Donald Admits He’s Got 22-Months To Prepare His European Ryder Cup Team For ‘Big Apple’ Fans

2 years ago by Comments Off on Donald Admits He’s Got 22-Months To Prepare His European Ryder Cup Team For ‘Big Apple’ Fans

For those visiting Bethpage Park (Black) course there is a warning sign on the first tee advising it is an ‘extremely difficult’ golf course.

That’s not the only thing that is extremely difficult as newly-appointed double European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and many of his team heading to New York in late 2025 are already aware.

There have been two recent major championships hosted at Bethpage Park (Black) – 2009 US Open and 2019 PGA Championship – and among a few golf courses located within Bethpage Park, and laid out less than 40 miles from the heart of the Big Apple.

The quietly-spoken Englishman says he’ll use the next 22 months to tee-off in the 44th hosting of the Ryder Cup to work hard so that his team will feel comfortable in returning home with the golden trophy for what would be a first time since the 2012 Miracle at Medinah.

However if Donald is to create European Ryder Cup captaincy history for only a second occasion and lead back-to-back sides to success, it will mean having to silence the noisiest and more boisterous sports fans on the planet.

“Certainly that’s part of the challenge, Donald admitted.

“All Ryder Cups are loud and boisterous and New York won’t be any different and maybe even more so. But I played at Bethpage a few times and the New Yorkers love their sport and they love some jostling and all that kind of that goes with it.

“Obviously I have 22 months to try and figure out how to get the guys in the right frame of mind to deal with that, with the crowd.

“It’s the same every time you go away and New York might be a touch — a notch above that, but again, that’s to be seen. I’ve got 22 months now to try to figure that and those were sort of the things that will certainly be swishing around in my brain over the next few weeks”.

And while his appointment as 2025 European captain has only just been announced, Donald was asked his thoughts whether he will retain the same ‘backroom staff’ he had with him in Rome.

“As I said, we created a great culture, but those decisions will start to form in my head over these coming months”, he said.

“I’m sure someone like Francesco (Molinari) would love to play in New York as I’m sure he feels like he still has an opportunity to do it. You saw Justin Rose at age 43 or something have a great Ryder Cup himself. That’s inspiring, I’m sure, to someone like that.

“So I think, like any Ryder Cup captaincy, these decisions take time. I’ll certainly look at all the candidates and all the vice captains that were under me and have conversations with them and see where their mind is as well. So again, nothing has been decided yet. That process starts right now”.

 



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