Jon Rahm knows he and his fellow European Ryder Cup teammates will walk into a “hostile environment” at Bethpage Black later this month. But he’s got a plan to overcome the massive crowds who will be rooting against him.
Or, at least, European team captain Luke Donald does. On Monday, Rahm revealed his expectations for the highly-anticipated event, and how the “underdog” Europeans are getting ready to upset the Americans on Long Island in a few weeks’ time.
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Rahm was in the unusual position of needing a captain’s pick to make the 2025 Ryder Cup team. However, his official selection by Donald on Monday was rarely in doubt.
Rahm is unquestionably one of the best European golfers alive. The two-time major champion likely would have easily qualified for the team automatically if he did not play on LIV Golf.
He also has the experience to back it up, having played in three previous Ryder Cups, including two wins and one loss. But the loss is most instructive this year because it was the last Ryder Cup played on U.S. soil, the 2021 event at Whistling Straits.
During his Monday captain’s pick press conference, Rahm talked about how competing in front of the biased crowds at Whistling Straits should help him prepare for whatever awaits at Bethpage Black later this month.
“I’m not going to lie and say that I’ve been perfect with handling my emotions with the crowds in the past,” Rahm began. “But I think the more I’ve experienced, not only in the Ryder Cup, but in regular events, as well, not the easier it gets but the better I understand how to handle things.”
He also said the experience at Whistling Straits taught him that the Ryder Cup is more like other team sports than regular pro golf events.
“Last time at Whistling Straits, I think fact that it’s a team event knowing that I’m going to have the home crowd against me, feeling that, it’s what happens in any other sport, right, in Europe, the U.S. and every country in the world when you’re playing rivals and you go in an away game, the crowd is going to be against you,” Rahm said. “I think just understanding that I know that’s going to happen and I know I’m going to hear a lot of things that I don’t like.”
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Rahm used the Champions League as an example, saying, “You think of a final of a Champions League, if somebody were to be able to host it in their home country, there would be a very big disparity on the crowd.
He continued, “I try to base myself on that, knowing that, okay, starting 95 per cent of the fans out there want me to lose and they are going to try their hardest to cheer against us and say things we don’t like.”
One key, Rahm explained, is taking the environment in stride and even trying to use “hurtful” comments from fans to your advantage.
“But at the same time, there are some creative people out there that are fun and if you can use some of the funny things they say, though they can be hurtful in a good way, you can almost use that energy to help you out,” Rahm said. “So I’m really looking forward to it. Plus, I’m going to say, the best people in New Yorkers a lot of times are fairly similar in character, and usually when I’ve gone to that part of the country I’ve gotten along very, very well and I’ve done really, really well in the northeast, as well. So I’m looking forward to it.”
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Luke Donald’s strategy to overcome U.S. Ryder Cup fans
Rahm also offered up some insight on how captain Donald is preparing his team for the hostile fans at this year’s Ryder Cup.
Donald’s strategy, as related by Rahm, is different for every player. As Rahm explained, some players actually play better when the crowds are cheering against them.
“[Donald] has given us the tools we need but we are all very different personalities, and some people in the world of sports somehow do better when they actually get into it with the crowd and when they incite the crowd and they can feed off of that. Other people do not,” Rahm said.
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He also offered a few specifics about the “tools” the European captain is using to prepare his players.
“So it’s different for each one, right. He stayed in contact with some of us for quite a while and he gave us a lot of options and things to read about and things that we can practice. It’s nearly impossible in our day-to-day events to get ready for it because you don’t ever really feel like you’re going to have that many people against you in a single session in any regular golf event,” Rahm explained. “So the most you can do is mentally try to get ready and prepare. But like I said, since we are all different, he’s given us different tools to understand how we need to react. It’s a personal thing, right. So each one is going to need a different thought process.”
We’ll all find out just how “hostile” this year’s Ryder Cup turns out to be when the first shots are hit on Friday, September 26, at Bethpage Black.
