The Ryder Cup has taken the golf world by storm over the years, becoming a major television in recent years.
Once thought of as “not that important of an event” by Rory Mcllroy, one of the most prominent golfers in the world, the Ryder Cup has become must-see television.
But, how did the perception of the event change so drastically over time?
While we must give credit to the golfers for putting on a show worth watching, we must also point out that they’ve been given the platform to showcase their talents at the Ryder Cup.
President of NBC Sports, Jon Miller, made it a goal to get more live sports rights on the NBC Sports broadcast and took a liking to the Ryder Cup.
Once NBC Sports lost an MLB Saturday Afternoon package to CBS in the 1980s, Miller turned his attention to the Ryder Cup. If it weren’t for the MLB’s decision to make the transition to CBS, fans may have never gotten to experience the Ryder Cup and how we view it today.
The 2023 Ryder Cup is set to begin on Friday, Sept. 29, and goes through Sunday, Oct. 1. The tournament will be held at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy. Several high-profile golfers will be participating in the event, such as LIV Golf League member Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, and the aforementioned Mcllroy.
It should make for an exciting and highly-competitive affair that fans will be eager to watch, and we can thank the MLB for allowing us to be able to watch it on live television.
