Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald discusses Jon Rahm’s eligibility, ‘loud’ Bethpage Black crowd

The Ryder Cup was supposed to be played at Bethpage Black last September, but the pandemic postponed it a year.

But now, golf fans are finally in countdown mode until Team USA and Team Europe battle on Long Island.

While golfers might not grow up necessarily wanting to win Ryder Cups (it’s the majors that really make up a legacy), the emotions come out every other September.

But for Luke Donald, Team Europe’s captain, the Ryder Cup has always meant something.

“To be honest, when I was growing up, one of my first memories is watching the Ryder Cup in 1987, which was the first time Team Europe won on U.S. soil, so it did have a big impact on me as a kid,” Donald told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

“Some of my most special memories on golf courses are in Ryder Cups, because you get to share it with the guys, it’s such a fun week, the atmosphere it creates. People who don’t follow golf like to tune into the Ryder Cup for what it represents. It’s a fierce rivalry, it’s got a great story and history behind it, and all the golfers are motivated and pumped to play because of it. It’s been a huge part of my life and a massive focus for me, but I really enjoy the experience of doing that and preparing and trying to give the team the best opportunity for success.”

The road team have not won a Ryder Cup since Team Europe’s Miracle at Medinah in 2012, when they overcame a 10-4 deficit on Sunday Singles (USA has not won on European soil since 1993). In five Ryder Cups since then, the home team has won the cup, all in rather convincing fashion.

The closest matches in that span have been the five-point wins by Europe in 2014 at Gleneagles in Scotland and the 2023 victory in Rome.

Donald knows that “New York’s going to be loud and ready,” but it’s his job to combat that.

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“The biggest advantage is the support you get from the home crowd. We see it in all of sports. That was a big advantage in Rome, and it’ll be a disadvantage in New York. And I have to try to come up with ways to dissipate that,” he said. 

The best way to do that, of course, is by building the best team possible. And although LIV Golf has forced its wrinkles into the event, the plan is to have the 2023 Team Europe hero and two-time major champion Jon Rahm at Bethpage later this year.

“Jon is a member of the European Tour, he’s eligible to be picked, and still one of our best players. Unless his form drastically takes off, I expect him to be there for us,” he said.

Brooks Koepka was a captain’s pick in 2023, thanks to his win at the PGA Championship and second-place finish at the Masters. He narrowly qualified based on points alone, which is pretty impressive, considering LIV players trying for Team USA can only earn points in majors. 

Koepka, though, was the only LIV golfer in that year’s tournament. In fact, Donald became Europe’s captain after Henrik Stenson was removed from his role by the European Tour following his defection to LIV.

LIV players are currently banned from the Presidents Cup, which is owned and operated by the PGA Tour. 

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