It took less than an hour for single day tickets to the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits to sell out after they first went on sale Wednesday.
The ticketing process used by the PGA of America, however, left many fans frustrated. The #RyderCup2020 on Twitter was filled with complaints from those who felt misled by marketing emails that seemed to give them a real shot at buying tickets.
Those interested in buying tickets were asked to sign up for a random lottery over the past several months.
Those selected in the random process received emails last week that said “you’re in” and invited them to learn more about buying tickets. On Monday, those same people received an email with a unique access code directing them to visit an online ticket lobby starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
When tickets officially went on sale at 10 a.m. those in the online ticket lobby were randomly put in line to buy tickets. Those joining the lobby after 10 a.m. went to the back of the line.
By 10:47 a.m., the message on the ticketing website indicated “Match Day” tickets for the three-day competition had sold out. A little after 11 a.m. the message was changed to indicate weekly ticket packages had also sold out, leaving only practice day tickets.
The ticketing process differed from the last Ryder Cup in the U.S. In 2016, those looking to buy tickets were also asked to sign up for a random selection process. In that case, prospective buyers were selected into several groups, each with its own ticket purchasing window.
PGA of America media representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the process.
