The European Ryder Cup team heading to New York looks strikingly similar to the squad that won in Rome two years ago. But don’t let that fool you.
Beneath the surface, plenty has changed. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have jumped to LIV Golf. Bob MacIntyre has transformed from rookie to world top-10 player. Viktor Hovland completely rebuilt his swing. And Rory McIlroy finally completed the career Grand Slam.
That’s why McIlroy is eager for next week’s team practice at Bethpage Black, where the Europeans will defend their title September 26-28.
“I think getting us all back together and building that up again is going to be really important,” McIlroy said Tuesday, “but I think it will be easy when we all get together.
“It’s like nothing’s ever really changed.”
For Team Europe, Ryder Cup preparations kick off at this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Eleven of Luke Donald’s 12-man team will compete, with Sepp Straka the only player missing. The group will gather for dinner Tuesday evening, and the European tour has strategically paired teammates for Thursday and Friday’s rounds.
The pairings include Justin Rose with Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Åberg with Matt Fitzpatrick, Hovland with sole rookie Rasmus Hojgaard, MacIntyre with Hatton, and McIlroy alongside Rahm and Shane Lowry.
After Sunday’s final round, the 11 players will fly to New York, meet up with Straka, and play practice rounds at Bethpage on Monday and Tuesday. They’ll spend the rest of the week, in McIlroy’s words, having “a bit of fun” together.
“You could make an argument,” McIlroy said, “that the 12 guys that we have going to New York are more accomplished golfers than they were two years ago when most of us were in Rome.”
McIlroy enters the week fresh off a victory at his home event, the Irish Open. Meanwhile, Fleetwood will tee it up for the first time since winning the Tour Championship—his first PGA Tour title—and collecting $10 million as FedExCup champion.
But Fleetwood’s focus has clearly shifted to the team competition ahead.
“We are, like, firmly in Ryder Cup season and there’s Ryder Cup all over the TV and I love that,” the Englishman said. “I love watching that stuff. I love being part of the process now, that is like the team is set and the Ryder Cup is coming up.
“I think Sunday and next week, the practice days are a huge part of it… getting the juices flowing and getting together, it’s the best feeling.”
