Ryder Cup week has arrived, and with it the tension between the United States and Europe has increased further.
The two sides will renew their longstanding rivalry at Bethpage Black this week, where the prestigious trophy and the subsequent bragging rights are at stake.
Rick Shiels has backed Europe for Ryder Cup success, despite the visitors having the disadvantage of playing away from home.
As European star Rory McIlroy has constantly alluded to, winning an away Ryder Cup is an extremely difficult achievement.
Only six away wins have been recorded at the tournament since Great Britain and Ireland became Team Europe in 1979, with just two posted by the USA.
All of a sudden more heat has been added to the Ryder Cup just days before tee off
That is one of several intriguing storylines that have long been brewing ahead of the first tee shot, with several recent developments simply adding more heat to what is arguably one of the most highly anticipated Ryder Cup clashes in recent memory.
The ongoing tussle between McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau has led the way in that regard, with the Northern Irishman calling out the American ahead of the event.
McIlroy has been blasted by golf fans following his comments, which included saying DeChambeau only gets attention by “mentioning other people”.
The LIV Golf icon thinks McIlroy “didn’t mean anything” with his verdict, although he is eager to enjoy plenty of back and forth with The Masters champion at Bethpage.
The pair do, of course, have history on the course, with DeChambeau dramatically edging out McIlroy at the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst.
No more vocal figures were needed in the back and forth, but Brandel Chamblee has simply added fuel to the fire by claiming DeChambeau would be a “captain’s nightmare” at the team event.
European captain Luke Donald stokes Ryder Cup flames further with USA verdict
As if it was needed at Bethpage, the latest edition of the Ryder Cup has been given an extra injection of drama given that the home players will be paid to play.
The United States representatives will each receive $500,000, with that factor taking another twist after European captain Luke Donald offered his verdict on the situation.
He told Sky Sports Golf: “This came up and I wanted to get ahead of it and talk to the 12 guys in Rome when it looked like the US were going to do something different with payments.
“Every one of them was just like, ‘No, this isn’t a week to get paid’. We have such a strong purpose in this team, what we play for.
“And to be honest we reinvest some of that money back into the experience of these guys. And I feel like if you have those experiences that you remember for the rest of your life, that’s worth more than a couple of $100,000 in your back pocket.
“So for me, I was very proud of the guys, I think the ideals of how this Ryder Cup was set up back in the 20s by Samuel Ryder, I think he would have been proud too.”
But he certainly hasn’t had the last say on the matter, with Dan Rapaport quick to respond, posting on X: “You can put your heart and soul into something and still get paid for it…”
The American is right, but Donald’s perspective should be the one that many golf fans take given the nature of the tournament and those involved.
Players on the United States Ryder Cup team have had another busy and demanding season, but they’ve been rewarded handsomely for their efforts.
It is, of course, worth noting that $300,000 of the total sum will be donated to a charity decided by the player, while it remains to be seen what they do with the rest of the money going their way.
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