FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — A joyous mood undoubtedly played a role, but there is no denying Rory McIlroy’s moxie. He threw down the challenge to his European Ryder Cup teammates in the glory of victory in Rome two years ago and never backed off from it.
McIlroy will be making his eighth Ryder Cup appearance when the biennial competition begins Friday at Bethpage Black, a venue known for its boisterous crowds during three previous major championships here. McIlroy will once again be a central figure for Europe’s challenge in this intense competition.
“I’ve said this for the last probably six or seven years to anyone that will listen: I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup, and that’s what we’re going to do at Bethpage,” McIlroy said in the raucous aftermath in Rome.
McIlroy - “One of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup and that's what we're going to do at Bethpage.”
— Daniel Hussey (@DanielHussey2) October 1, 2023
Lowry with the “ah, go on Rors!”
Roll on 2025 ☘️☘️
pic.twitter.com/AJL8abcqsa
Golf’s version of a Joe Namath proclamation for sure, one that perhaps could be excused in the euphoria of the occasion.
But McIlroy reiterated the message when he sent a video of encouragement recently in advance of the Walker Cup, an amateur competition between the U.S. and Great Britain/Ireland that was played at Cypress Point.
“As someone who played a Walker Cup and wasn’t able to quite get it done, and then to go on to play Ryder Cups and be able to beat the Yanks in their own backyard, nothing feels better,” McIlroy said. “Please beat them because I know we’re going to beat them at Bethpage.”
Give McIlroy credit for his confidence amid the recent history which has seen home teams dominate.
Going back to the 2014 match at Gleneagles in Scotland, the home team has won this event by at least five points. Home teams have have particularly dominated the foursomes format—which is eight of the 28 points and includes four matches in the first session on Friday morning. The lopsided team sessions have for the road team rendered the Sunday singles matches as, to use another football term, long shot Hail Marys.
Even in 2012, when Europe won in what came to be called “The Miracle at Medinah,” it did so overcoming a 10-6 lead going into the Sunday, Their huge rally was just enough to prevail with a dramatic 14½ to 13½ win.
No match has been that close since. There's a strong case that it all puts pressure this week on the Americans, who have not won in Europe in seven attempts since 1993, to secure their home turf amid a raucous crowd of supporters.
Why This European Squad Could Spring a Ryder Cup Upset
Europe enters as a formidable, confident team, with 11 players returning from the squad that thumped the Americans 16½ to 11½ in Rome. Of course, the Americans had numerous players on that team who prevailed 19 to 9 in 2021 at Whistling Straits, the site of the last U.S. win.
Europe brought back Luke Donald for a second captaincy after the success in Rome and there’s plenty of reason to believe his team is prepared for the task.
“We know how difficult it is going to be,” McIlroy said. “We are under no illusion. I have complete confidence in Luke and his vice captains and the team that they have put together.
“I keep saying this: We have a massive opportunity to do something that not a lot of Ryder Cup teams say that they have done. I have been lucky enough to be part of one Ryder Cup team that won away. We have got a lot of people within that team [from 2012], whether they are myself and Justin Rose that are playing, but then obviously you’ve got Francesco [Molinari] and Luke on the vice captain side that were there that played. So we have experience in knowing what it takes.
“But I think we all know it’s going to be very, very difficult, and you're not just playing 12 American golfers. You’re also trying to get past the crowd, and that’s the same thing that they feel when we come here and play in Europe. Just it definitely gives you a bit of an in-built advantage to start the week, and that's something definitely that we’re going to have to overcome.”
Why the home team has become so dominating is a bit of a mystery. Certainly the top players on both sides are accustomed to difficult situations. They have competed with and against players who have the crowd behind them.
Likewise, it has to be jarring to hear poor shots cheered and good shots booed and the general atmosphere that accompanies a Ryder Cup. The crowd aspect is intense, with fans right up against the ropes. It is fair to say that many golfers can be rattled by the experience.
Then there is the golf course itself. Although the home team does not set up the course in terms of pin placements, it does have a say in how it is presented. And that can vary.
The Americans have typically faced tight fairways and thick rough at European venues. Bethpage Black, while difficult due its length, will not feature U.S. Open-style rough.
“I think you’re going to have to expect to go out there and make some birdies. These are world-class players,” Donald said.
“For starters, I think the home team tries to give themselves an advantage from a golf course set up standpoint,” said American Sam Burns, who played on the U.S. team in Rome. “They seem to have slower greens over there, a little bit of an adjustment we have to make. Those guys are probably a little bit more comfortable on those greens. They have a lot of fescue grass. We don’t get a lot of that. A lot of little things add up to make a difference.”
The Ryder Cup Format That Heavily Factors Into the Result
One aspect has been the foursomes format that is set to begin the competition on Friday. Recent history has shown the home team to dominate at the awkward competition that has two players alternate shots to play a hole.
In Rome, the Europeans raced to a 4–0 lead in foursomes and never looked back. They went 7–1 in the format. But at Whistling Straits the U.S. went 5½ to 2½ after also starting 4–0.
“I don’t have a good explanation,” said Patrick Cantlay, who has gone 6–3 in nine foursomes matches over five team events with Xander Schauffele. “If I’m trying to arm-chair with it, I’d say that momentum has a lot to do in that format. Because you’re not hitting every shot. So it can feel like it goes fast or it feels like the moments are small. You only have so many chances in alternate shot to make a big difference. I think momentum can play a big factor.”
Perhaps nobody dealt with the abuse as much as Cantlay did two years ago, when word spread during the Saturday afternoon session that he was not wearing a hat as a form of protest over pay. Cantlay denied it—and wondered what all the fuss was about during a heated session that saw McIlroy and Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, get into a verbal altercation in the parking lot afterward.
“I think you play in front of crowds like that under extreme pressure, it’s something you can take with you going forward,” Cantlay said. “I’m sure New York is going to be a crazy environment for all involved. I’m looking forward to competing in an arena like that."
McIlroy made it clear at the beginning of the year that winning the Masters, an Olympic gold medal and an away Ryder Cup were the big things left for him in his career.
It’s hard to see anything that will top his victory earlier this year at Augusta National to complete the career Grand Slam. Donald, already a victorious captain, is unlikely to feel much heat if the Europeans were to lose this week at Bethpage Black. His European team is a decisive underdog.
Which, oddly, makes you wonder:
Is there more pressure on the U.S. team?
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Home Team Keeps Winning Ryder Cups, But Perhaps This Year Will Be Different.
