Luke Donald’s advance captaincy of the European Ryder Cup team is a reflective rebuttal to that old-fashioned approach. He wants to get his guys ready for the beast of Bethpage Black. On Tuesday evening, he convened his team for a celebratory pep rally of sorts. Then, he distributed virtual reality (VR) gear for them to train in the rowdy atmosphere they’ll face once they get to the tournament.
The decision to incorporate VR technology is a smart strategy. It acclimatizes them to the type of noise and distractions they are more frequently faced with at American venues. Rory McIlroy emphasized the advantages of this training tool, noting that the VR equipment can be adjusted to replicate harsh abuse from fans.
“It is just to simulate the sights and sounds and noise,” – Rory McIlroy
Bethpage Black is known for its raucous, if at times obnoxious, golf fans, providing an additional culture shock and tricky environment to the Euros. Donald took the leap to say the squad is prepared for this portion of the playoff gauntlet. This training will immensely increase their odds of success in the big race ahead of them.
As for the Euro contingent, Sepp Straka is in the same boat as just five of his compatriots, having never played Bethpage Black. He recently added a healthy newborn son to his family and he still needs time to join his teammates. Like the European side, the South American team has experienced adversity in previous tournaments. Their most recent appearance on U.S. soil came in 2012 when they emerged victorious at Medinah.
Just 11 players reported at Wentworth before departing to New York for practice. The team is looking forward to their chemistry developing more ahead of their Ryder Cup fixture. McIlroy further conceded that lessons learned from playing previous tournaments will be key.
“That’s the stuff that we are going to have to deal with. So it’s better to try to de-sensitize yourself as much as possible before you get in there. You can get them to say whatever you want them to say,” – Rory McIlroy
The European team hopes to drum up even greater solidarity this round. Their last Ryder Cup in 2021 at Whistling Straits came with asterisks after asterisks due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Now an ever-increasing contingent of European fans will be heading to Bethpage Black. For the players, it’s a chance to really shine under this friendlier climate.
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