Beckham helps European team temper Ryder Cup crowd with charm offensive at Bethpage

Europe’s bid to tame the Ryder Cup crowd at Bethpage Black has shifted toward a charm offensive, a strategy designed to soak up the energy of a notoriously partisan New York gallery rather than inflame it. As Friday’s start nears, the European contingent has leaned on accessibility and positive interaction, echoing a tactic once employed by Bernhard Langer in the 2004 Ryder Cup that sought to channel hostile energy into constructive support for the home team. On Wednesday, Brooklyn Beckham was introduced to the first-teeside crowds as a “photographer” for Team Europe, a brief role that reflected the broader objective: keep the galleries engaged with smiles, selfies and signing moments rather than sparking a confrontation.

Beckham’s appearance came amid a lighter-than-expected opening chapter in the Celebrity Match that launched Europe’s weekend assault. He teamed with former Chicago Bulls star Toni Kukoc and was soon overwhelmed by a high-profile USA lineup that also included Eli Manning and American comedian Colin Jost. Beckham, 26, later said he had only just started playing the sport last week and did not yet have a handicap, explaining some of the round’s rough edges as the group headed into a weekend dominated by a boisterous crowd. The round featured the kind of mis-hits that would invite ribbing from any gallery, with Beckham spending extended stretches trying to escape bunkers, clipping drives 30 yards off line, and searching for a ball hooked into the trees at the second hole. The result was a rout for the American pairing as the celebrity mix fell to a convincing defeat that served as an early hint of the weekend weather to come.

Yet the episode also provided a quiet, practical blueprint for Europe. After the round, Beckham adhered to the ethos Luke Donald and the rest of the European squad have pursued here: engage with fans when asked and diffuse tension with approachable, cheerful interaction. The goal is not to feign indifference but to create moments of warmth that can blunt the sharp edges of a hostile environment. The strategy mirrors the 2004 Oakland Hills playbook when then-captain Bernhard Langer encouraged polarising figures to win over the galleries with genuine, respectful exchanges rather than inflammatory rhetoric.

Friday’s stage is set for another wave of such interaction, with several European players choosing to blend performance with personal connection. On Tuesday, a long line of players walked the slope from the 17th green toward the 18th tee, signing flags and photographs as fans pressed in. Justin Rose, who took part in that walk, said the home crowd’s energy could be a benefit if harnessed properly. “Everybody was amazing yesterday,” Rose said. “The job of the home crowd is to support the home team. You wouldn’t hold anything against anybody in that way. But yesterday they were amazing. They were very supportive of us, and it’s important. To engage with them here is really important. It’s great. It’s great to soak up that atmosphere, whether it’s home or away. Like I say, they were all amazing yesterday. I loved interacting with them. I loved signing stuff, seeing the kids and all of that. I thought that was great.”

Tommy Fleetwood offered a similar tone, fostering a conciliatory mood as he looked ahead to play on a course that will be crowded with supporters for both sides. “Everybody was amazing yesterday,” Fleetwood said on Wednesday morning, reflecting the same sentiment as Rose about the importance of a positive fan environment. “The job of the home crowd is to support the home team. You wouldn’t hold anything against anybody in that way. But yesterday they were amazing. They were very supportive of us, and it’s important. To engage with them here is really important. It’s great. It’s great to soak up that atmosphere, whether it’s home or away. Like I say, they were all amazing yesterday. I loved interacting with them. I loved signing stuff, seeing the kids and all of that. I thought that was great.”

The patience and politeness of Europe’s players toward an audience famous for volatility is a deliberate return to a broader philosophy. After years of verbal sparring and on-course skirmishes, the team’s leadership believes that softening the tone can blunt the home-field advantage that might otherwise overwhelm visiting players. The approach relies on simple, human moments—autographs, photos, casual chats—as a way to remind the crowd that golf, even at the Ryder Cup, remains a game of respect and shared enthusiasm.

Even as the crowds tune in to the spectacle, the players acknowledge that the atmosphere can be both a fixture and a pressure point. Rose framed the experience as a negotiation with the energy that comes with a Ryder Cup in New York, insisting that noise is not inherently detrimental if it remains manageable and directed. “There comes a point where it just becomes noise, and it just becomes colour and noise,” Rose said. “If it gets to that point, then it won’t do us much harm.”

Beckham himself returned to the practical realities of a fledgling career outside golf. When asked if he would watch Inter Miami, the team part-owned by his father, play New York City FC at Citi Field later that evening, he declined, saying his company is still in its early stages. “My company is just a year old,” he explained. “I’ve got to get back to LA and back to work.” The sentiment highlighted the balancing act for a figure who has become a focal point of the event without being a central figure on the golf course.

As the event unfolds, Europe’s blend of autograph sessions, quick exchanges with fans, and a steady stream of accessible moments adds a palpable layer of strategy to the competition. The aim is to maintain a constructive dialogue with the galleries, converting potential antagonism into an environment where the visiting players can find their rhythm and concentrate on their shots without being overwhelmed by the venue’s partisan energy.

The dynamic is not about soft-pedaling the competition or dampening the intensity of the crowd. It is about channeling that intensity into a frame where the players can execute their game with clarity. With Friday’s play imminent, Europe’s players continue to sign autographs, pose for selfies, and share friendly exchanges with fans along the course, particularly in high-traffic walkways where the energy is thick and the stakes are high. It is a deliberate, measured approach that nods to history, acknowledges the present, and aims to shape the Ryder Cup narrative into a more balanced encounter for all involved.