There was uproar in many quarters when the price of Ryder Cup tickets was announced, but now the PGA of America has revealed that thousands will be up for grabs - for free!
In what's being called 'The People's Perk', the PGA of America will randomly hand out 3,000 tickets for the event at Bethpage Black to local residents in the New York area.
Over the next few months in the build-up to the Ryder Cup, golfers playing at Bethpage and a select few other public courses on Long Island and in the New York Metro area will be surprised by free tickets.
PGA of America officials and special Ryder Cup guests will show up at the courses selected without any notice to hand out pairs of tickets for all six days of the action.
Local first responders and community groups will also benefit from free tickets, with 500 available for each of the three practice days and three tournament days totalling 3,000 in all.
"The People's Perk is a special way for us to celebrate the unparalleled dedication and enthusiasm of the New York golf community by providing them with a memorable experience at the 2025 Ryder Cup," said PGA of America president Don Rea Jr.
"The PGA of America is proud to share the excitement of golf's greatest team event with our host community.
"We cannot wait to welcome the lucky ticket recipients this September as we all rally behind captain Keegan Bradley and the United States team."
Tickets for the Ryder Cup are right up there with The Masters in how difficult they are to get hold of, with demand far outstripping supply.
Although there was controversy about the hefty $750 price tag on Ryder Cup tickets, the PGA of America revealed back in November that the three match days had already sold out.
The PGA of America said that demand was "enormous" and that over half a million fans entered the random ballot to see Team USA try to wrestle the trophy back from Luke Donald's European team.
The PGA of America defended the prices after facing all the criticism, saying that as a "Tier One" event and one that was on many people's bucket lists, it should be priced as such.
In response to the ticket price criticism, the host organisation may hope it will help locals in the New York area feel more involved in what has rapidly become one of the biggest sporting events on the world stage.
