Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald sent a message to Team U.S. and captain Keegan Bradley ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup.
The Ryder Cup in New York is less than a month away, and we know which players Europe and the USA will be taking to Bethpage Black. Europe comes off the back of a dominant home win in Rome in 2023, and now it’s America’s turn to defend home soil.
A lot has been said about the home New York crowd and the raucous atmosphere they are set to create for Team U.S. Bryson DeChambeau said Europe can expect a tsunami of noise, and whatever atmosphere they are expecting at the Ryder Cup, they can double it.
But Luke Donald fired back against those claims with a message to the Americans.
Luke Donald says New York crowd can work against the Americans at the Ryder Cup
Donald, who was lifted by the European crowd in Rome as Europe got off to an electric start, said that a home crowd can work against a team, too. He explained that New York crowds in particular can turn on their own if they do not perform.
He said on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, “You could argue that from both sides. As nice as it is to play at home, New Yorkers don’t hold back no matter what. Even if it’s their own and they don’t feel like they’re performing at the level they should.
“There will be so much pressure on the U.S. as well. I think there’s more pressure to play at home. There are more distractions, there are more things going on, the expectations are higher.
“I assume they will be ready, but I feel like we’ll be just as prepared for the noise and the atmosphere we’re going to experience.”
That’s a clear message to DeChambeau and Bradley: this crowd may not work the way you expect it to, and you better have your team prepared for it.
Donald is captain for the second time and has selected a near-identical team for 2025 compared to the one he brought to Rome in 2023. He knows his team inside out and has experience in his role.
Meanwhile, Team U.S. is stacked with Ryder Cup rookies and a first-time captain, Keegan Bradley. Scottie Scheffler and DeChambeau are among the highly experienced Americans who are expected to handle the pressure expertly, but the team is full of unknowns.
Donald knows how to prepare his team for the big stage. He proved that two years ago. The Americans, and DeChambeau especially, are expecting a swell of support. Their reaction if the New York crowd begins to turn would be fascinating.
Rory McIlroy looks to make history with the ‘biggest achievement’ in golf
Rory McIlroy is laser-focused on the Ryder Cup. He called the competition the best event in the sport, and after winning in 2023, said winning a Ryder Cup on the road is one of the “biggest achievements in golf”.
History favours the Europeans. The last time a Ryder Cup was played in New York state, Europe won. That was in 1995, when Europe pulled off a dramatic Sunday comeback to shock the USA.
Europe hasn’t lost at home in over 30 years, but you don’t need to think back that long to when Europe last won in America. That was in 2012, and McIlroy was a part of that team.
It will, of course, be a monumental challenge for Donald’s side. Despite the questions surrounding the American side, they enter the Ryder Cup as favourites.
They have the world number one, Scottie Scheffler, who had a Tiger Woods-esque season, a Ryder Cup veteran in Justin Thomas, a U.S. Open winner in JJ Spaun, and the enigmatic DeChambeau.
But Europe carries a quiet, composed confidence into this year’s competition, and this could be their greatest opportunity in years.