The 2021 Ryder Cup will take place at the Whistling Straits golf course in Wisconsin from September 24 until September 26. The first two days will begin a little after 7 AM CST (8 AM EST) but the final day of the competition will begin at 11 AM CST instead. Below, we’ll explore all the ways you can catch the action, as well as the times that the most anticipated matches will tee off.

Important: this post will only cover official sources. Although there are usually numerous unlicensed streams for sports events like the Ryder Cup, we recommend ignoring them in favor of properly licensed sources. After all, unofficial streams are prone to takedowns, and often only have low-resolution video. You can watch the 2021 Ryder Cup for free online legally, so there’s no reason to resort to sub-standard, unofficial streams.

Note that this tournament will only be shown on region-locked platforms. If you’re traveling abroad and hoping to watch on the same services you’d use back home, you’ll need a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

How to stream the Ryder Cup abroad

VPNs encrypt your internet traffic, but they’re also capable of hiding your true location, which makes it easy to regain access to your usual services while traveling.

Here’s how to stream the Ryder Cup online from anywhere:

  • Register with a suitable VPN service. We recommend NordVPN but Surfshark and ExpressVPN are great options too.
  • Download and install the VPN software, taking care to get the right version for your operating system.
  • Decide which of the sources listed below you’d like to use.
  • Connect to a server in the appropriate country. For instance, you’d need a British server for Sky Go, or a US server for ESPN.
  • Try loading content from your chosen source. It should load quickly, without any errors. Note that you may need to refresh the page before you see any changes.

We recommend running through the steps above before the Ryder Cup actually begins. This way, you’ll know in advance if there are any problems and will have plenty of time to ask for help from your VPN’s customer support team.

Where can I watch the 2021 Ryder Cup live online?

The 2021 Ryder Cup will be broadcast in various countries around the world. Below, we’ll explain where you can catch every minute of the action live online, whether you’re at home or abroad.

There are no hidden terms—just contact support within 30 days if you decide NordVPN isn’t right for you and you’ll get a full refund. Start your NordVPN trial here.

USA

NBC has been America’s official Ryder Cup broadcast for almost 20 years. As such, this year’s event will be split between the NBC website or online at The Golf Channel. If your cable subscription already includes NBC Sports, you’ll be able to watch at no added cost. You can also stream coverage for free via Peacock.

Don’t worry if you don’t have cable TV. The Golf Channel allows you to sign in with various over-the-top services including Hulu, YouTube TV, fuboTV, and Sling TV, most of which offer a short free trial. You can watch the Ryder Cup for free by signing up for one of these services, streaming the tournament, and canceling before the trial period ends.

There will also be a free-to-watch live stream on the official Ryder Cup website. While it’s unclear whether or not this will show the matches or simply offer buildup and analysis, there is a box below the player offering minute-by-minute coverage.

All of the above services are geo-restricted. However, you can access them as normal from abroad using a VPN. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free.

UK

There’s just one Ryder Cup broadcaster in the UK: Sky Sports. It will be showing each game of the event live, both on its web player and the Sky Sports Mobile TV app.

Existing Sky Sports subscribers can log in and start streaming immediately. If you’re not a Sky customer, there are two options. You can decide to get Sky TV, but this is expensive (the required packages are £38 a month, not including installation fees) and locks you into a long-term contact. A better option is to buy a month-long Now TV Sports pass for £33.99; this will allow you to watch both channels that are showing the Ryder Cup: Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event.

Sky Go and Now TV are only available in the UK. However, with the right VPN, streaming them abroad is child’s play.

Australia

In Australia, the Ryder Cup is airing on Fox Sports. If you’re a Foxtel customer with the Sports channel pack, you’ll be able to watch via Foxtel Go at no added cost. If not, you’ll have to sign up for Kayo — this service usually costs $25 AUD per month but it comes with a two-week free trial.

These services geo-restrict their content to viewers within Australia, so if you’re overseas on vacation when the Ryder Cup begins, you’ll have to connect to one of your VPN’s Australian servers before you can watch anything.

Canada

This year’s Ryder Cup will be shown in English and French on TSN and RDS, respectively. If your cable package includes one of these channels already, just sign into the appropriate website to watch for free. Alternatively, you can pay $19.99 CAD for a monthly pass to either platform.

TSN and RDS are only available in Canada. However, you can stream them from anywhere using a Canadian VPN server.

Ryder Cup 2021 schedule

How does the Ryder Cup work?

The Ryder Cup pits two teams of twelve golfers against one another in a series of match play games. Scoring is simple: a win is worth one point, and a tie is worth half a point. The first team to amass 14.5 points of the available 28 is the winner. If both teams earn 14 points, the team currently in possession of the Ryder Cup keeps it.

The 2021 Ryder Cup teams are as follows:

In the first two days of the competition, teams will play a combination of four-ball and foursome games. In four-ball, two members from each team play the same hole simultaneously, with the team’s lowest score being submitted. In foursome matches, both team members alternate shots on the same ball. The final day of the Ryder Cup is easier to follow, with 12 one-on-one singles matches.