The Friday factor: What both teams need to do to get their Ryder Cup challenge firing
WAVIN' FLAG: United States captain Keegan Bradley waving the Flag of the United States on the 18th green. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
It’s been a long time coming, but there is no time for relief that the opening day of this year’s Ryder Cup is finally upon us.
For both the USA and Europe, mastering the Friday challenge shapes up to be crucial for all that follows. Here’s why…
The modern era of this venerable old get-together has been defined by one trend: home team hammerings.
Since 2012, blowouts have been the order of the day and you don’t have to be a Molinari-level number cruncher to see where the data points.
Whether scheduled for the morning or afternoon, the Friday foursomes have been a hugely decisive factor in every victory which followed Medinah.
Here is how the home team has fared in every Ryder Cup since: won 3.5 to 0.5 (2014); won 4-0 (2016); won 4-0 (2018); won 3-1 (2021); won 4-0 (2023). That’s a cumulative score of 18.5 to 1.5. An unsurvivable landslide.
With the foursomes back in the opening slot at Bethpage, the alternate-shot format will again provide us with a bellwether.
In Rome, Europe’s whitewash meant that the tournament was almost over before an American fan had made it out of bed. Should things be tighter this time around it may well mean the blowout era is over and we’re in for a tense three days.
With the opening ceremony having been brought forward, the unveiling of the first pairings took on an unorthodox feel as Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley joined the Golf Channel to show their hand on Thursday evening.
From a European perspective, there were few surprises.
Donald went first with a combination that has worked to brilliant effect sending LIV duo Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton out in the opening match of the week to stare down Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas, quite the heavyweight home combo.
Finding a balanced duo is no easy thing, particularly in alternate-shot. The second combination, Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg, looks less assured for Europe given they are going up against Scottie Scheffler.
Then comes Europe’s second superstar tandem, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood against the only pairing among the morning session which looks light on power, Collin Morikawa and Harris English.
The fourth face-off, pitting Bob MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland against Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, looks to be slightly shaded the home side’s way.
Zooming out, for the session and challenge to come, the performance of Rahm and Hatton in the opener shapes as really key for the visitors.
It says much about the strength in depth in the European team room that Shane Lowry and Justin Rose will spend their morning watching and cheering along.
You’d have to expect both to be called upon for the afternoon fourballs, with the Lowry-McIlroy tandem that has been teased a possibility.
Rookie Rasmus Hojgaard could well get his first taste too. While it’s never a great thing to leave any player kicking his heels entirely, it does seem possible that Sepp Straka, who carried the most European rust here, may not see action until Saturday.
Similarly Bradley will want to get his green guys, three unused rookies in JJ Spaun, Ben Griffin and Cam Young, blooded in the afternoon.
Apart from the partisan atmosphere, one of the factors pointed to most when weighing up the ‘why’ of the run of dominant home victories is course set-up.
Padraig Harrington was among a few figures who’ve suggested that allowing the host nation to tailor the track to its team’s strengths has gone too far. There is at least, a neutral approach to pin positions.
Nonetheless, Bradley and Team USA have defanged the beast of Bethpage for this week. The vexing rough has been hacked back and having already been made scoreable, Thursday’s rain has left the greens even softer again.
"It's like a different golf course, honestly,” Shane Lowry told Irish reporters. “You stood here at the PGA and you were scared to miss a fairway. Especially with the rain today, the greens are going to be so soft; it's going to be a birdie-fest this week.
"They have obviously set it up for that thinking they are going to make more birdies than us, but we will try to make more birdies than them and see where it leaves us.”
Bethpage begins with a dogleg par 4 which the biggest hitters have found is reachable. Scoring holes follow early and often. Being aggressive is essential given the conditions all but demand it.
The rah-rah-rah Yankfest began a little early Thursday evening when Bradley grabbed a US flag from fans and ran up the 18th hole with it as DeChambeau, Justin Thomas and others were finishing a practice session.
There will be so much more to come over the next three days, the Trump factor taking it up many notches. But Europe have stuck to their charm offensive with the Long Island locals and Americans from further afield.
Donald believes the New York crowd could be turned against their own: “If the US players aren’t performing, the New Yorkers could make them know about it.”
Unlike the COVID-era defeat at Whistling Straits in 2021, there is a much more significant European fan presence here.
Lowry, meanwhile, pointed to the number of Irish fans among the New York population. Putting Bradley’s boys in an early hole could help lower the temperatures in a big way.
On the flip side, the new-look home team are crying out for some momentum.
Should they capture it Friday, it could carry them all the way.
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