Away victory on the road: Europe's plan to win the Ryder Cup at Bethpage

Bethpage Black in New York will host the 2025 Ryder Cup, and Europe heads into the week with a concrete objective: win away and end a pattern of home-dominated results that has stretched for more than a decade. The past five Ryder Cups have been decided by the home side, with margins of five, 10, seven, six and five points. The United States has not won an away Ryder Cup since 1993, and Europe’s 2023 victory at Marco Simone—carried by a late surge from Rory McIlroy and a sense of renewed belief—has reinforced the sense that the event’s best moments come when pressure is highest on the home crowd. The 2025 matches are scheduled for 26-28 September at Bethpage Black, a course and atmosphere many Europeans view as a testing ground for their world-class depth and resilience.

A central theme in the buildup is crowd management and mental discipline. Luke Donald, Europe’s captain, has spoken openly about preparing for a bear pit atmosphere, including using virtual reality headsets to simulate the volume and hostility players will face. Sir Nick Faldo, a veteran of 11 Ryder Cups, told BBC Sport that a secret, shared signal between player and caddie could act as a reset when the environment becomes noisy or provocative. The idea is simple in principle: a prearranged cue, a momentary pause, and a return to the task at hand. Faldo said such a mechanism can help a golfer regain focus after a taunt, turning potential disruption into a quick, disciplined reset. He recalled Brookline’s 1999 episode with Colin Montgomerie and stressed the need to keep players from overreacting, while Montgomerie added his own cautionary memory from a different era to underline the point.

The challenge of staying composed will be particularly acute on Friday, with Europe seeking a fast start that could set the tone for the week. Montgomerie, who captained Europe to victory in 2010, warned that early momentum could influence the American crowd’s demeanor toward its own players. Justin Rose, a core member of Europe’s 2012 Medinah team that pulled off a stunning comeback, said the key is not letting the environment derail the team’s rhythm. He noted that Medinah showed crowds can swing, but the goal is to maintain resilience and then translate that resilience into scoreboard pressure on the home team.

Europe’s team selection emphasizes continuity and experience. Donald has opted for a stable core, with six players selected and no rookies in the lineup, a deliberate contrast to the romping, sometimes experimental teams of recent years. The inclusion of Dane Rasmus Højgaard in place of Nicolai is the only roster change, reflecting trust in a group that has shared history, chemistry, and a demonstrated ability to adapt to pressure. Rose said Donald’s plan is to keep messaging consistent and simple, an approach he believes helps players stay in the moment rather than overcomplicating their strategy. The captain’s decision to lean on seasoned competitors who have navigated the week’s rhythm before is intended to anchor the team through the week’s inevitable ebbs and flows.

Europe’s depth is widely regarded as the strongest attribute of the roster. Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, both major winners, headline the offense alongside Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, and Rose. All have histories of delivering points when needed, and Faldo highlighted that top players can lift the team, especially when the bottom half contributes meaningfully. The possible integration of Robert MacIntyre, who starred as a wildcard in Rome, and the recent form of Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg—who impressed as partners in 2023—underscore Europe’s readiness to capitalize on momentum gained in recent months. The lineup also benefits from a sense that the group has absorbed the nuances of team golf, and that the strategic pairings can be arranged to maximize strengths while limiting exposure to weaknesses on a given day.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the United States arrives with a star-centered squad led by Scottie Scheffler. Widely regarded as the game’s form player in 2024 and into 2025, Scheffler is the centerpiece of a lineup that includes long-established Ryder Cup performers and a few newer faces seeking decisive experience. Keegan Bradley, the captain, elected not to play himself as part of a captaincy arrangement, a move that drew discussion about whether a playing captain would yield a different dynamic. The roster also features Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas, two players with strong Ryder Cup records, alongside Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Bryson DeChambeau peers who have delivered in various formats over the years.

In contrast to Europe’s emphasis on consistency, the American team is younger in aggregate experience, and that contrast has become a talking point among analysts. The United States selected newcomers such as JJ Spaun and Russell Henley, with Harris English and Sam Burns contributing limited Ryder Cup experience as part of a broader blend. The roster’s balance between experienced performers and fresh faces is intended to create a roster capable of weathering the event’s emotional extremes, yet some observers say the Americans’ depth could be tested during the week’s most intense moments. Cantlay’s and Cantlay’s caddie’s recent feud, widely reported during 2023, is cited by some as a reminder of the emotional currents that can run through the event, though the organizers and players have emphasized professionalism and focus on performance.

A recurring theme among both sides is the recognition that the Ryder Cup’s most decisive moments are often the most pressure-packed, especially when a home crowd contributes a wave of energy. While Europe is seen as the underdog in terms of away-from-home performance for much of the modern era, analysts note that the team’s familiarity with Bethpage’s course and its distinctive energy could help neutralize the home-crowd advantage. As Alex Miceli, a veteran observer of American golf writing for BBC Sport, put it, Europe’s depth makes the task challenging for the home side; the Americans can be formidable, but Europe’s bottom half has proven capable of contributing when it matters most.

The Ryder Cup’s history also provides context. Since Jacklin’s 1980s teams began the modern era’s approach to away play, Europe has won away on four occasions—1987, 1995, 2004, and 2012—while the United States has claimed away victories in 1981 and 1993. The pattern furnishes a meaningful storyline: if Europe can extend its away-winning pace, it would align with a longer tradition of Europe’s success on hostile soil and reinforce the notion that the event rewards the team that blends individual excellence with collective discipline. The week’s outcome will be judged not only by the scoreboard but by the degree to which either side can impose its style on the competition and manage the emotional terrain that comes with a Ryder Cup on foreign land.

As Bethpage prepares to host its next Ryder Cup, the questions remain clear: Will Europe’s careful emphasis on a fast start, a disciplined, shared signal between players and caddies, and a stable, experienced roster translate into a win away from home? Or will the United States leverage its home crowd and a mix of veteran and developing talent to restore the country’s advantage on its own soil? The curtain rises on a week that has long been built on narratives of pressure, resilience, and the enduring appeal of team golf at its most intense.

In the closing stretch, Europe’s approach is framed by a belief that a deliberate, steady hand can offset any single matchup’s dynamic and that the week’s momentum will be built in small, consistent steps rather than a single, game-changing performance. The tone from Donald and his players has been measured, emphasizing preparation, rhythm, and an understanding that Ryder Cup golf is a different discipline from stroke play. If Europe can translate that mindset into a consistent performance across the first two days, it could tilt the singles sessions on Sunday in its favor, a scenario that many of Europe’s former captains have described as the true test of leadership and team character.

As the teams prepare for Bethpage, the passions of Ryder Cup golf loom large. The debate over strategy, lineup stability, and crowd management will unfold on the course, with both sides aware that even the slightest misstep can reverberate through the week. In the end, the decision will come down to who executes under pressure when it matters most, and whether Europe’s methodical preparation can unlock an away win that would resonate across golf’s competitive landscape.