New York supplied the crowds. The crowds brought the noise. And when the first American shot of the 45th Ryder Cup came screaming off the face off Bryson DeChambeau’s driver, only coming to rest when it had pretty much reached the apron of the opening green, one or two Europeans must have had flashbacks to Whistling Straits four years ago.
In lonely Wisconsin, with no away fans as we emerged from the pandemic, it started badly and pretty much got worse from there.
DeChambeau and Justin Thomas duly made their birdie and there was red on the board. Imagine if they had known then that this would be the only hole they would win all morning. Scarcely believable, yet true.
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Scheffler was insipid
It was hardly any better behind them. Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley managed two wins and never led. Collin Morikawa and Harris English took exactly one hole off Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. And that came when they were five down.
As one wag put it, the Americans were obliged to call in and say hello to the VIPs in the corporate hospitality tents lining the fairways on the closing stretch. After all, they were yet to see any golf.
Yes, there was better news in the last match. But even then it must be said that Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele were given a helping hand by Viktor Hovland and Bob MacIntyre.
And it was quiet out there on the course. Bethpage Black is played over a vast canvas, which hardly helps, but there is only so long an excitable crowd can keep up the jingoistic bombast when the board is awash with blue.
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President Trump landed
Cometh the hour, cometh the president. As the foursomes concluded, Air Force One flew over Long Island. By the time the fourballs were getting underway, Donald Trump was in situ. He emerged from behind his protective bulletproof screen to exchange some enthusiastic fist bumps with DeChambeau.
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A stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner later, and the crowd were re-energised. The morning’s transgressions forgotten. Normal service would surely now be resumed.
The sun was out, the beers were flowing and Captain Keegan Bradley had sprinled his superstars evenly around the four matches.
But it never truly looked convincing. Much like Scheffler himself, who delivered a positively Tiger-esque performance. He looked shadow of his usual self, seemingly a burden rather than an inspiration to his playing partners.
The crowd tried to get involved
The crowd burped, chirped and heckled away as best they could, but their only noticeable success all day was to upset MacIntyre on the 17th tee in the morning.
That apart, there was plenty of bluster and no shortage of enthusiasm. There just weren’t many heroes in the red, white and blue to inspire them.
Never far away from the action, and barely changing his expression all day was the imperturable Luke Donald. He looked every inch a captain who has control both of his emotions and the match situation.
He also appeared to have most of the stronger players, the players in better form, the players who are capable of turning around a match going against them, or seeing one out that is very close.
There is one tried-and-tested, guaranteed way to silence a boisterous crowd and that is to outclass the home team, suffocating them with sheer excellence. That was what Europe did over the course of the opening day. It looks ominous for the New Yorkers heading into the weekend.
Are Europe on their way to another famous Ryder Cup victory on American soil? Or might it all be a very different story over the weekend in New York? Tell us what you think on X!
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