Both sides extol the tightknit team atmosphere and the way the Ryder Cup turns 12 individual athletes into a team. But many around the game say there’s a difference in the two team rooms.
“They bonded by nationality over there. The Englishmen play together, the Irishmen, the Spaniards,” said Jim Gallagher Jr., the NBC analyst who was part of the 1993 U.S. team that won in England. “I just think it’s immeasurable what it means to them. I think Americans, we can quantify it; for them they can’t even quantify it. It’s a big deal for us too, don’t get me wrong, but it gives them a 1 percent advantage.”
For the Americans, a Ryder Cup is often akin to a business trip with carefully planned routines and strategies. The Europeans are more likely to rely on motivational speeches, tapping the game’s legends and emphasizing historical significance. They show the team emotional videos that touch on golf but also team, family and country. “There’s very few players not shedding a few tears, I can say that,” Spain’s Jon Rahm said.
The European team room is decorated with photos of past squads and inspirational quotes. One wall features the name of all 168 European players who have competed in a Ryder Cup. And the locker room features 13 stalls — including a space reserved for Seve Ballesteros, the late Spanish star who was the heart of so many European teams.
“I think it’s a much more emotional week than what we are used to,” said England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who’s playing in his third Ryder Cup. “ … We feel it’s a massive privilege to be here, to have the responsibility of carrying the legacy on of European golf and European players in the Ryder Cup, and I think we are all very aware of that. And anybody that’s been involved in the European Ryder Cups over the years [makes] sure that’s always at the front of our minds when we get here.”
The European team hopes that camaraderie translates to the course, particularly the first two days of foursomes and four-ball matches, when golfers play as teams. One big statistical disparity: The United States has managed to win only two of the 14 foursome (alternating shot) sessions on European soil since 1993. Breaking with tradition, the Europeans have opted to begin Friday’s competition in Rome with foursome matches, in hopes of jumping out to a lead.
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