On the floor of the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex at Hofstra University on Aug. 23, the atmosphere was quiet and simultaneously busy — like a golf tournament. Volunteers picked up their uniforms and credentials, while organizers moved briskly, helping them with size changes.
More than 4,300 volunteers, from 46 states — including over 2,700 from New York — and 28 countries will play a pivotal role in the historic Ryder Cup competition Sept. 23 to 28. The biennial showdown between the United States and Europe will take place on Bethpage State Park’s famed Black Course in Farmingdale — the first time the prestigious event has been held in New York.
Kasey Minnigan, who manages volunteer operations for the Ryder Cup through the PGA of America, said the event simply wouldn’t be happening without the thousands of people who signed up to help.
“We are just so excited to be a part of it,” said Minnigan, a Rockville Centre resident who grew up playing golf in Frisco, Texas, where the PGA is headquartered. “We get to give (the volunteers) access to the event for all six days, and they will be provided with two uniform shirts, a jacket, a headwear item and, most importantly, our credential.”
Minnigan, who captained golf teams in both high school, in Frisco, and college, at St. Francis, in Brooklyn, said that each volunteer becomes an ambassador for the event, whether on or off shift.
“We have shifts that cover up to 30 committees — from accessibility shuttles to the shops to on the course — every little thing is covered by volunteers,” she said. “The event would not be possible without them. When they’re on property during non-scheduled shift times, we ask that they wear their headwear so they can be easily noticed and able to step in if we need them.”
The merchandise tent — the largest the park has ever had for a golf event — will be manned by 1,200 volunteers, and there will be 1,300 marshals (also volunteers) stationed on the rope lines of Bethpage Black. Course marshals are tasked with crowd control, managing the pace of play and maintaining safety on the course.
“They are the backbone of this event,” Minnigan said of the volunteers. “We are just so grateful that they are excited to be a part of it.”
For many, the motivation to volunteer was simple: to experience world-class golf from just feet away. Sara Blau, a native of Brookville who now works for Citibank in Manhattan, said the bank offered slots to employees, and she jumped at the chance.
“I thought it would be a really cool opportunity for me to see the tournament up close,” Blau said. “I’m personally trying to get into golf more, taking lessons. I thought this would be a good opportunity for the start of my golf career.”
She said she sees golf as both a sport and a business tool. “It’s a lifelong sport, a great way to network, to take out clients,” she said. “And it’s just a lot of fun.”
For Andres Diez of Austin, Texas, the Ryder Cup will be a new volunteer experience, though he helped out at a Formula One race in his home state.
“I started playing as a kid, then took a hiatus,” he said. “It’s a great sport, especially playing with your friends in the summer. It’s a really nice way to ground yourself. You’re outdoors, it’s amazing. I love golf.”
Diez, a University of Texas graduate, said he was especially excited to see Scottie Scheffler — a fellow Longhorn who happens to be the top-ranked golfer in the world — lead Team USA.
“Honestly I think it’s worth it,” Diez said of the time and expense of traveling to New York.
Other volunteers are veterans of past tournaments at Bethpage. Diane and Mark Wojcik, of upstate Troy, volunteered at the 2019 PGA Championship — also contested on Bethpage Black — and signed up for the Ryder Cup.
“We really enjoyed it, we had a great time, it was a great experience and we wanted to do it again,” Diane said.
She will work at the entry gates checking credentials, while her husband will serve as a marshal on the fourth hole — one of his favorites to play on the Black Course.
“It’s a lot longer than the courses that I usually play, and a lot more difficult, with the sand traps and the fescue,” Mark said of the course’s tufted grass. “It’s not what we’re used to. But that’s what makes it so special.”
“What I’m really excited about is just meeting new people,” his wife added. “We’ve got Europe coming over, USA, I just think the whole experience is going to be amazing.”
The couple rented a recreational vehicle site near Bethpage for the week. “After we win,” Mark joked, “the party is at our RV camp.”
For Hicksville resident Jonathan Gotto, this Ryder Cup has personal meaning. His father-in-law, Judge John Marks, who died in April 2024, first encouraged him to volunteer for the PGA tournament in 2019.
“He’s the reason that a lot of us are here,” Gotto said. “He was the guy who would call you up and say, ‘Hey, what are you doing? We’re doing the Ryder Cup in September.’”
Gotto admits that he’s not much of a golfer. “The best thing I have in my bag is a machete to find my ball after I tee off,” he said, adding that his fondest memory was of serving as a flagman for tee shots in 2019.
“I actually had goose bumps because it was one of the coolest experiences,” he said. “(John) Daly was teeing off, I’m standing right next to him shaking, hoping I didn’t mess it up. I’ve got photos of Tiger (Woods), (Phil) Mickelson walking right next to me. It’s just amazing.”
This year, Gotto will serve as a marshal on holes 4 and 11. “It’s a great week to see some of the pros,” he said. “It’s just amazing to be part of it.”
The Ryder Cup is one of the few sporting events in which volunteers can be part of the action without swinging a club. For Long Islanders, it’s also a chance to showcase their home course to the world.
Bethpage Black has built a reputation as one of the most demanding layouts in golf, with a sign at the first tee warning that it is “extremely difficult” and recommended only for highly skilled players. Previous major tournaments there drew enormous, raucous galleries, something both players and volunteers expect again.
And for many, the reward will be what Blau called “seeing the tournament up close and personal” — an experience no TV broadcast could match.
