Ryder Cup coverage sparks backlash as McDowell and fans slam USA Network ads and audio

Ryder Cup coverage on USA Network drew sharp criticism on Friday as fans and former champion Graeme McDowell lamented a barrage of commercial breaks and audio issues during the opening sessions in New York.

McDowell, the Northern Irish Ryder Cup legend, posted on X after play began, saying the coverage from USA Network was "driving me insane already." "Think we are on the 5th commercial break. May have to flip on the SkySports version. Any better?" he wrote.

Fans echoed the complaints, noting that hole 2 tee shots were not shown, only a few balls in play, and replays overshadowed live action. "Didn’t show hole 2 tee ball of the first match. There’s two golf balls in play on the entire course, still managed to miss shots. At this point it’s comical," one fan said. "There’s literally 4 golf balls in play on the whole course and we’re watching replays of shots hit already!" a second raged. PGA Tour player Byeong Hun An also weighed in, saying: "We could be seeing more commercials than golf today."

The coverage also drew audio criticisms early on. "Audio on USA Network for the Ryder Cup is unacceptably bad right now. They have got to get this sorted out asap," one fan wrote. "Is it my TV or is the sound not synced properly for the Ryder Cup? I’m hearing the ball being hit and the club wasn’t even swung yet," a second asked. "The audio lag on @USANetwork for the @rydercup is horrendous. C’mon now."

The Daily Mail has reached out to NBCUniversal for comment.

Play on Friday began with foursomes, with DeChambeau and Justin Thomas facing Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, and Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley facing Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick. Colin Morikawa and Harris English also took on Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, while Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay were matched up against Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland. Fourball will be later in the day on Friday, with Saturday featuring the same action as a day prior and Sunday exclusively featuring singles play.

Fans flocked to Farmingdale, New York to see Rory McIlroy and other stars at the Ryder Cup.