Browsing: Donald

Sep 29, 2025, 10:14 AM ET

Luke Donald remained tight-lipped on his future as he soaked up the magnitude of his latest Ryder Cup victory.

The European captain followed up his team’s stunning success in Rome by overseeing their first away triumph since 2012 at Bethpage Black on Sunday.

Victory arrived in dramatic circumstances, by the narrow margin of 15-13, after the United States threatened to pull off an unlikely comeback.

The hosts, comprehensively outplayed over the first two days and trailing by seven points heading into the singles, roared back into contention with a series of thrilling wins, before Europe eventually inched over the line.

As with the Italian triumph two years ago, the calls for Donald to stay on for another term began almost immediately with celebrating players chanting “two more years” towards their inspirational leader.

Donald, however, with his place among the competition’s greats already assured, would make no such commitment.

Luke Donald has a perfect Ryder Cup record as player and captain. Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The 47-year-old, who also won on all four of his playing appearances, simply said: “My answer is I’m going to enjoy tonight!”

Donald left nothing to chance in his preparations for the event and his tactical decisions almost all came off.

Jon Rahm, who helped deliver three points, was one player to heap praise on the captain.

“There are so many things that Luke has done outstandingly professionally, so perfect,” the Spaniard said.

“He is the captain of this ship, and he’s led us better than I can see anybody leading us. He’s set the bar extremely high for the future captains.”

– Ryder Cup: Luke Donald says U.S. fans ‘crossed a line’
– How Europe was able to back up Rory McIlroy’s words and win on the road
– Bradley, Donald mixed on future of Ryder Cup injury rule

Donald gave some insight into the level of detail he had gone into during the team’s post-event press conference.

Much was made of the virtual reality headsets he used in an attempt to prepare the team for the hostile reception they duly encountered.

Yet his planning went much deeper, with even bed coverings and the scent of shampoo being considered.

He said: “My job is literally to give these guys a better chance to win. It can be as simple as some very small things.

“I’ll give you an example. The doors to our hotel rooms had a big crack that let in light. We brought things that covered the light.

“We put different shampoos that had a better smell. We changed the bedding because the beds weren’t very good.

Luke Donald celebrates winning the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black with the 12 victorious players in Team Europe. Carl Recine/Getty Images

“We created much nicer beds so guys could sleep, they could have more energy.”

Ludvig Aberg, who beat Patrick Cantlay, was the only European player to win a singles match as the Americans finally found their game to claim six full points.

The rest of Europe’s points came in halves after the big guns of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Rahm were all beaten.

Viktor Hovland’s match with Harris English was declared a draw after the Norwegian pulled out injured and Matt Fitzpatrick held off a charging Bryson DeChambeau at the 18th.

Shane Lowry, in match number eight, sank the vital putt to retain the cup and further halves from Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre completed the job.

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  Mark SchlabachSep 29, 2025, 04:21 AM ET

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FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Following his team’s 15-13 loss to the Europeans in the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Sunday, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said the event’s longstanding envelope rule involving injured players should change.

But Luke Donald, who became only the second European captain to win back-to-back Ryder Cups, said the rule is there to protect players and should remain in place.

The substitution rule in the captains’ agreement requires each team to submit the name of one player Saturday night in a sealed envelope who wouldn’t play in the case of an injury to a golfer on the opposing team.

It was invoked for only the fourth time Sunday when Norway’s Viktor Hovland had to withdraw from singles because of a neck injury.

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“The rule is the rule, and it’s been in place for a long time,” Donald said. “We have contracts for a reason, a captains’ agreement for a reason, for situations that occur.”

Hovland was scheduled to play Harris English in the anchor singles match. English happened to be the player that Bradley submitted in his sealed envelope, so he had to watch Sunday’s action.

“I would have had absolute faith in him to deliver a point today,” Donald said of Hovland. “He couldn’t play. He was gutted.”

Said English: “It sucked not going out there and playing. But it is what it is, and I was part of the crowd today and contributed as much as I could.”

The teams halved their match, giving the Europeans a 12-5 lead going into the final session.

Bradley said the rule “has to change” but wouldn’t specify how he would alter it. The most obvious way to do it would be to have the injured golfer’s team forfeit a full point instead of a half-point.

“I have a few ideas, but I’m not going to tell you right now,” Bradley said. “I mean, the rule has to change. I think it’s obvious to everybody in the sports world, in this room. Nothing against Viktor, but that rule needs to change by the next Ryder Cup.”

Donald noted that the U.S. used the controversial rule when it captured the 1991 Ryder Cup 14.5-13.5 at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. Steve Pate was injured in a car accident the night before the event started, and his bruised ribs prevented him from playing in singles. If the Americans had been forced to forfeit a full point, the Europeans would have retained that Ryder Cup with a score of 14-14.

Scotland’s Sam Torrance withdrew from his singles match in the 1993 Ryder Cup with an infected toe. Lanny Wadkins volunteered to sit out for the Americans. The U.S. team won 15-13 at The Belfry in England to keep the Ryder Cup, the last time it won in Europe.

Hovland, who withdrew from his four-ball match Saturday, had an MRI at a New York hospital Saturday night. He woke up Sunday unable to move his neck. Ryder Cup officials said Hovland tried to warm up at Bethpage Black but had limited movement.

Viktor Hovland celebrates with Ryder Cup teammate Jon Rahm after Europe’s win Sunday. Hovland was unable to play singles because of a neck injury. David Cannon/Getty Images

“There is nothing more I would like to do than be out there representing Team Europe and trying to help them win the Ryder Cup today,” Hovland said in a statement. “Not being able to do so is pretty heartbreaking. I will be backing my team as hard as I can and rooting them on.”

Hovland, who said he has been dealing with neck issues for the past couple of months, started experiencing the latest pain during his Saturday morning foursomes (alternate-shot) match. He received medication and physical therapy on the course, but the pain didn’t go away.

“An MRI was arranged following liaison between Team Europe and PGA of America on-site medical team, which confirmed a flare up of a previous injury — a disk bulge in his neck by a medical imaging specialist,” Dr. Andrew Murray, Ryder Cup Europe’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. “This morning, Viktor received ongoing treatment but unfortunately he is not able to rotate or flex his neck to one side making playing the singles impossible.”

Hovland, the No. 12-ranked golfer in the world, was scheduled to play with Matt Fitzpatrick in the four-ball match against Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay on Saturday. Shortly before his tee time, Hovland was replaced by Tyrrell Hatton. Fitzpatrick and Hatton won 1 up.

Sep 28, 2025, 09:55 AM ET

European captain Luke Donald accused American fans of “crossing the line” after a fractious second day at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

The visiting players, most notably Rory McIlroy, were subjected to heckling throughout both sessions of Saturday’s play.

Comments were repeatedly aimed at McIlroy as he prepared to play shots.

At one point in the morning the Northern Irishman shouted at a fan and his afternoon match was held up a number of times as appeals for calm — some from opponent Justin Thomas — were made.

Donald said: “It was loud, it was raucous.

“What I consider crossing the line is personal insults and making sounds when they are trying to hit on their backswings or very close to when they are trying to go into their routines. That did happen a little bit.”

Much had been made of the hostile reception Europe were likely to be given by a boisterous, partisan New York crowd.

McIlroy and partner Shane Lowry heard much of the abuse sent Europe’s way, repeatedly clashing with fans on their way to a win in their match with Thomas and Cameron Young.

McIlroy described it as a “really challenging day” while Lowry seemed to relish the atmosphere.

“It was intense. It was like something I’ve never experienced,” he said. “But this is what I live for. This is it. This is, like, honestly, the reason I get up in the morning, for stuff like this.”

McIlroy said: “People can be their own judge of whether they took it too far or not. I’m just proud of us for being able to win today with what we had to go through.”

The clashes were not only with the crowd. Bryson DeChambeau screamed in the face of Tommy Fleetwood after his partner Justin Rose had complained about DeChambeau’s caddy Greg Bodine walking across the line of his putt — with players and caddies getting involved in the spat.

U.S. fans heckled European players throughout Day 2 at Bethpage Black. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

“I was ready to hit my putt,” Rose said. “I didn’t feel like that space was being honored. I made my feelings known. Asked him to move.

“Maybe not as politely as I could have done, but in the scenario, it’s coming down the stretch, we both have a lot on our minds and it’s intense out there.”

Ultimately, Europe shut out the noise to win both sessions convincingly on Saturday and open up a commanding 11.5-4-5 lead.

“It’s something we prepared for and we can see, I think, how well they have dealt with it,” Donald said.

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley reacted angrily to suggestions that he or his players might have been responsible for some of the more unsavory aspects of crowd behavior.

Bradley has notably been trying to rally fans throughout the week and ran down the 18th fairway with a giant U.S. flag on the final practice day.

Collin Morikawa, meanwhile, said he hoped fans would bring “absolute chaos.”

“Ryder Cups are wild I don’t appreciate those words that you just said,” retorted Bradley in a news conference. “I know what you’re trying to do.

“The Ryder Cup is full of passionate fans, they’re full of passionate players.

– Europe 3 points from glory after dominating fiery Day 2
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“That isn’t right. I thought the fans were passionate. I wasn’t at Rome but I heard a lot of stories that Rome was pretty violent as well.

“But the fans of New York, from what I have seen, have been pretty good.

“You’re always going to have a few people that cross the line and that’s unfortunate.”

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The last time I spoke to Donald Trump was on the eve of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, between Trump I and Trump II. I have played a lot of golf with Trump, all of it long before he ran for president the first time, and talking golf with him is ridiculously easy. I asked him how he was playing.

“As Scottie,” the once and future president said. Scottie Scheffler, then the reigning Masters champion. They had just played together in Dallas, where Scheffler lives.

I resisted.

The 45th and 47th president of the United States visited the Ryder Cup on Friday, at Bethpage Black, 25 miles from Trump’s childhood home, a mansion in the Jamaica Estates section of Queens. I don’t know if Trump ever played Bethpage Black. He has told me about the new-to-golf rounds he played at Cobbs Creek, a city-owned course in West Philadelphia, which Trump said he played while attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for his junior and senior years, after starting at Fordham. Last month, Tiger Woods paid a visit to Cobbs Creek, where a massive renovation is underway and where a Tiger Woods Learning Center has been established.

Trump has played golf with various members of both the European and American Ryder Cup teams — Bryson DeChambeau most notably — and his passion for golf runs deep, so it’s no surprise he made this pep-talk-on-steroids visit to Bethpage. His mother was born in Scotland but there’s no question where his rooting loyalty lies in this 45th Ryder Cup. Who can forget President Trump’s gleeful hug of an American flag during his first term?

Keegan Bradley rolled the dice with risky move … and lost big

By:

Sean Zak

Half-teasing, I once asked Trump if he could be the first course-owner to serve as host of a U.S. Open, a British Open and a Ryder Cup.

“That is a very interesting question,” Trump said, all teed up. He had a field day with it and we revisited this theme now and again. Trying to promote different properties, through the pages of Sports Illustrated, he would typically say Trump Bedminster for a U.S. Open, Trump D.C. for a Ryder Cup and Trump Scotland in Aberdeen for a British Open. Turnberry did not then have his name and stamp on the property yet. He loved this kind of playful conversation.

At the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, I watched with some awe as Trump drove his Rolls Royce right up to the clubhouse and parked his vehicle there. Nobody stopped him. Nobody said a thing. He had the place wired.

The entrances to Bethpage Black were shut down when President Trump arrived at Bethpage Black late Friday morning, this time not by Rolls Royce but via Air Force One and presidential motorcade. He chatted up the American players and their captain and his assistants in the clubhouse, then did more of the same on the first tee as the afternoon session began. He was wearing a blazer. When he plays, President Trump always wears trousers. He does not believe in playing golf in shorts. Most of his many playing partners through the years wear shorts, in deference to him as either president of the United States or owner of the course they are playing. Tennis, yes. When DeChambeau played off the first tee Friday afternoon, President Trump stood alone, hands on his side, watching carefully, not saying a word. For a moment there, the stage belonged to DeChambeau, who hung out with Eric Trump after winning the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where Donald Trump is a longtime member. When DeChambeau played with Trump as part of his Breaking 50 YouTube series, when Trump was seeking his second term, the Texan, by way of California, played in shorts. Trump drove the cart. DeChambeau’s job was drive the par-4 greens, or try to, anyway.

President Trump’s job on Friday afternoon, in the narrow context of this international golf competition, was to give the home team a wee spark after fouling up the morning session. The Americans trailed the Europeans, 3-1, at lunchtime, a term being used loosely here. Justin Rose, the Englishman who won the 2013 U.S. Open, ate his lunch while walking to the first tee for his afternoon session, where President Trump served as tournament greeter, in a manner of speaking. The first tee is the players’ stage. The 47th president of the United States was just another fan. Well, not really, but you get the idea.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com.

Scores of Ryder Cup fans were denied glimpses of the opening tee shots at Bethpage Black due to stringent security measures put in place before the arrival of Donald Trump.

The US president took his place behind, and briefly on, the 1st tee as the fourball session teed off in the afternoon. By that time, organisers had breathed sighs of relief that early morning issues had resolved themselves. Tee times could not be and were not adjusted for congestion, due to tight Ryder Cup schedules. The PGA of America had warned fans, who paid $750 for standard ground tickets for the opening day, to arrive earlier than usual but many still encountered frustration.

Anticipated heavy congestion was in evidence at and around the main spectator entry point from early morning as tens of thousands gathered to see the start of this eagerly anticipated contest.

Tournament staff audibly complained at being in the same lengthy queues as the public. Airport-style security, which was deployed for a second time near to the 1st hole, led to the competition organisers opening gates at 5am local time – more than two hours before play began – but heavy congestion was still clear as the event got under way.

Traffic issues also led to spectators leaving tournament shuttle buses and walking through residential areas to Bethpage. One Ryder Cup attendee posted footage on social media of a power line exploding near the course; nobody is understood to have been injured but it served as an example of a chaotic morning.

Trump, in the company of his granddaughter Kai, landed nearby on Air Force One shortly after 11am before being driven to the Bethpage clubhouse. The secret service were visible, including on the clubhouse roof, as part of a huge security operation.

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This marks the first time a sitting president has attended the Ryder Cup. Trump was greeted by players, including Europe’s Rory McIlroy, as they walked to the 1st tee having taken advice to avoid the morning session, with organisers fearing greater disruption than that which transpired.

Sep 25, 2025, 06:37 PM ET

Team Europe captain Luke Donald said Thursday he wasn’t taking a swipe at the United States squad when he said the Ryder Cup “is not about prize money or world ranking points. It’s about pride.”

This year, U.S. players are getting $300,000 each to donate to charity along with a $200,000 stipend, which they’ve said they’ll also donate. Donald’s players aren’t getting anything.

“It wasn’t directed at the U.S.,” Donald said. “My speech was directed at my players. I wrote that speech six months ago. We have been very consistent where we stand and what we play for. We’re not concerned about what the U.S. are doing.”

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U.S. captain Keegan Bradley also clarified remarks he made Wednesday, his about a Ryder Cup that happened more than 25 years ago.

Bradley said Thursday he made an “honest mistake” when he said European stalwart Justin Rose’s name when he meant Justin Leonard, the American who sank the winning putt in 1999.

The blunder came as Bradley was telling a story about how, as a young golf fan, he was near the 17th green in Brookline, Massachusetts, when Leonard made the 45 footer. Except, he slipped and said Rose had made it.

“Somebody yelled out Justin Rose right before I read it and said it,” Bradley said. “I didn’t even know until I was done.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – European captain Luke Donald claimed Thursday that he wasn’t taking a shot at the Americans when he said in his speech at the opening ceremony that his team plays for “something money can’t buy.â€

Donald’s comment raised eyebrows as the pay-for-play issue has once again come to the forefront at Bethpage Black, with the Americans, for the first time, receiving a $200,000 stipend to compete in the biennial matches.

Ever since the announcement last December that the Americans would be paid a six-figure sum, in addition to a $300,000 donation to each player’s charity, Donald and the Europeans have been quick to weaponize the issue. Earlier this week, Donald told Sky Sports that he and the rest of the European team feel as though “this isn’t a week to get paid.†Though the Europeans players aren’t being directly compensated this week, profits from Ryder Cups hosted by Europe are used to subsidize the DP World Tour and its other circuits. Many, if not all, of the Americans said this week that they intend to donate the entire $500,000 amount to charitable organizations.

“Being able to steward that money in our own communities at home, I think that’s a great thing,†Sam Burns said. “The PGA of America giving us the opportunity for us to do that is really special.â€

In his speech on Wednesday, however, with U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and the Americans seated behind him, Donald said that the Ryder Cup is “not about prize money or world-ranking points. It’s about pride. It’s about representing your flag, your shirts, and the legacy you leave behind.†He continued, “We are fueled by something money cannot buy: Purpose, brotherhood, and a responsibility to honor those who came before us, while inspiring those whose time is yet to come.â€

Donald was asked about the perceived dig at the Americans when he met with the media following the unveiling of the Friday foursomes pairings.

“Well, it wasn’t directed at the U.S.,†he said. “My speech was directed at my players. I wrote that speech six months ago. We have been very consistent where we stand and what we play for. We’re not concerned about what the U.S. are doing.â€

Donald was previously asked by a reporter whether the captains should get paid for what amounts to a two-year job. He laughed and said, “Oh, I’m going to stick with my team. I think if the captain gets compensated and the players don’t, that’s a little bit murky. So, no.â€

On Wednesday at the 2025 Ryder Cup, fans at Bethpage Black witnessed a rarity: the Opening Ceremony, one day early. Forecasted thunderstorms forced organizers to move the festivities from their traditional spot on Thursday, on the eve of the first matches, to Wednesday.

The schedule change also meant that the announcement of Friday’s player pairings and matchups was not included in the proceedings, as it usually is. But another tradition was broken, too. Amid his Opening Ceremony speech on Wednesday, European Luke Donald took a couple of subtle digs at the U.S. players.

And his comments did not come in a vacuum. They followed a campaign Donald and the European team have enacted to try and rattle the American Ryder Cup team over money. More specifically, the fact that U.S. players are getting paid this year, and the European pros are not.

Here’s what you need to know.

Ryder Cup player pay controversy from 2023-2025

The origin of Ryder Cup money controversy dates back to the biggest controversy from the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.

There, a European journalist reported that American player Patrick Cantlay refused to wear a U.S. team hat in protest for not being paid to play the Ryder Cup. The accusations touched other American players too, though Cantlay strongly denied them.

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The controversy, known as HatGate, extended to the course, where fans taunted Cantlay and the American team in Rome, and Cantlay responded by waving an imaginary hat after making putts or winning holes.

Things got serious in one Saturday match featuring Cantlay and Rory McIlroy, where Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava waved his hat on the green in McIlroy’s vicinity, resulting in a shouting match between the teams.

The scuffle spilled into press conferences and into the parking lot.

Then late last year, when the PGA of America announced U.S. Ryder Cup players would receive $300,000 for charities of their choosing plus a $200,000 stipend to use however they wish, European players jumped on it. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry made comments on the topic soon after, with McIlroy saying he would “pay for the privilege to play” the Ryder Cup.

Donald has kept the theme alive throughout the past year in various interviews. This week has been no different.

For example, in a Monday interview with Sky Sports, Donald brought the topic up again as if for the first time.

“This came up and I wanted to get ahead of it. I talked to the 12 guys in Rome when it looked like the U.S. were going to do something different with payments and, you know, every one of them was just like, ‘We don’t want to — this isn’t a week to get paid,’” Donald said.

Then came his Opening Ceremony speech.

Donald throws shade at American Ryder Cup pros in Opening Ceremony

Traditionally, captains’ speeches at the Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony are all about sportsmanship, thank yous and a little bit of team boosting.

Donald’s speech certainly hit on all those points. It was in no way a broadside against the U.S. team.

Take his kind words about U.S. captain Keegan Bradley, for example.

“To Keegan, Jillian and your two boys, Logan and Cooper, Diane and I have really valued our friendship over the years, and we know that bond will last well beyond this week no matter the outcome. It’s been a pleasure to share this Ryder Cup captaincy with you. Thank you for your friendship and all the memories along the way.”

Or these comments about the U.S. team.

“To the 12 players of Team USA, your talent and passion are never in doubt. We know you’ll bring your best. We promise to do the same.”

But Donald’s speech also featured thinly-veiled digs at the American players over the money issue.

“We come to you this week not just as individual players from nine different nations but as one team, a team defined by history, by unity and by belief that we are playing for something far greater than ourselves,” Donald began, laying the seeds for his slight at the U.S. players. “The Ryder Cup means so much to each and every one of us. It is unlike anything else in our sport.”

When he brought up the topic of money for the first time, he did so by arguing that the European Ryder Cup players are too noble to play the Ryder Cup for money.

“It is not about prize money or world ranking points,” Donald said. “It’s about pride. It’s about representing your flag, your shirts, and the legacy you leave behind.”

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He then continued to list the things that his European team plays for other than money.

“We play for our families, our teammates, our countries, our continent, and for the generations before us who made this event what it is today.”

The question many American fans, and perhaps players, were asking themselves at this point in the speech was this: Is he suggesting that the U.S. Ryder Cup players don’t play for their families, country and flag, but play only for money?

Donald provided that answer when, later in his speech, he brought up the topic of player pay again.

“We are fueled by something money cannot buy: Purpose, brotherhood, and a responsibility to honor those who came before us, while inspiring those whose time is yet to come,” Donald said.

It’s important to note that several former European Ryder Cup stars knowingly threatened their future involvement in the event by taking large sums of money to join LIV Golf, among them Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia. In fact, the original captain for the 2023 European Ryder Cup team was Henrik Stenson, but Stenson was removed from the position after joining LIV himself. Donald was his replacement.

Additionally, the $300,000 stipend American players will receive this year, which some have already said they will give to charity, is an insignificant amount compared to the many millions each player earned on the course this season.

At this point, captain Donald and the European’s strategy to paint the American Ryder Cup players as caring only about money and not winning is clear. What isn’t obvious is why they think this is a sound strategy.

Whether it’s the Ryder Cup or a playoff series in other professional sports, teams’ regularly draw inspiration from opponents’ critiques. Usually, the goal is to not provide the other team with any “bulletin-board material” that might fire them up.

We’ll have to wait to see which team ends up benefitting from the Ryder Cup player-pay controversy when the first matches tee off Friday morning.

Turns out that European is only the second-worst thing you can be at Bethpage this week. Luke Donald and his team may have been booed at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, but the reception they got from the tens of thousands of liquored-up golf fans who had hung around to watch was a warm welcome compared to the one they gave New York state’s governor, the Democrat Kathy Hochul, who was jeered so loudly that her short speech was just about drowned out. Donald should maybe think about bringing her in as a last‑minute vice-captain, just to draw the fire away from his team.

“Relax everybody, she’s not Roger Goodell,†said the master of ceremonies, Carson Daly, referencing the unpopular NFL commissioner. It didn’t help. “What should everyone coming here for the first time know about New York?†he asked Hochul. (“She has no idea! She lives in Albany!†bellowed a man standing nearby, “Get her outta here!†roared another.) Hochul, a rictus grin fixed on her face, said something about how “we have the most friendly people you will ever meet†and was immediately shouted down by the locals. “That went well,†Daly said, deadpan, after Hochul beat a retreat from the stage.

New York state’s governor, the Democrat Kathy Hochul (left), was jeered by fans at the Ryder Cup opening ceremony. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/PGA of America/Getty Images

Donald got off lightly in comparison. “New York is a place where if you show up with talent and a fighting spirit the city will get behind you†he said, gamely. “No it won’t!†someone cried back at him. He nearly broke out laughing when they booed him again for saying: “You’ll make us earn every cheer.†He couldn’t help himself but slip in a couple of subtle little digs at the USA team over the way they are being paid to play here this week, but they were so subtle you needed to speak diplomat’s English to pick up on them.

“We’re fuelled by something money can’t buy,†Donald said, a wry smile passed across his face while he let the comment settle, “by resilience, togetherness, and proving people wrongâ€.

You get the impression he has enjoyed every awkward question which has been fired at the US players about it this week. And there have been a lot of them, especially from the European journalists. Before he finished, Donald made a point of offering his thanks to Hochul, who was roundly booed again, just for having the temerity to be mentioned in someone else’s speech.

Keegan Bradley followed him on. He spoke about his formative memory of the Ryder Cup, which turned out to be one of the most infamous moments in its history. When he was 13 his father had taken him along to watch at Brookline in 1999, when the USA came back from four points back to win in the singles on Sunday. He was one of the people charging around the 17th green when Justin Leonard’s putt went in. Only he misspoke and told everyone it was Justin Rose. Given Rose is 46, and 1999 was his second year as a professional, he couldn’t have been so very offended by the suggestion he was old enough to have done it.

US Captain Keegan Bradley leads his team out on to the stage. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA

It was a good speech regardless. He told everyone the story about how he used to climb over the fence by the maintenance sheds to play here at Bethpage when it was supposed to be closed while he was a student at St John’s University, and how he once got busted by the park service while he was midway down the 17th, and how he used to work in the coat check room at the Wheatley Hills course, a few miles up the road. He’s a New Englander by birth, but a New Yorker by upbringing, and he closed with: “Go Giants!†The crowd lapped it up.

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The Americans are good at this stuff. The opening ceremony of the Ryder Cup is usually one of the most painful spectator events in all sport, especially when it’s held in Europe. This one moved along at a brisk clip, and was soundtracked by the Beastie Boys and Jay-Z, and studded with a helicopter fly-by which was timed to arrive during the closing notes of the national anthem, and a parachute display team who landed just off the 18th fairway. Actually, that last part might have been a better idea on paper, because it took them an awfully long time to arrive, even falling at 80mph, and there was a long pause to fill while everyone watched them drop.

US military helicopters perform a flyover at the Ryder Cup opening ceremony as the locals wave the Stars and Stripes. Photograph: John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

“This might take a while,†said Daly. “While we’re waiting, does anyone have any questions for the governor? Form a line.â€

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Long before Luke Donald was Europe’s captain at the Ryder Cup, he was an amateur golfer at Northwestern University in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That time in the Chicago area overlapped with the tail end of Michael Jordan’s heyday winning six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan liked to play golf, the two became friends and remain so, now living nearby each other in Florida. Donald has not let that connection go to waste.

“Michael is someone I’ve been very fortunate to get access to and pick his brain occasionally about what made him tick, what motivated him, how he was able to get the best out of himself,†Donald said Tuesday. “It’s nice to have someone that is a legend of their sport — the greatest ever, quite arguably — to sit down occasionally and pick their brains.â€

Donald expects Jordan, an American, to be supporting the U.S. at the Ryder Cup this week (U.S. captain Keegan Bradley is also tight with Jordan). But one of the lessons of MJ’s career — which came through in the “Last Dance†documentary that Donald watched during the pandemic along with countless others — could help in the captain’s role.

“You can be a team of champions but not a championship team,†Donald said. “You always need the people around you. You’re always stronger being a collective. I think that’s something that I certainly took from him, and I’ve tried to implant on my teams the last two times, that we’re always stronger together.â€