Euro captain Luke Donald is making it all about the money with American Ryder Cup team
The opening tee shot still two days away, the gamesmanship at the Ryder Cup began Wednesday when European captain Luke Donald took a few subtle jabs on pay-for-play during his speech at the opening ceremony.“We’re fueled by something money cannot buy,” Donald said.Europe, 1 up.And then U.S.captain Keegan Bradley made the first bogey of these matches when he spoke of being around the 17th green at Brookline in 1999 for one of the biggest moments in Ryder Cup history, only to mistakenly say Justin Rose — not Justin Leonard — made the 45-foot putt.Europe, 2 up.The actual golf doesn’t start until Friday morning at rowdy Bethpage Black.More than 5,000 fans who attended the ceremony made their presence felt with constant chants of “U-S-A!” and a smattering of boos for the Europeans.The strongest booing was when both captains thanked New York Gov.
Kathy Hochul, who attended the ceremony.President Donald Trump was due to attend the opening session Friday.Donald is the first European to be captain in consecutive Ryder Cup matches since Bernard Gallacher (1991-95).He was polished in Rome, using perfect Italian in a short message to the fans, and he was equally distinguished in sending a clear message what this week is all about.Europe has practically owned the Ryder Cup in the modern era that dates to 1979, and it has built a legacy that has equipped its team with supreme confidence.“The American team is rightly proud of their heritage, but so are we,” Donald said.“Our European legacy is rooted in resilience, in togetherness and in proving people wrong.
Time and again, we’ve shown that when we come together as one with a shared purpose, we can achieve remarkable things.”Donald wasted little time in bringing money into the conversation, saying the Ryder Cup “is not about prize money or world ranking points.It’s about pride.”The Americans have received $200,000 to donate to charity since 1999.
This year the charity amount is $300,000, along wi...