By Mark Whiley
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The 45th Ryder Cup is set to see the United States and Europe go head-to-head. The latest chapter of the biennial showpiece will see Luke Donald’s team defending the trophy, won in Rome in 2023, on the notoriously challenging Bethpage Black course. Home turf has often been a game-changer in recent Ryder Cup history, making the United States a strong favourite as they host the tournament. The last time Europe tasted victory on American soil was the ‘Miracle of Medinah’ in 2012, when Jose Maria Olazabal’s team managed to overturn a 10-6 deficit on the final day. Many of Europe’s heavyweights have had individual success on the PGA Tour and they will need to channel that if they are to get their hands on the trophy on Sunday night. While Sky Sports will be broadcasting the event on TV, there will also be comprehensive coverage on UK radio. BBC radio holds the rights to the event, with Mark Chapman, one third of Match of the Day’s new presenting line-up, leading the coverage alongside a seasoned team of experts and former players. Commentary will be spearheaded by BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter, joined by ex-Ryder Cup players Oli Wilson and Jamie Donaldson, former Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew, major champion Shaun Micheel and PGA Tour winner Andrew Magee. Additionally, John Murray, Alistair Bruce-Ball, Katherine Downes and James Gregg will be reporting from within the ropes. Five Live will kick off full coverage from midday (7am US time) on Friday, ahead of the first foursomes match, which tees off at 7.10am. The station’s late-morning shows will provide build-up to the event. According to the timetable, there will be a brief break in coverage at 5pm, between the morning foursomes and afternoon fourball matches. The action will resume at 5.30pm, wrapping up around midnight. On Saturday, the golf will jostle for attention with Premier League football. Five Live’s coverage runs from midday to 2.30pm, before briefly hopping over to Five Live Sports Extra until 3.45pm. It then returns to Five Live at 6.15pm until the end of the fourball matches. Sunday’s coverage of the singles begins at the later time of 4.15pm and will continue until after the final putt is sunk. In addition to your trusty radio, Five Live can be found on Freeview channel 705, via the BBC Sounds app and the BBC Sport website, where you’ll find in-play clips and a live blog. Five Live’s radio competitor, talkSPORT, won’t be providing live coverage, although it will keep listeners updated across its platforms. This will be the first Ryder Cup since legendary talkSPORT golf reporter Bob Bubka passed away earlier this year at the age of 83.
