Bringing the Ryder Cup to Farmingdale, NY was a spectacle twelve years in the making. Last week, the American and European teams descended on Bethpage Black for the 2025 Ryder Cup, an historic moment for the beloved A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece, which became the first municipal golf course in the United States to host the biennial event.
Sam Burns is one of the best putters in the world. For the 2025 season, he ranks number 1 on the PGA TOUR for strokes gained putting (0.983) and 4th in putts per round (27.96). Not only is Burns making more putts inside ten feet than any other player on the PGA TOUR this year (90.85%), he is also making more putts in the critical four to eight foot range as well (77.88%).
Put another way, when Burns is within ten feet of the hole, he makes the putt nine out of ten times.
Needless to say, Burns is doing something right on the greens and it has helped the 29 year-old Louisianian capture five PGA TOUR wins since turning pro in 2017.
While being a good putter requires a certain level of technique, there are many more factors that go into putting that physical mechanics alone can’t account for. The putt must be read correctly. The read must be matched up with the correct pace—two factors that are more feel oriented and less technical than the actual putting stroke. Beyond the read, pace and stroke, there is the internal dialogue to manage, the internal— and external— pressures placed on each putt that can turn an otherwise straight forward six footer into a mental minefield of doubt.
Sam Burns was asked about this during Thursday’s press conference at the Ryder Cup, and his response provides some key insight into the mindset of the best putter on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
“I try to keep putting as simple as possible. I think there are so many things that happen after you hit a putt that are out of your control, whether it hits a spike mark or an imperfection on the green or the wind blows it, there’s so many things that can happen,” explained Burns.
“For me, I try to read it, start it on the line I want to with the right speed, and after that, whatever happens, happens. I think that’s the best way to approach putting for myself.”
Burns also shared the importance of taking your time with your routine and putt only when you’re ready to putt.
“Sometimes things can happen quickly, so just making sure you’re settled in or not rushing it, making sure you take the appropriate amount of time to kind of settle into your routine,” he said. “There’s definitely nerves. There’s definitely excitement. It’s just settling yourself down and realizing that a six-footer is a six-footer. It’s a lot more difficult to do when you’re out there, but I think that’s the simplest form of doing that.”
Burns controls what he can during his routine, never overcomplicating the process, but its the last thought that runs through his head before taking the putter back that might be the key to his success on the greens—the quiet certainty of commitment.
“I would say the last thought is, I mean, for me, it’s committing to a line that I’ve read. I think the worst thing you can do in putting is kind of be unsure. Because a lot of times if you’re unsure, you don’t really make a good stroke or don’t really have good speed. So really, it’s just committing to that line and trying to make a good stroke, and then being able to accept the result.”
The legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “If you’re on time, you’re late.” It was such a cornerstone of his coaching philosophy that arriving fifteen minutes early to practice wasn’t just encouraged—it was expected, and became known as “Lombardi Time.”
The reminder to err on the side of arriving early is something New Yorkers know well, whether its making a good impression at work or accounting for the inevitable subway delay, construction detour, or weather surprise.
But on Friday morning at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, that old saying took on a cruel twist: If you’re early, you’re late.
Tens of thousands of fans descended on Farmingdale, Long Island with over an hour to spare before Bryson DeChambeau’s highly anticipated opening tee shot only to find the town completely overwhelmed by the flood of spectators.
By 6:15 a.m. all roads leading to 99 Quaker Meeting House Road were moving at a crawl. By 6:45 a.m. traffic had come to a complete standstill. Patrons stuck in Ubers stuck in traffic nervously looked at the clock as the first match was set to tee off at 7:10 a.m.
Realizing they could get no closer by car, patrons abandoned their Ubers and shuttle busses and opted to walk the final half mile to the entrance gates at Bethpage Black. What began as a trickle of people walking along the main roads swelled into a river of fans cutting through the neighborhood streets, the hope of catching the opening tee shot still intact.
But those hopes would be quickly dashed when the walkers met a sea of thousands already being herded by state troopers along Bethpage Road—a chaotic, unmoving mass of people that marked the end of the line for the general entrance still a quarter mile away.
DeChambeau’s opening tee shot came and went, as did all four tee times during the morning’s Foursomes matches while the thousands of patrons waited outside still trying to get in.
Tournament volunteers, hospitality staff, and credentialed media entering on foot were denied access to their respective entrances and were redirected into the same gridlocked general entrance crowd, despite having backpacks and gear that required specialized screening.
Compounding the issue, cell towers in the immediate area became overloaded as the congested mass simultaneously searched for a signal and patrons scanned the skies for satellite connection on their new iPhone 17s. Those lucky enough to have a signal sent texts to friends and coworkers who were already inside stating they would be late. Others pulled up the broadcast on their phones, and pockets of cheers erupted whenever a point went up for the Americans—or the Europeans.
The 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black caused controversy when it released ticket prices last October, announcing that match day tickets would cost $749.51— around $400 more than the last time the U.S. hosted the tournament in 2021. Billing the tournament as a “Tier 1 event that’s on par with a World Series”, the PGA of America was able to sell out Ryder Cup tickets at exorbitant prices, yet fans received less than Tier 1 treatment as they watched the event on their cell phones while standing in a confusing line trying to get into the venue.
Frustrated fans wanting to take the edge off didn’t have to look far. Eagle-eyed neighbors aiming to capitalize on the crowds outside their house set up a cardboard sign directly across the street from the unmoving entry line advertising BEER & SHOTS—a makeshift driveway speakeasy complete with a picnic table with folding chairs.
Despite the confusion and overall disbelief at the disorganization of the situation, the crowd was by no means unruly or even loud. Everybody was in it together, united by the passion for the sport and excitement for the day ahead.
If the organizers knew tickets were sold out and the venue would be at capacity, how did they not have the entry logistics more figured out? Just how early did fans need to arrive to avoid the gridlock?
According to troopers on the scene, fans started arriving as early as 3 :30 a.m. to queue up for the 5 a.m. gate opening. By 5:15 a.m. most of the grandstands at the first tee were already filled. Those on Lombardi Time would not only miss the first tee shot, they would miss half of the entire morning session as the general entry line ballooned to over two hours.
As spectators trickled out after the afternoon matches, the young entrepreneurs who’d been selling beer and shots had pivoted their business model. A new cardboard sign now read: “Park Here.” It’s something ticket holders for the following day will surely consider when they plan their commute for Saturday’s matches—along with setting their alarm clocks a couple of hours earlier.