Colin Jost’s Personal Connection to the Ryder Cup
The 2025 Ryder Cup held a special meaning for Colin Jost. The comedian, who is known for his work on Saturday Night Live, grew up on Staten Island and fondly recalls spending his childhood at Bethpage Black, often camping in a van until the course opened.
In a recent reflection, Jost mentioned a few memorable moments from this year, particularly his participation in a Celebrity Ryder Cup match alongside Giants legend Eli Manning.
He shared an anecdote, saying, “Honestly, I took screenshots of the New York Post headlines about our victory in the celebrity match. I thought to myself, ‘This might be the best—and possibly the only—sports achievement I’ll ever have in my life.’ It felt like a really wonderful moment to embrace.”
He reminisced, “As a kid, my friend and I would camp at Bethpage, and we even made it onto the course at 5:45 in the morning for kids like us.”
Jost, who has been a fan of Eli for years, expressed how surreal it felt to finally work with him. “Believe it or not, I’ve been writing for about two decades on ‘SNL,’ and Eli is the only host I’ve ever asked for an autograph. The picture of him, arms behind his head on a soccer bed, is almost romantic. It’s the only photo I truly wanted because I admire him so much.”
During the live pre-match show “T-Mobile Breakfast at Bethpage,” which Jost hosted, he praised Manning, referring to him as a “captain” figure for their team.
Joking about the experience, Jost said, “Even if he tossed a golf ball my way and I caught it, I’d say, ‘Hey, I’m a wide receiver now!’” He added, “Manning was an awesome partner, and I was thrilled to be part of it. We were fortunate to have a great win. It felt good to contribute, even in a small way, to America with our ‘Fake Ryder Cup.’”
In their match, Jost and Manning triumphed over former Bulls star Toni Kukoc and Brooklyn Beckham, with a score of 7.5-3.5. After the match, Jost launched into a two-hour livestream show produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, blending comedy and entertainment for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
The collaboration was noted as a blend of “College GameDay” and “Manning Cast,” with T-Mobile 5G technology backing it all.
Jost’s engaging personality shone brightly during the show as he appeared alongside other celebrities, including Bobby Frey, Christopher McDonald, Marcello Hernandez, and Richard King.
