Online Dating: Women Ditch Apps for the Ryder Cup to Meet Eligible Bachelors
Single women are reportedly trading swipes for the fairway at the Ryder Cup, using the high-profile golf tournament as an off‑apps strategy to meet potential partners.
According to the New York Post, the three‑day competition at Bethpage Black on Long Island — which pits 12 American golfers against 12 Europeans — has become a social hotspot for singles.
Comedian and podcaster Heather McMahan encouraged listeners of her “Absolutely Not” podcast to leave dating apps behind and head to the tournament: “Take the train, take the Long Island Railroad, the LIRR out there, get day passes… that is where you are going to meet some hotties,” she said on the show. She added that the international crowd could yield attractive matches: “You will meet yourself a hottie with a body from, you know, Sweden, Norway. You will meet a nice Irish man who loves Rory McElroy.” A clip from the episode has drawn tens of thousands of views on TikTok.
Event organizers expect more than 250,000 attendees over the competition days. Even during preview sessions, attendees and observers noted a noticeably young, single‑friendly crowd. Colleen Griparich, 36, told The Post she was surprised by the number of men at a preview day: “As soon as I walked in, I texted my friends and Facetimed my mom and said, ‘Look at all these guys,’” she said. “I probably could see 500 or 600 men at one time. I couldn’t even believe it.”
Practical considerations are part of the calculus: tickets for competition days reportedly start around $750, with resale prices climbing higher. Food and non‑alcoholic drinks are included, making full days at the event a substantial but self‑contained outing.
Other attendees described deliberate social strategies. Nathaly Del Carmen, who purchased Thursday and Sunday passes, planned to position herself near refreshment areas and lounges rather than on the course, where “it’s frowned upon to be having conversations,” she said. Comedian Nina Barnett told TikTok followers she was “seriously considering wearing an ‘I’m single’ hat to the Ryder Cup this weekend.”
High‑profile partners and tournament WAGs were visible on site, and gossip around players — including links between Bryson DeChambeau and two golf influencers — added to the event’s social buzz.
For budget‑conscious singles, there were low‑cost alternatives: some said they intended to change their dating‑app location settings to the Bethpage area, or to wait near nearby Main Street bars where fans might congregate after a day on the course. “One‑hundred percent this is where I need to be this weekend,” Griparich told The Post. “I love golf, and I love men.”
