As the Ryder Cup draws near, Europe and America’s captains are applying their final preparations before the highly anticipated event.
Years of meticulous preparation and research will culminate in three days of the most pressure-packed golf the sport has to offer. 12 players tee off in New York with the weight of a country, or a continent, on their shoulders.
That puts the emphasis on Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley to put their players in the best possible position to thrive in that environment. Europe played a Ryder Cup practice round in America for the first time in Ryder Cup history as part of their build-up to the tournament.
As analysts attempt to predict a winner between these well-matched teams, a microscope is applied to both Donald and Bradley in the weeks leading up to the event. Brandan Porath explained why Donald has Europe better prepared than Bradley’s America.
Team Europe ‘perfectly executed’ Ryder Cup preparation, says Brandan Porath
While Bradley is a first-time captain and was a surprise choice, Donald returns for his second Ryder Cup following a triumphant tournament in Rome. His European team won convincingly and looks to repeat that success in New York, aiming to win in America for the first time since 2012.
Xander Schauffele said it’s impossible to prepare for the Ryder Cup fans, but Donald is attempting to do just that. He’s given his team virtual reality headsets to acclimate them to the heckling on the first tee box at Bethpage.
Real thought, based on experience, has gone into Europe’s preparation, and Porath thinks it’s that experience which gives them the pre-tournament edge.
Speaking on Golf Today, he was asked who had won the preparation phase of the Ryder Cup. Porath answered, “I would give it to Luke Donald. I give everything preliminary to the European side.
“Why? Because he’s been the captain before, I think he’s a relatively unemotional, steady hand.
“Some people motivate in a library voice, in a quieter way. That’s not to say he’s unmotivating. I think everything they’ve done since Rome, and really since before Rome, has been perfectly executed to win an away Ryder Cup.
“In terms of the captains room and the captain himself, they have absolutely won the preliminary setup.”
Brandan Porath doesn’t think Team USA will have a home advantage
Team USA’s home crowd has been touted as their major advantage going into the Ryder Cup. Bryson DeChambeau said a tsunami of noise will descend on Europe when they arrive at Bethpage Black.
Donald responded to DeChambeau’s comments, warning him that it may work against Team USA. That led to debate as to whether the crowd will be pro or anti-American if Team USA gets off to a slow start, as they did in Rome.
But Porath said he doesn’t think the crowd will have as much of an impact as expected. He explained, “I would quibble with the notion of a home court advantage when it comes to the Ryder Cup. I do think the crowd has an impact, but in American sports, it is generally seen in officiating.
“A block in the back on the home team might get picked up compared to a block in the back on the away team. That’s an easier call to make, and we see that in the NBA quite frequently.
“I think with golf there is the mental component for an away team dealing with hostile jeers so close to them, but in terms of home field advantage, in American sports I think officiating is where that bears out.”
It’s true that the crowd will have little to no impact on how this tournament is officiated. That’s just not how the sport works. However, these players are likely to face an environment unlike anything they experience throughout their typical season.
Crowds on the PGA Tour, or in LIV Golf for that matter, are not typically devoted to one player or team. They have players they like and are generally supportive of them during rounds. That will not be the case in New York.
Europe are set to face boos and heckles from unlike anything they have seen in the last two years. Tensions are likely to boil over, as they did in Rome when Rory McIlroy confronted Patrick Cantlay’s caddie in an explosive exchange.
If, by some miracle, the fans don’t affect the players’ performance, at the very least, they will produce an electric environment that is unique to the Ryder Cup.