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Ryder Cup officials ban selfies at Gleneagles

Rory McIlroy poses for a selfie with the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool after this year's Open Championship © Getty Images

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Stuffy Ryder Cup officials risk looking stuck in the past after banning selfies from the Gleneagles course when the tournament gets underway later this month.

Organisers have introduced a ban on uploading pictures to the internet via social media during the event in Scotland, while also clamping down on unofficial audio and video recordings.

The ruling is reportedly designed to protect the Ryder Cup brand and prevent the distraction of players, but it could have an unwelcome consequence.

The new rules could see world No.1 Rory McIlroy falling foul of the law. The 25-year-old, who is a prolific taker of selfies, regularly posts the photographs to his 2 million Twitter followers.

Flying high with the team after my 4th Major victory!!! NYC here we come!! Thanks for all the support and well wishes pic.twitter.com/zK1q8xnwA8

— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) August 11, 2014

Over 250,000 spectators are expected to attend the clash between the United States and Europe at Gleneagles, which runs from September 23 - 28. Ticketholders, who have paid up to £1,500 for a day's attendance, have been warned that no audio or video capture is permitted and no photography is allowed, except on practice days.

The rules also state: "Images taken with a camera, mobile phone or other electronic device cannot be used for any purpose other than for private and domestic purposes. You must not sell, license, publish (including, without limitation, via Twitter or Facebook or any other social media site) or otherwise commercially exploit photographs."

A spokesman for Ryder Cup Europe told the Daily Telegraph: "The Ryder Cup is one of the world's most recognised sporting events and as such we need to ensure that the brand, encompassing fair play, teamwork and camaraderie is protected at all times which means ensuring that images of the event are not used for monetary gain in a manner which may go against those principles.

"The taking of pictures during high pressure sporting events has also been shown to have an adverse effect on players, with shutter sounds and bright flashes proving to be a distraction at critical moments. It is not fair to compromise the sporting occasion for either the players or those spectating."

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