I’m just going to come out and say it… for the first time in over a decade, I can see an away victory at the Ryder Cup!
A big claim, I know, because if you listen to the commentators and podcasts, or read the column inches of leading pundits, everyone seems to be pointing towards the USA continuing the trend of home-team dominance.
Only twice since the turn of the century has an away team managed to pull off a victory, both times being Europe (2004 at Oakland Hills and 2012 at Medinah), which demonstrates the size of the task ahead.
All the talk of ‘home advantage’ is something I can relate to through my career in cricket.
Any Ashes series was always dominated by discussions of hostile crowds and how wickets would be prepared.
Any Ashes series was always dominated by discussions of hostile crowds and how wickets would be prepared. In England, Edgbaston was seen as the venue where The Barmy Army would truly become our 12th Man, and pitches were curated to suit our strengths.
When we went to Australia, so much would be made of the 100,000 Australians at the MCG on Boxing Day and the sledges we as players would receive across the fence.
European captain Luke Donald has recognised this, and I know he has spoken to Ben Stokes about the intensity of playing abroad and how different characters in the team have dealt with it on recent tours.
Luke strikes me as a man who leaves no stone unturned. I loved watching the documentary Una Famiglia, which went behind the scenes on how he brought that team of Europeans together ahead of the Ryder Cup two years ago.
The small touches behind the scenes, the incredible preparation and attention to detail, and the way he looked to make team-mates feel as comfortable as possible in the heat of battle.
There will also be a strong following of European fans on site, and as a player, just seeing a bit of blue & yellow will inspire them.
It’s a combination of the meticulous nature we had with Andy Flower during our climb to No.1 Test team in the world, alongside the most personable guy you could ever meet, in Brendan McCullum.
Luke seems to be an incredible leader, and it was clear from all his team cheering “Two more years” during the trophy presentation at Marco Simone that they wanted the same again.
Some of this European team will remember all too well the challenge of playing at Whistling Straits, when no European fans could travel to Wisconsin because of COVID restrictions.
This was around the same time as my last Ashes tour of Australia, when the Barmy Army couldn’t travel either. It made for a really tough experience as a player.
This time around, the role of the crowd at Bethpage has remained a hot topic. The huge stands that have become synonymous with Ryder Cup first tees will be packed out with New Yorkers, but there will also be a strong following of European fans on site, and as a player, just seeing a bit of blue and yellow will inspire them.
Going back to my opening statement of predicting an away win, I feel the team is coming in with real momentum.
I was almost as happy watching Tommy Fleetwood win the TOUR Championship ten days ago as I was when Rory McIlroy won at Augusta in April (and that’s saying something!).
Seeing his friends Justin Rose and Shane Lowry filming the moment on their iPhones at the back of the 18th green made it feel so much more relatable.
For Fleetwood, having your breakthrough win on the PGA TOUR in arguably the biggest tournament on the schedule was incredible. He had 12 rounds in the 60s during the PGA TOUR Play-offs, with remarkable consistency.
Rose himself had a win at the end of the regular season, and I feel that Matt Fitzpatrick’s form over the summer has him in good shape going into the Ryder Cup. He reminds me of another Yorkshireman, Jonny Bairstow, in how he can raise his game when it’s needed most.
It promises to be an amazing three days. Attending a Ryder Cup as a spectator remains very high up on the bucket list for me.
But much like Rory in April and Tommy two weeks ago, it will be on (or behind!) the sofa with a glass of red for me… bring it on!
The guys at Fitzdares have given me a £500 free bet pot to use on a selection of the major sporting events of my choice.
Last year, I was able to raise a whopping £2,992.50 for Motor Neurone Disease. In September, I’m going all in on the boys getting the job done at Bethpage…
£500 Europe to lift the trophy @ 11/10
Ryder Cup, 26th Sept — 28th Sept
