Donald leans into money talk as Europe and U.S. gear up for Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black

Two days before the first tee shot at Bethpage Black, the Ryder Cup began its weeklong storyline with a swaggering, money-focused message from European captain Luke Donald. In an opening ceremony that drew more than 5,000 fans and a chorus of chants for the United States, Donald used the podium to frame the week around purpose rather than pay. “We’re fueled by something money cannot buy,” Donald said, signaling a clear stance that the biennial matches hinge on pride, resilience and shared purpose rather than prize money or world rankings.

The ceremony scene also underscored the electric, sometimes tense atmosphere that accompanies a Ryder Cup held on home soil in the United States. A wave of cheers and boos rippled through the stands as Donald and U.S. captain Keegan Bradley were introduced and thanked officials and local leaders, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who attended the session. The scene was only a warm-up for what is expected to be a week of raw emotion, trumpeting what organizers call the People’s Course at Bethpage Black and what fans passionately insist is America’s home course for the event.

Bradley, speaking after Donald, pivoted to the personal memories that have long fueled American fans. He recalled the infamous 1999 matches at Brookline, when he was 13 and watched Justin Rose’s 45-foot putt on the 17th hole—mistakenly crediting Justin Leonard at the time—and said that moment helped propel him toward golf as a calling rather than just a game. “That day changed my life,” Bradley said, tying his own journey to a history many fans still cite as the Ryder Cup’s emotional core. Bradley also noted his roots as a New England son of a PGA professional and highlighted his family ties to golf, including his aunt, Pat Bradley, a World Golf Hall of Fame inductee.

As the teams prepared to name their opening foursomes for Friday, the dynamic between the cups’ captains was unmistakable: Donald framed the clash as a pride-driven contest that transcends pay, while Bradley leaned into the personal lore that has long animated American fans and players alike. One notable moment earlier in the week: Bradley debuted his lineup shoutout by referencing world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as a New Jersey native born before his family moved to Dallas, a nod to the personal connections many players bring to the event.

The money conversation that Donald invoked has its own backdrop. The American team has donated $200,000 to charity since 1999, with this year’s charity component set at $300,000 plus a $200,000 stipend. The American players have stated they would donate the entire $500,000 proceeds to charities in their communities. Europe’s retort, rooted in a longer history of Ryder Cup supremacy that has seen the continent win 10 of the last 14 renewals, is that the Ryder Cup is about more than money, about legacy and the chance to silence critics on away soil.

Bradley and his squad will rely on crowd energy and course knowledge, knowing Bethpage Black has hosted major events and earned a reputation for demanding play and vocal fans. The course, long considered a test of nerve and precision, has also become a host site with a built-in rivalry, a factor that both captains acknowledged as they prepared to unveil the opening lineups for Friday morning’s foursomes session. The ceremony’s scheduling shift—moved up a day due to a forecast of rain—gave players one more day to adjust before the first competitive shots, adding another layer of anticipation to an event that has long been a springboard for rising talents and veteran legacies alike.

Europe has dominated in head-to-head play in recent memory, and Donald emphasized the need to unite as one team and to prove that the European legacy—built on resilience, camaraderie and the willingness to persevere when the odds are steep—remains intact. “We’re not just playing to win, we’re playing for each other and for every young golfer back home who dreams about one day representing Team Europe,” he said. “Winning away never is easy, but the toughest roads lead to the greatest rewards.”

Bradley’s remarks, delivered with the cadence of a man who has thought long and deeply about what this week means, reflected the selfless ethos many teammates have described in the lead-up to the event. He discussed his family’s ties to the game, his time at St. John’s University, and Bethpage Black’s role in shaping his own romance with competition and teamwork. The crowd’s energy—loud, sometimes close to rowdy, and deeply invested—underscore the Ryder Cup’s status as more than a tournament: it is a year-long narrative condensed into four days of match-play drama.

As the teams prepare to begin Friday, the backdrop is as important as the golf itself. Europe will be looking to extend a recent run of success on foreign soil, while the United States aims to end a 32-year drought of successful Ryder Cup campaigns on home soil. The pairings and formats will be announced in the wake of Wednesday’s ceremony and Thursday’s practice rounds, with weather and course conditions likely to influence decisions across the opening sessions. The stage is set for a week of high-tension golf, iconic moments, and, as Donald framed it, a reminder that pride—more than money—will drive these players to leave everything on Bethpage Black.

It has been two years since Europe’s romping victory in Rome that helped cement Luke Donald’s legacy as a captain, and three days of anticipation still lie ahead before Friday’s opening shots. The rhetoric, the memories, and the roars of the crowd will all feed into the week’s early momentum as Europe seeks to prove it remains the standard-bearer of the modern Ryder Cup, while the United States looks to reclaim a home-course advantage that many fans already believe could tilt the balance in this high-stakes rivalry.