commemorative pin badge and food during shifts – but no other benefits. In the the last major at Bethpage, the 2019 PGA Championship, volunteers fees had reached $175 (£134).

However, this price bump to simply volunteer will doubtless cause more ructions given the storm created by the PGA of America’s ticketing policy for fans looking to attend next year’s duel.

• ‘I hit the winning shot at the Ryder Cup – but I wish it had been different’

• Possibility or pipedream? Assessing Sergio Garcia’s Ryder Cup chances

Tickets for the competition days at Bethpage are priced at $749.51 (£574.35), more than three times what fans were charged to attend the 2023 contest at Marco Simone. These prices do not include hospitality and, through a ballot system, are the only way you can secure a ticket to the match in advance.

Yet despite considerable backlash, the PGA of America’s championship director Bryan Karns doubled down on the astronomical demands last week.

“We looked at pricing and we were able to tap into data from all these different venues,” Karns explained in an interview with SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. “And we were able to see what people pay, and that really drove this.

“In terms of our position in this landscape – where do we feel ourselves?

“There are people who have the Ryder Cup on their bucket list in the same way someone would have a Yankees opening game of the World Series on their bucket list. Ultimately that’s where we felt like we are. We’ve got a lot of people, the demand is at an all-time high for this event and so we wanted to make sure we priced it appropriately.”

On its volunteer charges, bunkered.co.uk has reached out to the PGA of America for comment.


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Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.

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