FARMINGDALE, NY (AP) — Before becoming captain of Team Europe in the Ryder Cup, Luke Donald was an amateur golfer at Northwestern University in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At the time, Michael Jordan was at the height of his career, winning six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. The two became friends and now live near each other in Florida.
Donald has taken advantage of this connection. “I’ve been fortunate to have access to Michael and ask him from time to time about what motivated him and how he got the best out of himself,” Donald said. “It’s great to be able to sit down with someone who is a legend in his sport—the greatest of all time, without a doubt—and learn from him.”
The European captain hopes Jordan, an American, will support his country's team in the Ryder Cup this week. However, one of the lessons from Jordan's career, highlighted in the documentary "The Last Dance," which Donald watched during the pandemic, could prove useful in his role as captain. "You can have a team of champions, but not a champion team," Donald stated. "You always need the people around you. We're always stronger together. That's something I've tried to instill in my teams the last two times: that we're stronger together."
Trump in contact
President Donald Trump is passionate about golf and keeps in touch with players he knows. Scottie Scheffler is one of them. “Sometimes I get a call or a text from him after a win,” said Scheffler, who has achieved 15 victories in the past two years, six of them since Trump returned to the White House. “He loves golf and is one of those people who, when you're around him, does a great job of building the confidence of everyone around him.”
Asked what kind of message Trump is sending, Scheffler replied, “Great job.” Trump plans to attend the opening session on Friday, although the PGA of America was still organizing the details of his arrival. One option was for him to arrive later in the morning to avoid disruptions to fans entering the course. The rounds can’t afford delays, as there are two sessions to complete before sunset. “I don’t think he has any plans to address us as a team, but I’m sure if things go well, we’ll hear from him this week,” Scheffler added.
Opening ceremony brought forward due to climate concerns
Forecasted adverse weather conditions have led Ryder Cup organizers to move the Opening Ceremony up a day, scheduling it for Wednesday at Bethpage Black. This ceremony, normally held on Thursday afternoon, is when the captains announce their lineups for Friday's first session. Now, the ceremony, hosted by Carson Daly and Kira Dixon, will take place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, when the players enter the venue to great fanfare. Those who have tickets for Thursday will be able to use them on Wednesday.
The lineups for Friday's opening foursomes session will be announced Thursday afternoon.
New location for Bethpage warning sign
Players heading to the first tee won't have to look far to be reminded of Bethpage Black's difficulty. The course's iconic warning sign, normally affixed to a fence behind the first tee, was relocated this week to the bridge that leads players from the practice area to the golf course. It will be directly above them, positioned at the back of a large grandstand as they walk toward a tunnel that runs through the stands to the first hole.
“The black course is extremely difficult and we recommend it only for highly skilled golfers,” reads the sign, which has been welcoming both professionals and amateurs to this public course for decades.
The reason for this relocation was simple: a large grandstand with seating for thousands of fans and views of the 1st and 18th holes now covers the fence where the sign normally stood. The PGA of America wanted the sign to remain visible to celebrate its heritage and remember the course's Black reputation. However, one drawback is that it could be difficult—even extremely difficult—for fans to take photos and selfies with the sign, which is so associated with the Long Island course that it appears on some Ryder Cup merchandise.
But there's a large replica of the sign on the path fans take to enter and exit the golf course. And, if that's not enough, there's also a huge Ryder Cup trophy, perfect for selfies.
Europe's heritage on the road
Europe often highlights its history at the Ryder Cup, and this week is no exception. One of the motivational videos the European team has prepared is titled “Our Time. Our Place.” This video celebrates the 37 players who have been part of the four teams that won on U.S. soil. Captain Luke Donald, who was part of the teams that won in Oakland Hills (2004) and Medinah (2012), will look to join Bernhard Langer as the only player to have played in two away victories and captained another.
Langer was part of the 1987 (Muirfield Village) and 1995 (Oak Hill) teams, and was captain in 2004.
