By Team Europe look to claim the first away victory at the Ryder Cup since the 2012 ‘Miracle at Medinah’; Luke Donald chases back to back victories over the United States and a famous win at Bethpage Black,
Since Europe recovered from being 10-4 down to deliver one of the all-time great sporting comebacks in 2012, snatching victory in such unlikely fashion that it is referred to as the ‘Miracle at Medinah’, every following Ryder Cup has been won by five points or more.
Europe are unquestionably a dominant force on home soil, with America losing on each of their last seven visits across the Atlantic, but replicating that in the United States has historically proven far more challenging.
Team USA have only lost four times at home in the 98 year history of this biennial event, with the last Ryder Cup held in the United States seeing them triumph 19-9, the largest margin of victory since players from Continental Europe were allowed to feature.
Although home advantage and having the stronger team, based on the Official Golf World Ranking, will make Team USA slight favourites to regain the trophy, this year’s eagerly anticipated edition has the potential to be the closest in a generation.
US captain Keegan Bradley has opted to stick with their preferred tactic of starting their home matches with alternate shot foursomes, and success in this format has been a reliable indicator of overall outcomes in recent times, it is the most demanding and pressurised form of team play, no second chances in a world of brutal co dependence.
Remember Tiger Woods’ thunderous looks as His unlikely partner and career rival Phil Mickelson repeatedly sent their ball into deep trouble at Oakland Hills in 2004? there is no hiding place and it is arguably the format that most accurately tells us where a Ryder Cup team are at in terms of mood and form.
Luke Donald and His European team
Europe have often opted for more forgiving fourball play to start their home matches, although last time skipper Luke Donald bucked that trend with spectacular success, in Rome they romped to a 4-0 lead on the first morning by delivering an alternate shot pasting that the US never recovered from.
Europe held their opponents at arms length thereafter to continue the current trend of convincing home wins, since the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012, when Europe came from 10-4 down to secure the contest’s most recent away win, it has been one way traffic in favour of the host team.
In each of the five subsequent events, the winning outfit have trounced the visitors in the first day foursomes, Europe dropped only half a point out of 12 in these sequences in the triumphs of 2014, 2018 and 2023.
At Whistling Straits four years ago, the US took the opening foursomes 3-1 en route to a record 19-9 victory, in 2016 they won the Friday foursomes session 4-0 at Hazeltine and Europe never truly recovered.
So both captains know the importance of this Friday’s opening session at Bethpage Black, it is the tone setter for the three days of competition.
Why it is so hard for away teams to prosper at alternate shot is hard to fathom, maybe this time there is a better chance because Europe are the more experienced team, with Rasmus Hojgaard their only rookie.
Certainly Donald wants His golfers to get off to a fast start to try to quieten what are expected to be vociferous home fans, indeed, the ultimate aim would be to prompt home galleries to turn on their team, especially as the US players are each being paid $500,000 (£371,000), with $300,000 (£148,000) to go to their charity of choice.
Donald will hope the experience of His team, tried and tested foursomes partnerships such as Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, and Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, can get into the US from the off.
By contrast, Bradley will presumably have to rely heavily on vice captain Jim Furyk, who played nine Ryder Cups, winning only two, the 55 year old was the losing skipper to Bjorn in Paris in 2018′
Keegan Bradley and His USA team
Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson are the only other back up with Ryder Cup experience, Simpson was on the losing team in all three of His matches, while Snedeker made up for 2012 defeat with success in 2016.
Famously, Bradley will never open His kit bag from Medinah until He wins a Ryder Cup, He still calls that tumultuous final day when Europe surged back from 10-6 down “horrifying”.
Crucially, the in form 39 year old’s wildcard picks can all look at their captain knowing he could have picked Himself instead of them, that is surely a powerful motivator for half of His team and potentially a Bradley masterstroke.
Knowing there is already a wealth of tinder, the skippers will not want sparks to fly, certainly until the contest finally gets under way on Friday morning.
The past five matches have not been close, this has been the era of the home blowout, but on aggregate in that period Europe lead by a single point: 70½-69½.
Home advantage is significant, but so is experience and know how, that is the culture clash at the heart of this year’s Ryder Cup, this will be at its most acute in the earliest exchanges, if neither side gain a significant lead from those foursomes matches, the closeness of the contest may endure until the very end.
