After years of preparation, the Ryder Cup is about to begin at Bethpage Black. And Long Island golf fans can anticipate even more championship golf coming to one of the country’s most popular public courses.
While visiting the Farmingdale course on Sept. 17, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that Bethpage Black will also host the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2028, and the PGA Championship in 2033.
“I don’t look at it just as an economic boost,” Hochul said. “I look at it as a point of pride.”
Hochul, who added that the PGA Championship will be played at Oak Hill Country Club, in Rochester, in 2035, said that she “could not be prouder,” that the state is a home to golf, "and always will be.”
Bethpage Black hosted its first PGA Championship in 2019, when Brooks Koepka won his second PGA title. The last time the women’s championship was played in the state was at the Westchester Country Club in Harrison, in 2015; this is the first time it will be played at Bethpage Black.
“Bringing the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to Bethpage Black is a significant milestone,” PGA of America President Don Rea said, adding that it reflects the PGA’s “commitment to staging this event at premier courses in major markets.”
PGA of America, based in Frisco, Texas, hosts the Ryder Cup and other major golf tournaments in the United States. This year’s biennial tournament, a matchup of the top golfers in the U.S. and Europe, is set for this week, beginning Sept. 26.
A week before the first competitors teed off, Ryder Cup Shops hosted a grand opening for the public, Sept. 19-22. Team U.S. fans can choose from over 1,500 items from more than 50 vendors at the 61,800-square-foot temporary pavilion, near Bethpage Black’s main spectator entrance.
Tournament tickets are not required.
During tournament week, Ryder Cup Shops will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 23; 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 24 and 25; 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 26 and 27; and 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 28.
Ryder Cup Shops has 70 registers and a large queuing area for customers, so fans can pick up merchandise and get back to the competition quickly. There are 10 full-time staffers, 20 interns and 1,200 volunteers, according to Michael Quirk, the chief commercial officer of merchandising for Legends Global, the company overseeing tournament merchandise.
“We’ve been told the expected number (of fans) for the Ryder Cup is north of 50,000” per day, Quirk said. “When we talk about a structure this big, there’s a reason for it. This is a machine that is really built to make sure that the best premium retail experience is actually possible this week.”
