Jim Furyk didn’t waste any time beating around the bush. The American Ryder Cup team has had “issues” lately, particularly in foursomes, and changes are coming. Furyk promised that this American Ryder Cup team will be “prepared” when it arrives at Adare Manor in 2027. Then, Furyk made the first move in the opening battle for the 2027 Ryder Cup.
“We’re the underdogs. I know it’s always been played, we come in, the Americans seem to be the favorites,” Furyk said this week at the “Year to Go” Ryder Cup press conference. “This year, there’s no chance that that could happen. We’re the underdogs. We understand that. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. And you know, I’m excited about that process. I’m a process guy and kind of get ducks in a row and put these guys in a good position and let our guys go out and show their talent.”
Convincing yourself and your team that you are the underdogs — the doubted or the disrespected — is an old-school motivational tactic that still persists in team supports around the globe. It’s why Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart has made a habit of saying that “everyone” has counted his team out, even when they are consistently atop the polls and national title odds. Dabo Swinney often refers to his team as “little ole Clemson,” harkening back to the days when the Tigers were seen as a tier below the sport’s elite. Cornerback Richard Sherman routinely convinced himself his opponent disrespected him, just to get juiced up before kickoff (see: Baker Mayfield, 2019).
The Ryder Cup captaincy has increasingly become about building team chemistry, choosing the right pairings and pushing the right buttons to get the most out of a group of world-class golfers. Naturally, Furyk looked at an American team that has been dominated in the last two Cups, including a home loss at Bethpage, and hasn’t won in Europe since 1993, and staked his claim to the “underdog” role. At this point, any lever a U.S. captain can pull that might work is worth a shot.
But Luke Donald wasn’t going to willingly cede the “underdog” ground. The Europeans have thrived in that role ever since the U.S. obliterated them at Whistling Straits in 2021.
“I tend to agree,” Donald said when asked about Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker saying the U.S. team will “be a problem” at Adare Manor. “I have zero complacency about how strong the U.S. are going to be. They always are. On paper, they tend to be stronger than us through the World Rankings. Obviously, we have a great record at home, but again, zero complacency. You know, I’ve seen what Jim has been doing behind the scenes, changing the stats, changing the qualification system. He is very, very motivated to come here and put up a good fight. Certainly, I’m just as motivated to sort of keep finding those edges for my team as well. But you know, I know that the U.S. will be very strong.”
Donald, who is aiming to become the first captain to win three straight Ryder Cups, has built a winning culture that has bonded and brought out the best in a group of world-class players who are bred to play for themselves 103 out of every 104 weeks. Donald has done this by focusing on the small details, crafting a good experience for his players, leaning into the history of the Ryder Cup, what it means to represent the European flag and that they are the underdogs.
“We’re caretakers of this European jersey right now,” Rory McIlroy said after Europe’s win in 2023. “And we’re hopefully going to pass it on in the future in a better spot than where we found it.”
“It’s the ability to walk through those gates and those doors and forget about who you are outside of this week. What you have done or what you may do afterwards, really truly doesn’t matter,” Jon Rahm said.
If you’re playing for something bigger than yourself and believe you’ve been counted out, that you’re expected to lose, a galvanizing force often takes effect — one that causes everyone to raise their level. Such has been the case for a European side that buys into everything Donald lays out.
And so as Furyk tried to take the underdog ground from the Europeans, Donald pushed back, explaining that being the underdog is more than a proclamation. It’s an ethos.
“For us, underdog is a mentality,” Donald said. “We always want to prove something to ourselves, to the rest of the world. Yeah, we understand that being at home is an advantage but we also know that the U.S. are very strong.”
This battle will rage for the next year. The Americans will talk about Bethpage and how dominant the Europeans are on home soil. The Euros will counter by citing official world rankings. Who wins the four majors in 2027 will further shape the fight to be the “underdog.” It’ll be up to the captains to try and harness that narrative for their own side. For Donald, it will be more of the same. He has a tried-and-true method of getting the best out of his side. For Furyk, convincing a talent-laden American roster that they are the doubted ones could go a long way to pulling off something few think is possible. It might be their only hope.
“It’s going to be difficult,” Furyk said of winning in Ireland. “Irish fans, Irish sports are amazing, but folks are going to come in droves from all over Europe to support their favorite countrymen and I need 12 guys — I’ve been saying it all week, I need 12 guys that love that atmosphere and love walking into that type of arena because it takes a certain mentality, and those are the guys I’ll be looking for.”
The path to a victory at Adare Manor has already started. To the underdogs go the spoils.
