Explains Team Europe’s Ryder Cup victory in 8 quotes

This month may not be heavy on Ryder Cup news, as there are still 10 months to go before the 2025 event, and there is very little golf that could affect the teams that will meet in Bethpage. But because of the documentary on the subject You have a familyit is feels like Ryder Cup time.

The reason lies in the film’s timeline, which jumps back and forth between the lead-up to the 2023 Cup, held in Rome, and the lead-up to next year’s Cup, in New York. As we approach the next, we inch away from the last. Which makes now the perfect time to look behind the curtain at how these events play out. And especially, why Europe ruled Italy.

The final score read 16.5 to 11.5, but as you can see in the film, there were many strings that captain Luke Donald pulled to create a sense of team among people, caddies and families. Below are eight excerpts from the film – which you can watch below – that explain how Europe came together in a triumphant way.

“It was like we were together for three weeks.” — Jon Rahm

A lot has been done in recent years about early scouting trips. However, Europe made a trip to Marco Simone ahead of the Ryder Cup, which has been hailed as a very important team-building exercise. Also for course preparation work.

The week after that scouting trip was the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where all the European members were competing, staying in the same hotel, eating together, etc. Add in Ryder Cup week and that’s why Jon Rahm said it sounds like they have plenty of time to eat. a month together.

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These are the best days of your life. – Billy Foster

There are 12 players selected, making putts, winning honors, etc. But Luke Donald wanted everyone behind those 12 players to feel like they mattered as professionals. Earlier in the week at Marco Simone, Donald gathered 12 caddies together and presented longtime looper Billy Foster (Matt Fitzpatrick’s caddy) with his Ryder Cup trophy.

Each player from the winning Ryder Cup team gets a trophy made for them to keep, but this one was made especially for the caddy who had now won 16 Cups. Foster was surprised and grateful for the recognition, giving a few words to other fans about what was coming for them: the best days of their lives.

“How many times are you going to sit down and cry with your teammate every week, and be okay with it?” – Tommy Fleetwood

On Monday night of Ryder Cup week, Donald made a plan with the wives and girlfriends of the team for each player to be in their hotel rooms at 5 pm That’s when they will get a special video from one of their loved ones. For some, the message is from a brother, for others it’s just a best friend. For Tommy Fleetwood, it was a message from his son, Frankie.

When the European team gathered immediately after these messages were shared, they watched a mashup video of all the messages, and soon many players were in tears. When Fleetwood started to cry, Jon Rahm started to cry. Both talked about how sharing their vulnerability made them feel closer as teammates.

“I feel part of the family.” – Novak Djokovic

Yes, Novak Djokovic, the tennis player. Donald picked up Djokovic to talk to his team earlier in the week. The message, as Donald explained on the No Laying Up podcast, was to succeed when the crowd isn’t behind you. Although it would have been better suited to an away Ryder Cup week, Djokovic’s presence was a positive for the Euros, according to many players and caddies. These types of cameos happen during Ryder Cup week more than any other big week in golf, and they don’t always bring good results. But in the case of the ’23 Cup, we have one inspirational celebrity speech and one European victory. It’s hard to beat.

“We were received almost like rock stars.” — Ludwig Aberg

It’s not all Luke Donald plans to start the Ryder Cup. There was plenty of Diane Donald planning, too, including an appearance by the group on the famous Spanish Steps in central Rome. Apparently it’s rare to split the steps of a private event, but Diane’s idea was accepted by the local government and created a warm reception for the parties two nights before the event started.

Spectators were lined up in a semi-circle at the bottom of the stairs for the arrivals that mirrored the red carpet premiere. Or, as Ludwig Aberg says, the arrival of rock stars.

“Simati signed, Benvenuto and Ryder Cup.” — Luke Donald

Italy is not a great golf country. That was part of the anxiety that came with bringing the event to the outskirts of the Roman countryside. Can the spectators turn up, in droves, and feel like a decent Euro home crowd?

The answer was decisive yes when Donald began his inauguration speech with several sentences in almost perfect Italian. The first words out of his mouth, listed above, translate to “Honorable guests, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ryder Cup.” A very simple idea, but one that took hundreds of days of Italian lessons at Duo Lingo for Donald to be comfortable speaking to the world in a non-native language. And one that brought together the huge crowd that was waiting for the first pairing and put the event into action.

“How did we make it through this session.” – Shane Lowry

Introducing in his classic Irish style, Shane-O was surprised to see the Euros win the first session 4-0. But he was very happy on Friday evening after they stole the second session, too. The final half hour of play saw Viktor Hovland make a long birdie putt to secure the point, Rahm burying a long eagle putt to turn his game into a tie, and Justin Rose making a 10-footer minutes later to turn his game. in the tie. Europe 2.5 – Americas 1.5. If it felt like the momentum was being created by the Americans, it was stolen about 30 minutes in, leaving Lowry confused as he was flabbergasted.

“I have participated in many Ryder Cups and watched many others, and in my opinion, the performance of the team, as a team in Italy was the best I have ever seen in a European team.” — Paul McGinley

The truth. McGinley has participated in many trophies. Three times as a player, once as lead captain and sometimes as a vice-captain or mentor. In his mind, at the time of the 2023 Cup, Europe had no “support” person in this event. No one is suddenly out of shape. And ironically, he found out that the three best players in the world were all wearing blue – Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland – and they all showed up. That’s what the 2023 Cup has come down to.