Luke Donald is leaving no stone unturned as he prepares to lead Europe at the Ryder Cup later this month. His team will make a two-day scouting trip to Bethpage Black immediately after next week’s BMW PGA Championship.
The European contingent will board a charter flight from London on Sunday evening after the DP World Tour’s flagship event concludes. They’ll spend Monday and Tuesday getting familiar with Bethpage’s challenging layout before staying stateside through the Ryder Cup to adjust to the time difference.
Eleven of Donald’s 12 players are committed to play at Wentworth next week. Only Sepp Straka will miss the BMW PGA before joining the reconnaissance mission. Rory McIlroy confirmed to GolfChannel.com that he’ll be part of both the tournament and the scouting trip.
This approach mirrors what worked so well for Europe two years ago when they visited Marco Simone between the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship before their dominant victory in Rome.
The Americans aren’t sitting idle either. Ten of U.S. captain Keegan Bradley’s 12 players are scheduled to compete at next week’s Procore Championship in Napa, California. Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau are the only team members not currently in the field. DeChambeau, as a LIV Golf member, isn’t eligible to participate in the PGA Tour event.
With both teams ramping up preparations, it’s clear the captains understand the importance of team chemistry and course familiarity before the biennial competition begins.
