The long countdown has begun that will take us straight to the 2025 Ryder Cup in Bethpage. As usual, the two captains of Team USA and Team Europe met the world press a year after the first tee shot of the competition. In New York, Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley once again had the merit of not being banal.
The first by bringing the name of Sergio Garcia back into fashion, the second by imagining himself in the role of the player-captain.
Ryder, news
Holder of the trophy raised at the Marco Simone, Donald takes on the difficult task of winning a Ryder Cup on the other continent.
Since 2012, no one has managed to confirm themselves as champion on someone else's home turf. And that success is already history (does the miracle of Medinah ring a bell?). Since then, it has always been only victories for the home team.
Moreover, the stars and stripes ones have been quite evident. In the game of parts, Keegan Bradley claims the exact opposite of his colleague. The Team Europe pros really love playing for Luke and they will want to come to Bethpage to silence our fans.
Playing in a hostile environment can unite the team. They are all great match play players and care a lot about the Ryder Cup. Those who play at home have a small advantage but it is not necessarily decisive. The 38-year-old Bradley repeats the usual refrain, that is, I want the best twelve American players.
A mantra that is actually possible given the changes recently made to Team USA: in fact, the captain will also be able to call up the professionals playing on the LIV GOLF Tour, an eventuality strictly forbidden in Rome for both teams.
The magic dozen that will make up the home team will include the first six in the order of merit and another six called through a wild card. Among these, there will also be professionals very low in the ranking, given that the Arab tour does not give points for the world ranking.
Bradley himself (currently ranked number 14 in the world) does not rule out being a player-captain: If I were to finish in the top six in the rankings, I will think about it. In that case, I will have assistants capable of leading the team.
Now I am only thinking about being the captain. Three assistants have already been made official: John Wood, Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson. One dream: Tiger Woods. The subject of call-ups is a much thornier one if interpreted in a European way.
To date, the DP World Tour has not actually allowed the captain to draw from the LIV GOLF Tour. The Tour asks dropouts to pay a fine and play at least four events on the circuit in a year in order to be eligible again.
