Sky Sports to launch Ryder Cup channel

GOLF fans are to benefit from a new channel entirely dedicated to this year’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

Gleneagles will host the 2014 Ryder Cup. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Broadcaster Sky Sports has announced plans to screen two weeks of non-stop golf including exclusively live coverage of the biggest event in the sport on Sky Sports 4.

The channel goes live as ‘Sky Sports Ryder Cup’ at 6am on Thursday, September 18 and will show over 330 hours of golf across 14 days, including 36 hours of live coverage.

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “We’ll offer round-the-clock build up, the opening and closing ceremonies and exclusive live coverage of all three days from Gleneagles. We can’t wait.”

Presenter David Livingstone will be joined in the studio by Scots golfer and former winning European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, coach to US Ryder Cup stars Butch Harmon, and on Sunday Jack Nicklaus who played in five Ryder Cup teams and captained the USA twice winning in 1983.

George O’Grady, chief executive of The European Tour, welcomed the new channel while golfer Paul McGinley, European Ryder Cup Captain said: “The Ryder Cup is a truly unique sporting spectacle, full of drama, excitement and passion, all of which has been brought to life for the television viewers over the years by Sky Sports. Having worked with the Sky Sports team at major golf events for the past couple of years, I know the professionalism and enthusiasm in place for our sport, all of which will go together to produce a feast of television for golf fans in September.”

Visitors to Gleneagles for The 2014 Ryder Cup will be able to access the Sky Sports Ryder Cup channel for free whether they are subscribers or not thanks to complimentary wifi provided by The Ryder Cup and access to Sky Sports provided by Sky Go and NOW TV.