Police are planning as if there are increased threats in and around the upcoming Ryder Cup tournament because of the recent killing of activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead earlier this month at Utah Valley University.
That’s according to a New York City police chief who told BBC on Monday that the golf competition, in which America takes on Europe in one of the sport’s most celebrated events, is comparable to a Super Bowl or a World Series, yet has greater challenges because of how spread out the golf course at Bethpage Black is, when compared to a contained stadium or arena.
With the best and most in-form European and American golfers coming together for this weekend’s event, New York City will see Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, and Xander Schaueffele and Ludvig Aberg.
The policing of such an event carries logisitical challenges, yet security appears to be heightened due to the political climate in the United States, as per Major Stephen Udice of the New York State Police, who is also incident commander for the Ryder Cup.
Security Heightened at Ryder Cup in Aftermath of Charlie Kirk Killing
“If anything, the likelihood of somebody trying to use an event like this to make a statement is only increased,” Udice told BBC Sport.
“Some would argue it’s much higher. We are planning as if there’s threats.”
Security concerns are perhaps complicated by the 50,000 people expected to attend the three-day event, including US President Donald Trump.
Udice continued: “We have multiple different layers that someone looking to cause chaos and harm is going to have to get through. In an event of this size, with the attention that this is going to get around the world, we also recognise that this is a target.
“It is on par with a Super Bowl and a World Series, but what makes this even more challenging is that it’s in a 1,400-acre park, not a contained stadium.”
Regarding the technology required to ensure everyone is safe, Udice said: “We have drones, we’re going to have several state police helicopters, we have chemical units, biological units, radiological units, numerous bomb-disposal dogs.
“It’s definitely going to create another challenge, but that’s also something that we incorporated into our plan a year and a half ago.
“We’re trying to strike that balance between minimising the interruption to all the spectators but also keeping the president safe.”
The Ryder Cup begins on Friday, the 26th of September, and will conclude Sunday. Team Europe are defending champions and will hope to retain the trophy on American soil.
