Ryder Cup officials will give away 3,000 tickets to unsuspecting golf fans
Thousands of golf fans in the New York area could be in for a big surprise over the next five months: The PGA of America is giving away free tickets to the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
In a giveaway being called, 'The People's Perk,' the PGA of America will be giving away tickets randomly to New York residents — no notice when or where — who are at Bethpage Black and several other public golf courses on Long Island and the New York City metro area.
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Winnipeg Free Press
15 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Will visa delays and border fears keep international fans away from the Club World Cup in the US?
As the United States readies for the FIFA Club World Cup, concern over such things as international travel, fan safety and even economic uncertainty threaten to diminish enthusiasm for the tournament. The United States will see the arrival of 32 professional club teams from around the globe to 11 cities for the tournament. There's a $1 billion prize pool. The Club World Cup is considered in many ways to be a dress rehearsal for the big event, the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. But there seems to be little buzz for the Club World Cup at home or abroad. The expansion of the field from seven to 32 teams has diminished the exclusivity of the event, and ticket sales appear slow. At the same time, the tournament is being played amid reports of foreign tourists being detained and visa processing delays. Chaotic U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities and President Donald Trump's travel bans aren't exactly reassuring international fans, either. Wary travelers, visa woes Trump's policies appear to have already impacted travelers. The National Travel and Tourism Office released data showing visitors to the U.S. from foreign countries fell 9.7% in March compared to the same month last year. The travel forecasting company Tourism Economics has predicted that international arrivals would decline 9.4% this year. The U.S. Travel Association, a nonprofit group that represents the travel industry, has urged the Trump administration to improve such things as visa processing and customs wait times ahead of a series of big sporting events on U.S. soil, including the Club World Cup beginning June 14, the Ryder Cup later this year, next summer's World Cup, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Association President Geoff Freeman said, for example, that the wait in Colombia for a visa interview appointment is upwards of 18 months — already putting the 2026 World Cup out of reach for some travelers. He said his organization is working with the White House's World Cup Task Force to address issues. 'They (the task force) recognize how important this event is: success is the only option. So we're eager to work with them to do whatever it is we need to do to ensure that we can welcome the millions of incremental visitors that we think are possible,' Freeman said. 'But these underlying issues of visa and customs, we've got to address.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing last month, suggested consular staff could be put on longer shifts and that artificial intelligence could be used to process visas. 'We want it to be a success. It's a priority for the president,' said Rubio. But the Trump administration may have added to the concerns for international visitors by issuing a ban on travelers from 12 countries, with restrictions on travel from nine more countries. Iran, one of the countries named, has qualified for the World Cup. The proclamation included an exemption for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.' It did not mention fans. Fan fears There are signs current immigration policies were already impacting soccer fans and spurring worries over safety. A Latin American supporters group in Nashville stayed away from a recent Major League Soccer game because of ICE activity in the city. The city's Geodis Park is set to host three Club World Cup matches. Danny Navarro, who offers travel advice to followers on his social media platforms under the moniker TravelFutbolFan, said the World Cup Task Force announcement did not allay fears about travel, especially when Vice President JD Vance said, 'We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Otherwise, they'll have to talk to (Homeland Security) Secretary (Kristi) Noem.' That insinuated fans visiting the United States for the World Cup could use it to stay in the country, which is nonsensical, Navarro maintained. For many countries, fans traveling to the World Cup — an expensive travel plan with hiked flight and hotel prices — are broadly viewed as higher-spending and lower-risk for host nation security planning. Navarro put the onus on FIFA. 'They must know that there is an anxiety among international travelers wanting to come in. They must know there's an anxiety among the U.S. fan base that is multicultural and wanting to go to all these places. Are they going to? Are they going to be harassed by ICE?' Navarro said. 'There is just a lot of uncertainty, I would say, too much uncertainty, that the fan base doesn't want to think about.' If you build it, will they come? It remains to be seen how outside factors will ultimately impact the Club World Cup, which is not the global spectacle or draw that the World Cup is. Ticket sales, which were based on a dynamic pricing model, appear to be slow, with lowered prices from earlier this year and a slew of recent promotions. For a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Botafogo at the Rose Bowl on June 19, there were wide swaths of available seats going for $33.45. FIFA created an incentive program that says fans who buy two or more tickets to the Club World Cup 'may' be guaranteed the right to purchase one ticket to the World Cup next summer. Navarro said economic uncertainty and fears of inflation may make fans hesitant to spend their money on the Club World Cup — when the more desirable World Cup is looming. In some host cities, there's little sign the Club World Cup is happening. A light rail station in Seattle had a lone sign advertising the event. The Seattle Sounders are among the teams playing in the tournament. Hans Hobson, executive director of the Tennessee State Soccer Association, suggested part of the problem is that, unlike the national teams that play in the World Cup, some of the club teams playing in Nashville are just not known to U.S. fans. 'It's not leagues that they watch. If it was the Premier League or the Bundesliga or something like that, then they'd go, 'Oh, I know players there. Let's go check it out,' Hobson said. There were tickets available to LAFC's match against Esperance Sportive de Tunisie in Nashville on June 20 for $24.45. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has traveled to several host cities to gin up enthusiasm. He has promised 'the world will be welcomed.' But some say the United States isn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for visitors in the current climate. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I could see trepidation for anyone looking to travel to the U.S. at this current political climate,' said Canadian national team coach Jesse Marsch. 'So it's a sad thing, I think, that we have to talk about visiting the U.S. in this way but I think everybody has to make decisions that are best for them and that fit best with what's going on in their life and their lifestyle.' ___ AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker contributed to this report ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
US Open '25: What happened at previous Opens at Oakmont
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — A capsule look at the previous nine U.S. Open golf championships held at Oakmont Country Club: Year: 1927 Winner: Tommy Armour Score: 301 Margin: Playoff (76-79) Runner-up: Harry Cooper Prize: $500. Summary: Oakmont lived up to its reputation while hosting its first U.S. Open, with no one capable of breaking 300. Tommy Armour opened with a 78, and no U.S. Open champion since then has posted a higher score in the first round. It also was the last time a U.S. Open champion failed to break 300 over four rounds. Harry 'Lighthorse' Cooper appeared to be the winner, even after a three-putt on the 71st hole. Armour, however, holed a 10-foot birdie on the final hole to force a playoff. Armour shot his third straight round of 76 in the playoff to win by three. The Ryder Cup was held for the first time in 1927, and the British team played in the U.S. Open. ___ Year: 1935 Winner: Sam Parks Jr. Score: 299 Margin: 2 shots Runner-up: Jimmy Thomson Prize: $1,000 Summary: Oakmont again showed its brute strength when Sam Parks Jr., a professional at nearby South Hills Country Club, was the only player to break 300. He was tied with Jimmy Thomson going into the final round, but scoring was so difficult that none of the top 20 players on the leaderboard broke 75, and the low score of the final round was a 73. Parks prepared by playing Oakmont nearly every day for a month, and he had only two three-putts over 72 holes. Among those in the gallery was Harvard graduate Ed Stimpson, who was convinced the greens were too fast. He eventually created a device now called the Stimpmeter. ___ Year: 1953 Winner: Ben Hogan Score: 283 Margin: 6 shots Runner-up: Sam Snead Prize: $5,000 Summary: Two years after Sam Snead won the PGA Championship at Oakmont, he was no match for Ben Hogan, who won the last of his record-tying four U.S. Open titles. Hogan opened with a 67, but Snead whittled away at the lead until he trailed by one shot going into the final 18 holes. Hogan went 3-3-3 to close with a 71 for a six-shot victory over his fiercest rival. Snead never seriously challenged again in the U.S. Open, the only major he failed to win. Hogan became the first wire-to-wire winner of the Open since Jim Barnes in 1921, and the six-shot margin was the largest in 15 years. ___ Year: 1962 Winner: Jack Nicklaus Score: 283 Margin: Playoff (71-74) Runner-up: Arnold Palmer Prize: $17,500 Summary: In the most memorable major at Oakmont, 22-year-old rookie Jack Nicklaus heralded his arrival by beating Arnold Palmer in his own backyard. Nicklaus, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, was two shots behind going into the final 18 holes. Palmer was ahead by three until flubbing a chip on the ninth hole and taking bogey, and a bogey from the bunker on the 13th left him tied with Nicklaus. That's how they stayed, Nicklaus closing with a 69 to Palmer's 71, setting up an 18-hole playoff. Nicklaus built a four-shot lead through six holes and withstood Arnie's charge that pulled him within one. Palmer three-putted the 13th to stay two shots behind and never made up any more ground. Nicklaus shot 71 in the playoff to win by three, capturing the first of 18 professional majors. ___ Year: 1973 Winner: Johnny Miller Score: 279 Margin: 1 shot Runner-up: John Schlee Prize: $35,000. Summary: Johnny Miller is the only player to shoot 63 in the final round of a U.S. Open and win, and it remains what many believe is the best round ever played in the U.S. Open. He was six shots out of the lead going into the final round, held by Arnold Palmer, John Schlee, Julius Boros and Jerry Heard. Oakmont was never more vulnerable, although its soft conditions remain subject to debate. Some say the sprinklers were left on; others say lightning made the sprinklers come on overnight. Miller teed off an hour before the leaders and made nine birdies. His putt for a 62 on the 18th spun out of the cup. ___ Year: 1983 Winner: Larry Nelson Score: 280 Margin: 1 shot Runner-up: Tom Watson Prize: $72,000 Summary: Larry Nelson opened with 75-73 and was seven shots behind John Mahaffey and rookie Joe Rassett going into the weekend. He played the final 36 holes in 132, which remains a U.S. Open record. A 65 in the third round left the 35-year-old Nelson one shot behind Seve Ballesteros and Tom Watson. Nelson and Watson were tied when the final round was suspended by thunderstorms. When play resumed Monday morning, Nelson holed a 60-foot birdie putt on the 16th to take a one-shot lead. Nelson three-putted the final hole for a 67, but Watson missed a 5-foot par putt on the 17th and failed to catch him on the final hole. ___ Year: 1994 Winner: Ernie Els Score: 279 Margin: Playoff (Els 74-4-4, Roberts 74-4-5, Montgomerie 78) Runners-up: Loren Roberts, Colin Montgomerie Prize: $320,000 Summary: It was the first three-man playoff at the U.S. Open in 31 years, but it didn't have to be that way. Loren Roberts had a 4 1/2-foot par putt to win the tournament on the 72nd hole, but missed it badly for a 70. Ernie Els didn't look at the scoreboard to see that he had a one-shot lead, played aggressively and had to make a 5-foot bogey putt for 73. Colin Montgomerie was the only player to never have a chance to win, shooting his 70 earlier and waiting in the clubhouse. Montgomerie, dressed in dark clothing on a sweltering day, shot 78 in the playoff. Els opened bogey-triple bogey, but played the rest of his round at 1 under for a 74 to match Roberts. Els won on the 20th hole when Roberts' approach on the 11th caught a bunker and he blasted out to 30 feet and made bogey. Els became the first foreign-born winner of the U.S. Open since David Graham in 1981. ___ Year: 2007 Winner: Angel Cabrera Score: 285 Margin: 1 shot Runners-up: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk Prize: $1.26 million Summary: Angel Cabrera became the first Argentine in 40 years to win a major. He became the champion sitting in the locker room as Jim Furyk faltered late and Tiger Woods couldn't buy a birdie. Cabrera made two birdies on the back nine, the last one on the 15th, and closed with a 69 to finish at 5-over 285. It was the highest winning score at Oakmont since 1935. Furyk was tied for the lead until he tried to drive the 17th green and made bogey. Woods, playing in the final group for the second straight major without winning, made only one birdie over the final 32 holes. ___ Year: 2016 Winner: Dustin Johnson Score: 276 Margin: 3 shots Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Runners-up: Jim Furyk, Scott Piercy, Shane Lowry Prize: $1.8 million Summary: Dustin Johnson finally won his first major after so many self-inflicted mishaps, and even with his best golf it wasn't easy. His ball moved as he prepared for a par putt on the fifth hole. The USGA decided it was worth a closer look and notified Johnson on the 12th tee that he may — or may not — face a one-shot penalty. Johnson played the last seven holes not knowing the score, and played like it didn't matter. The USGA penalized him, turning his 68 into a 69. No matter. His 276 was the lowest score posted in nine U.S. Opens at Oakmont and he won by three shots. Jim Furyk, who grew up in Pennsylvania, was a U.S. Open runner-up at Oakmont for the second time. ___ AP golf:
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
McIlroy defends media snub after leak about non-conforming driver at PGA Championship
CALEDON – Rory McIlroy rarely skips his media responsibilities, but at the PGA Championship, he was nowhere to be seen. McIlroy explained at the RBC Canadian Open on Wednesday why he skipped media duties after all four rounds of the season's second men's golf major. Some of it, he said, had to do with long days and wanting to help put his daughter Poppy to bed. But a lot had to do with his annoyance toward two unnamed members of the press corps. 'If we all wanted to, we could all bypass you guys and we could just go on this,' said McIlroy, holding up his cellphone. 'We could go on social media and we could talk about our round and do it our own way. 'We understand that that's not ideal for you guys and there's a bigger dynamic at play here.' Specifically, McIlroy was annoyed that it was leaked that his driver was disqualified by the USGA before play began at the PGA Championship, forcing him to use a driver he was not comfortable with. He noted that world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also had his driver disqualified, but that was not reported until later. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I talk to the media a lot,' McIlroy said at a news conference. 'I think there should be an understanding that this is a two-way street, and as much as we need to speak to you guys — we understand the benefit that comes from you being here and giving us the platform and everything else, I understand that — but again, I've been beating this drum for a long time. 'If they want to make it mandatory, that's fine, but in our rules it says that it's not, and until the day that that's maybe written into the regulations, you're going to have guys skip from time to time, and that's well within our rights.' McIlroy said that caution played a role in his decision to skip those four post-round availabilities. 'I didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted, either,' said McIlroy. 'I'm trying to protect Scottie. I don't want to mention his name. I'm trying to protect TaylorMade. I'm trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.
