Your Digital Guide to the 2014 Ryder Cup

The 40th Ryder Cup competition doesn’t officially begin until Friday (with practice rounds beginning Wednesday), but that gives you ample time to get yourself up to date on this iteration of the bi-annual golf competition. It’s an exciting event for the avid golf fan, the fan that only watches majors and even those desperate for some old-fashioned national pride. Here’s what you need to know to keep tabs on the event through your computer or mobile device.

Pre-Event

Some simple Googling can give you all the Ryder Cup previews your heart desires. There’s no shortage of opinion on who will win, which player will shine or which player needs to step up for their team. If you’re just looking for basic info on the event, the Ryder Cup’s official web page will give you everything you need to know. You can download the official program, get the schedule of events, and take virtual tours of all the holes at Gleneagles. The tours of the holes are a nice touch, but be ready for some VERY annoying ads before EVERY video flyover. In my experience, most ads actually last longer than the hole previews themselves which, you know, is super dumb. It’s a real bummer, but the hole tours are still nice if you want to get an idea of how players will be tackling the course this week. The official site also offers a lot of news in both print and video form, if you just can’t get enough Ryder Cup info.

Golf Channel is providing a boatload of coverage throughout the week, starting with previews and analysis and moving on to practice round coverage starting Wednesday. If you can’t be near your TV, you can follow along via Golf Live Extra, Golf Channel’s streaming service. You do need to provide your TV carrier credentials, so it’s not available for cord-cutters. But TV subscribers who receive Golf Channel can stream coverage live on their computers, iOS or Android devices.

During the Event

Competition begins Friday, so if you want to follow along while at work in the morning, the Ryder Cup is offering live streaming on their web site.  If you’re on the go (or work somewhere with a less-than-favorable browsing policy), you can rely on the complementary iOS and Android apps for your live video needs. You can use these apps all weekend, of course, so you’ll never have to miss out on the action. The apps can also provide live scoring updates, so you can still know how the teams are doing even if you can’t be glued to your device.

If you’ll be near a TV over the weekend, both Golf Channel and NBC will have you covered, as they are broadcasting the entire event for the first time ever. The event is in Scotland, so you’ll need to stay up late or get up early to catch all the coverage. You soccer fans should be used to this by now. Full TV listings can be found here.

From what I can tell, no TV subscription is necessary to follow along on the Ryder Cup video stream and apps, so even if you don’t get Golf Channel, you should still be able to see live video when you require it. So set those alarms, pre-program those coffee makers, and get ready for an exciting three days of international competition as golf returns to the motherland. Just don’t blame us if you’re really groggy come Monday morning.

(Header photo via Jim Epler)