Despite only taking place once every two years, the Ryder Cup has become one of the most popular tournaments that the golf world has to offer. On Thursday, Kerry Haigh, the PGA of America's chief champions officer, joined CBS Sports HQ at the 2022 PGA Show to discuss a number of topics, including the increasing popularity of the Ryder Cup over the years.
"From the first time I saw it, the excitement and the passion of the Ryder Cup is so different than a normal stroke-play tournament," Haigh said. Watch the entire interview in the video player above. "All 28 matches mean as much as each match. From the first match to the last match, they're all only worth one point, but you're playing us against them. That competition has just continued to grow, and it's been one of my biggest privileges to help it grow.
"Our aim is to continue to build it from Ryder Cup to Ryder Cup and I've been involved in 17 of them. Hopefully the next one in Rome will be bigger and better."
The Ryder Cup features teams of some of the world's best golfers representing the United States and Europe. In the all-time series, the United States has accumulated a 27-14-2 mark while Europe has a 11-9-1 mark after replacing Great Britain/Ireland following the 1977 Ryder Cup.
Haigh also noted that the fan anticipation for the event is another reason that the Ryder Cup has blossomed into a competition that so many yearn to view. Given the popularity of the Ryder Cup coupled with the incredible atmosphere presented each year at the PGA Championship, Haigh certainly has plenty on his plate when it comes to giving golf fans what they want to see.
