Team Europe captain Luke Donald has shared his excitement at New York’s Bethpage Black hosting the 2025 Ryder Cup.
His fellow Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has labelled Bethpage Black ‘special’, with the duo preparing themselves for next year’s event.
Bradley is expecting big support at the Ryder Cup, with the home fans set to try and help Team USA recover from last year’s defeat.
Donald is once again Team Europe captain after guiding the hosts to victory in Rome, with Bradley taking over from losing captain Zach Johnson.
The two rivals are set to go head-to-head in Long Island this time next year, having battled it out at Marco Simone in the Italian capital in 2023.
Team Europe captain Luke Donald makes Bethpage Black and Medinah claim
Both Donald and Bradley will be aware of how tricky an away victory is, with Europe the last team to win on the road.
Jose Maria Olazabal orchestrated that win at Medinah in 2012, in one of the greatest sporting events in history.
And current captain Donald believes there are similarities between Medinah and Bethpage, discussing the latter in his latest Ryder Cup press conference.
“I’m relatively familiar with Bethpage,” he said. “I played my first US Open here back in 2002. I played in 2009, I’ve played some other events here at Bethpage.
“It’s a great course, a state park in the middle of Long Island in the New York area. It’s an amazing place that’s open to the public, just a very special place, to have something like that host major championships is very special.
“It’s a big golf course. It’s a tough golf course, and it’s going to be a great venue for this year’s Ryder Cup.
“But yeah, New York… I grew up in England, but spent a lot of time in Chicago where we played in Medinah. New York has a similar feel, even to more of a degree.
“Both great sports teams, sports cities. Just a lot of energy and certainly they are going to bring that to this Ryder Cup in Bethpage.”
Can home support help Keegan Bradley win the Ryder Cup with Team USA?
The home fans will be more than up for the tournament next year, having witnessed their side fall to a miserable defeat in Rome.
Donald led his side superbly in Italy, but the home support certainly played a massive role in the fantastic success.
Team Europe’s fans backed their players right from the very first tee shot to the last, and will certainly turn up in their numbers in New York.
READ MORE: Keegan Bradley reveals the promise he has made to himself ahead of next year’s Ryder Cup
But the home fans will undoubtedly outnumber them at Bethpage Black, which is set to host a very exciting battle.
American golf is in a superb place ahead of the tournament, with the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele having dominated the 2024 PGA Tour season.
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