FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK | For the extended moment – at least until this Ryder Cup officially begins on the first tee at 7:10 a.m. Friday – there are still no answers, only questions.
Conjecture. Strategizing. Analyzing.
Unless you’re European captain Luke Donald, who has the luxury of having 11 of the 12 players who dominated the Americans in Rome two years ago, imaginations can run wild. Even the odd man in on the European side – Rasmus Højgaard – is subbing in for his brother Nicolai, so the caddie bibs still work through the lineup.
Otherwise, there is an element of the great unknown to this moment.
Is Bryson DeChambeau the key to the Americans’ success and, if so, will it be Cameron Young or Ben Griffin who plays alongside him?
What to make of the relatively flat seasons Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele had and, while we’re on the subject, should we throw Collin Morikawa into that group, understanding their contributions will be critical to the American fortunes this week?
Which pairing should U.S. captain Keegan Bradley send out first Friday morning, figuring his European counterpart will likely pencil in either the Jon Rahm-Tyrrell Hatton duo or Ludvig Åberg and Viktor Hovland?
Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley? Harris English and Morikawa?
Which titan – Scheffler or Rory McIlroy – wins more points for his side?
Will the decision to slightly defang Bethpage Black by trimming the rough play to the Americans’ advantage or are the Europeans able to match muscle for muscle off the tee knowing the penalty for a miss has been tempered?
The case can be made that this is the most anticipated Ryder Cup since the 1991 event at Kiawah Island for the questions it has raised and the magnitude it has developed. It feels New York big.
Will the American fans be the true beasts of Bethpage or will Europe win on the road for the fourth time since 1995, something the U.S. has not done in that time?
How much will it matter that the Americans have four Ryder Cup rookies – J.J. Spaun, Griffin, Young and Henley – and Højgaard, the lone European first-timer, was in the team room in Rome two years ago?
Will choosing to play foursomes first on Friday and Saturday benefit the Americans the way it has in the past two Ryder Cups on U.S. soil in which they have won 11½ of a possible 16 points?
Might the $500,000 per player payday the Americans are receiving – which all seem intent on donating to various charities – work against them with the crowd should things begin to go badly for the stars and stripes?
“There’s a lot of pride that comes into playing in one of these, and yes, we’re happy to get paid for this, and yes, I plan on donating it. It’s something that selfishly will make me feel good about what I do,” said Schauffele, whose father raised the issue publicly in Rome.
One day more and the answers will begin to come into focus.
In fact, one question – will Patrick Cantlay wear a hat? – has already been answered in the affirmative. Cantlay has a hat that fits this time and, whether or not his going without one in Rome has anything to do with the American players now getting paid $500,000 apiece, he intends to wear it.
“Like I’ve said a million times, the hat didn’t fit last [time], and this year we worked with them to make sure we had one, and we got one, so we’re good,” Cantlay said.
The case can be made that this is the most anticipated Ryder Cup since the 1991 event at Kiawah Island for the questions it has raised and the magnitude it has developed. It feels New York big.
When the two teams gathered for the Ryder Cup gala Tuesday night, the Americans opted for sneakers and no neckties with their suits while the Europeans were more formal. It ultimately doesn’t matter but at the Ryder Cup, it feels like every little thing matters, especially when the fashion police get involved.
Donald has encouraged his team to engage with the American fans through the practice days. They’re stopping to sign autographs and pose for selfies with the same people who will likely be in their ears when this becomes real Friday morning. Until then, it’s all smiles.
“It’s different when it’s go time, like when it’s time to play,” Tommy Fleetwood said.
“It’s the most extreme atmosphere that we get.”
Donald and the Europeans used virtual reality headsets to give the players a sense of what they will see and hear at Bethpage. Bradley had the son of a firefighter who died on 9/11 speak to his team on the first tee Monday morning.
Donald, who has played enough golf with Michael Jordan to understand the immediacy of performing under pressure, knows this European team is painting on a fresh canvas.
“If things go wrong, then yeah, there will be lots of questions aimed at me, and that’s the responsibility you take as a captain. But again, you hope that with the preparation, it will hopefully help your team, give them a better opportunity,” Donald said.
With a worrisome weather forecast for Thursday – windy with thunderstorms – the opening ceremony was fast-tracked to Wednesday afternoon minus the best part of the event, which is the revealing of the first morning’s pairings. That will happen at 4 p.m. Thursday with or without rainsuits and umbrellas.
Somewhere in the data pile, both sides probably know which players tend to play better in soft, wet conditions and, whether the captains apply that or not on Friday, no muddy stone will go unturned.
Donald and the Europeans used virtual reality headsets to give the players a sense of what they will see and hear at Bethpage. Bradley had the son of a firefighter who died on 9/11 speak to his team on the first tee Monday morning.
To a man, the participants say weeks like this stay with them like nothing else. It’s the noise and the nerves. The public moments and the private ones.
It’s almost time to turn the questions into answers.