Players, fans, a future host and a winner: The Irish at the Ryder Cup

UP AND COMING:Sean Keeling of Europe celebrates with the trophy. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

What better way to spend Christmas Eve than surrounded by friends and family? As part of Tourism Ireland’s trip to the Ryder Cup, they hosted Irish night on Thursday at a Rome city-centre Irish pub to give thanks and rejoice.

After a drawn-out and somewhat dreary buildup, it is finally here. Irish fans descended on Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in droves early this week and made their presence felt. 

Monday’s first practice round contained Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry with Sepp Straka and Tommy Fleetwood. The most prevalent flag in the opening grandstand was the tricolour. GAA jerseys and red heads littered the course eager for any opportunity to cheer.

It came earlier than expected. On Thursday, Europe won the Junior Ryder Cup for the first time since 2004. Back then a young hotshot called Rory McIlroy was on the team. In 2023, Roganstown 16-year-old Seán Keeling was the star performer.

On Tuesday, Keeling and Connor Graham came back from six down to halve their match. On Wednesday he partnered with Swede Nora Sundberg and beat Gianna Clemente and Will Hartman 3&1. His final match against Hartman was another victory after a slow start. It ended 4&2 as Europe won out 20.5 to 9.5 overall.

“I missed the first three fairways and when you miss fairways here, you haven’t got much of a chance, but I came back and started to play some really good golf,” Keeling explained afterwards.

“We are staying to watch all three days. That is going to be unbelievable. I mean the first tee tomorrow will be just… I just can’t wait.” As for his future plans, Keeling said he was considering heading to America or turning pro straight away.

“I still have time. I will probably either go to the States or turn pro. We’ll see how it goes.” As well as the players, there are a host of caddies working with both teams at the Ryder Cup. Shane Lowry has Darren Reynolds alongside him. Harry Diamond is with Rory McIlroy. Brooks Koepka praised his ‘best-friend’ Ricky Elliott in his press conference while Robert MacIntyre has Greg Milne on his bag.

In the Ryder Cup village, Adare Manor’s stall has a constant stream of patrons keen to sample the digital chipping and pitching simulator. Numerous representatives from the 2027’s host have flown out to Italy this week to examine organisation and participate in proceedings.

Several members of their green-keeping staff are working throughout the tournament. Locker room attendants are in the American dressing room. Managers, heads of media, course superintendents and the Director of Golf operations are all in Rome as well.

Excited right now. Still anticipating what is to come. The Irish location also came up in Jordan Spieth’s press conference when he was asked about the similarities between the crowd this week and a football match.

“That is what this tournament is about so it is probably the most similar to a football match of any other golf tournament, that is for sure.

“I think that we enjoy that. It is an exhibition that we prepare like it is the biggest tournament in two years, and part of that is there is a lot of uniqueness to this event and one of them is the crowd.

“We played in France. I believe that it will probably be a bit rowdier here in Italy than it was in France. Having said that, in four years' time in Ireland, you could argue it would be even more so than here.”