Ryder Cup diary: Shane Lowry the leading culprit as Højgaard faces initial hurdles
LEADING CULPRIT: Shane Lowry during a practice round before the 2025 Ryder Cup. Pic: Vaughn Ridley/Sportsfile.
The syrupy sentimentality and clichégasm that surrounds this show every two years is inescapable. The spirit of Seve and all the rest. History, tradition and identity are referred to constantly.
When it comes to the latter, Luke Donald can claim to have leaned into what is literally a winning DNA. Having selected 11 of the 12 who triumphed in Rome, the captain swapped one Højgaard, Rasmus, in for his twin brother, Nicolai.
“The fact that we are 11 out of 12 returning players is an amazing thing, or 11 and a half returning players, really,” observed Justin Rose on Wednesday.
For Rasmus Højgaard, who was embedded with the team in Rome, coming in as a player this time around has been an easy transition.
Asked if things feel different at Bethpage, the 24-year-old delivered Danish deadpan: “Not really. It's pretty much the same thing [and team]. They only had to change one initial on the names."
That doesn’t mean it has been as easy for his teammates. Højgaard said he gets called his brother’s name “pretty much half the time by everyone” with one leading culprit.
“It happens all the time,” he said. "Shane sometimes just calls me ‘Nicolai’. And then he's like, ‘Oh, [sorry] Rasmus is here’. I've been used to it for 20 years now. So it doesn't really bother me.”
The Wednesday morning galleries were getting excited about a legendary footballer who excelled in blue, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning attracting swarms as he loosened up for an All-Star Match.
For the visitors it was the more traditional football icon who remained top of mind. Gianfranco Zola’s presence as part of the European entourage here emerged Tuesday in a “that’s not who I think it is, is it?” kind of way.
The former Chelsea and Italy maestro is serving as buggy driver for vice captain Francesco Molinari. With the European team room stuffed with football diehards, Zola’s cameo is still giving the pros a kick.
“He was literally one of the first people I bumped into, coming around the corner of the hotel to the lifts,” said Rose, a Chelsea fan.
“I meet a lot of really cool people in my life through the game of golf. But I was like, 'Whoa! Wow! Hey, Gianfranco!’ I was starstruck which is amazing.”
NFL star Manning led the home team out for the clash between US and European celebs, joined by the likes of John McEnroe, singer Noah Kahan and country crooner Miranda Lambert.
The Europeans lacked similar star power. Put it this way: Brooklyn Beckham was leading off for the visitors, although Catherine Zeta-Jones and former LA Lakers champion Pau Gasol brought some pizazz in the second match.
Nonetheless, one up for the US.
With Europe having used the Spanish Steps as the stunning backdrop for their gala arrival in Rome, the pressure was on the hosts to return the favour this week.
New York isn’t without its options but the US team chose to stay local with the glitzy dinner held at Hempstead House, a 50,000sq ft Long Island mansion. It didn’t score highly for spectacle and was further let down by the home team’s styling.
US players went open collar and white trainers with their suits and were, rightly, slated on social media for it.
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