Sam Burns reached over the fence at the Bethpage driving range and handed over a Callaway nine iron to a young fan. His generous act, bettering teammate Xander Schauffele’s signed glove moments before, underlined the mood days out from the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Team USA has been on a charm offensive, soaking in the adulation from kids on the property, signing hundreds of autographs and giving back, that despite the controversy surrounding a new $200,000 stipend per player, in a first for the event with players compensated for their play.
But forgotten in this gentle and jovial build-up is the inevitable storm brewing, not just the inclement weather forcing the opening ceremony to take place on Wednesday evening, instead of the traditional slot on the eve of day one, either.
The notorious New York crowd, though perhaps slightly less inebriated due to the steep $15 price per beer, is expected to unsettle and disrupt the European harmony and momentum since a colossal win in Rome. Such an advantage for the United States, desperate to snatch the cup back after a humbling two years ago, is not taken for granted by Collin Morikawa either.
“I’ll be honest, I think it’s kind of tame so far, Tuesday and Wednesday,” said the world No 8. “I know tomorrow is going to be pretty bad [due to the weather] but I hope Friday is just absolute chaos. I’m all for it.
“I think it feeds into who we are and the American players and the American Team. We want it. Like we want to use that to our advantage.
“I think every sport uses their home crowd to their advantage, and just because we don’t play in a setting like this doesn’t mean the craziness of New York and the rest of the country that people are traveling in from, it doesn’t mean that we can’t use that to our advantage.
“I think we really have to tap into that. I hope they come strong. Watching all these kids, I know they want autographs, but come Friday, I hope they go crazy.”
There is a real appetite for golf here, with Americans snaking around the property and sparking a crackle of applause and cries of encouragement at each turn.
A clamour beneath the bridge that connects the putting green to the driving range occurred after Justin Thomas skipped up the steps following a practice session: “Let’s go, JT!”
AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ bounced off the walls of the amphitheatre that hugs the back of the 18th green and the 1st tee on Wednesday morning too. A fiercely focused Schauffele then crushed a high drive beyond the trees. That tantalising first hole, and the aggressive line that teases the big hitters into a direct route to the green, should light the fuse on Friday morning.
Friday will also have another wildcard; President Donald J. Trump’s arrival, even belatedly, should inject even more chaos on the fairways and around the greens.
“I don’t think he’s going to necessarily be on the tee box with us or roaming the course,” Justin Rose hinted, though the intrigue surrounding Trump’s whereabouts on Friday remains.
The Ryder Cup organisers even detailed the extensive security measures necessary to accommodate Trump, with new items added to the banned list, including “large vaping devices”.
And despite Morikawa’s rallying cry, Tommy Fleetwood is convinced a fierce crowd will emerge when play gets underway.
“I do say that the home crowd are a big part of what makes the Ryder Cup so special, so unique to us,” Fleetwood remarked.
“I think that energy, that passion and that home team environment is something that plays such a big part in the Ryder Cup, and I think you have to embrace that, enjoy it, and look forward to it, even when you’re the away team.”
Morikawa has at least acknowledged the potential pitfall of this Ryder Cup, the unsavoury scenes that might leave a blemish on this event. Even during the pleasantries of the opening ceremony, captain Keegan Bradley offered a reminder of what he and everyone else can expect.
“We know the atmosphere will be electric, raucous and, yes, respectful,” Bradley said during an impassioned speech. “The Ryder Cup doesn’t just test skill, it reveals soul. We’re on a quest to regain the Ryder Cup, we face a mighty opponent, the challenge will be fierce.”
Such has been the preparation for Europe, that the last two days will not distract from what Friday will likely bring. How they deal with the “chaos” will decide where the cup sits on Sunday evening.
