Luke Donald Plotting Course Changes In Bid To Reclaim Ryder Cup
Luke Donald will have narrow fairways, more rough and slower greens as he revealed his set-up plan for the Ryder Cup course
Luke Donald has given an indication of how he will set-up the course for this year’s Ryder Cup in order to give Europe the best possible chance of regaining the trophy from Team USA.
The Europeans took a savage beating with a record defeat at Whistling Straits in 2021, but now they’re back on home soil – where the USA haven’t won for 30 years.
While all the talk has been about team selection and the future of the Ryder Cup with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia resigning their DP World Tour membership – the course was the focus for Donald in Rome.
And just as Thomas Bjorn did at Le Golf National in 2018, Donald is looking at course set-up to play a big part in a European victory.
With Donald and several European team hopefuls playing the Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf Club this week, the captain says that he’ll be looking to tighten up the fairways for the Ryder Cup match and put a premium on accuracy – which worked well in Paris last time.
"Since playing it last year, we looked at a few different fairway lines, bringing in a few fairways a little bit tighter," said Donald.
"The template for European golf is to have a slightly narrower golf course, a little bit more rough, not greens that get too fast because that's obviously what the US guys are always used to.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
"There's not a whole lot we have changed but we have added a couple of bunkers to create opportunities for better driving. I feel like Europe has good drivers of the golf ball.”
A post shared by DP World Tour (@dpworldtour)
A photo posted by on
Donald added that with two or three of the par fours possibly being drivable, that will also help Europe – but warned that setting-up the course could only help so much with the teams evenly matched.
"I think it's a fun golf course in terms of there's potentially two or three driveable par fours,” he added. “Statistically, driving is a good part of our games so to have those in there could give us a slight advantage.
“But there's only so much you can do. The players are very evenly matched when it comes to statistics.
"You're just trying to find little potential differences that you can capitalise on but the standard of play is very close these days. It's hard to gain a big advantage."
Just exactly who will be in those teams is still a mystery. We know that LIV Golf players will not be allowed to play for Europe, but technically the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau remain eligible for Team USA.
Johnson and Keopka have already said they’d like to play in the Ryder Cup and Zach Johnson has previously revealed that LIV players were still eligible for Team USA, whether he’d select them or not remains to be seen.
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
-
Start Flushing Your Fairway Woods With 3 Super Simple Tips From PGA Pro Peter Finch
Flushing your fairway woods can take your game to the next level, but many amateurs struggle. Peter Finch has three simple tips to utilise these useful clubs
By Peter Finch Published
-
Bubba Watson Makes Hole-In-One To Move In To Contention At Asian Tour Event
Playing the BNI Indonesian Masters for the first time, the two-time Major winner moved firmly into contention on Saturday thanks to an ace at the par 3 11th
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Bryson DeChambeau Expected To Play Asian Tour's India Event: Report
The Crushers GC captain and current US Open champion has been tipped to feature at an International Series tournament in India next season
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
PGA Tour Pair Clear Favorites As Early Odds Released For 'The Showdown'
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have been strongly tipped to triumph in their exhibition match against LIV golfers Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
The Showdown: Date And Course Set For Las Vegas TV Match Featuring McIlroy, Scheffler, DeChambeau And Koepka
More details on the venue and date for the made-for-TV contest featuring Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka have been released
By Mike Hall Last updated
-
Bryson DeChambeau Overtakes PGA Tour In YouTube Subscribers
The two-time Major winner's YouTube channel has really blown up over the past year, so much so, it has more subscribers than the biggest Tour in golf...
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Patrick Reed Among Three LIV Golfers Invited To Iconic DP World Tour Event
Reed has been included in the field for the Open de Espana at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid later this season
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
LIV Golf's Ian Poulter Reveals The One Thing He Misses About Life On The PGA Tour And DP World Tour
The Majesticks co-captain admitted there was one thing he missed about life on his former tours but said the positives of his move to LIV more than made up for it
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Ian Poulter Calls For 'Compromise From All Sides' To Achieve Unity In Men's Game
The Majesticks GC co-captain explained why collaboration has to be at the forefront of golf's future if it is to thrive
By Jonny Leighfield Last updated
-
Ian Poulter ‘Gutted’ To Withdraw From Asian Tour England Event
'The Postman' was due to appear at the Asian Tour's International Series England event at Foxhills this week
By Jonny Leighfield Last updated