The 2025 Ryder Cup is now underway, with the USA and Europe battling it out under an electric atmosphere at Bethpage Black.
Europe have been tipped for Ryder Cup success, but they do have the disadvantage of playing away from home.
They last won an away Ryder Cup in 2012, which indeed represents the last time either team has completed the feat.
Several factors are set to play a part at Bethpage Black, including the boisterous fans and indeed the difficulty of the course itself, which has been set up very differently from previous major events held there.
Intriguingly, USA ace Harris English thinks the winning score would be 18 to 20-under if the course was playing host to a PGA Tour event this week.
Ryder Cup organizers criticized for ‘soft’ decision in very first session
The circumstances are, of course, very different for the team event, with one rule in place for Friday’s first session already leading to big frustration for many viewers.
Golf fans are not happy with preferred lies at Bethpage Black, with one writing on X: “Preferred lies at the Ryder Cup. We have gone soft.”
Another fan concurred: “Preferred lies in professional golf is a nonsense in any tournament or championship.”
And others agreed, saying: “Preferred Lies in the Ryder Cup? Game’s so unbelievably gone,” and “Preferred lies? We don’t want mud balls all day? What are we even doing here?”
Further criticism arrived as the Friday foursomes continued: “Old Tom Morris is turning in his grave at the thought of preferred lies.”
Understandable frustration with Ryder Cup preferred lies at ‘easy’ Bethpage Black
Golf fans unsurprisingly want to see the best players in the world really put to the test this week, but the preferred lies rule certainly goes against those hopes.
The New York course is widely known as one of the most difficult to play, but Bethpage has been described as easy for the Ryder Cup this week, with the short rough already working in the favour of those out on day one.
It remains to be seen how it plays over the coming days, with the weather likely to be a factor in Long Island, and so mud balls are a possibility.
The course was flooded earlier this week after a storm, with European star Viktor Hovland welcoming preferred lies if poor conditions prevailed.
For now, however, conditions have improved for relatively straightforward golf in New York, although plenty of water is still present on the ground.
The PGA Tour was criticised for allowing preferred lies at the Tour Championship this time last month, with a similar scenario now emerging at the Ryder Cup, with fans upset about the allowance of lift, clean and place.
Tommy Fleetwood won at East Lake with a score of 18-under, with the Englishman currently at Bethpage chasing further success for Team Europe.
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