By Martin Dempster

Copyright scotsman

It’s a confusing business being a Ryder Cup player. Or, more specifically, in an away match, especially the 45th edition with a New York crowd in attendance. In the practice rounds on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, the Europeans are being encouraged to engage with the spectators and are perfectly happy to do so. Right from the start in Tuesday’s first official practice round, Luke Donald’s men signed autographs and, collectively, could possibly have set a new record in that respect by the time they’d completed the full 18 holes. Come Friday, though, they will be doing their utmost to not engage with anyone outside the ropes due to the fact the American fans will be turning up the heat for this contest more than any other in the event’s history. “The sort of job of the home crowd is to support the home team,” observed Tommy Fleetwood, who is making his fourth appearance in the biennial bout, having been a winner twice on home soil – in France in 2018 then Italy two years ago – but a loser at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin in 2021. “You wouldn’t hold anything against anybody in that way. “But yesterday they were amazing. They were very supportive of us, and it’s important. The Ryder Cup, first as golfers, it’s the biggest showcase of the sport that we get. I look back at my favorite Ryder Cup moments and shots that I might have hit and, without the crowds, it’s not quite the same. It just doesn’t feel the same. That’s such a huge part of that. “To engage with them here is really important. It’s great. It’s great to soak up that atmosphere, whether it’s home or away. Like I say, they were all amazing yesterday. I loved interacting with them. I loved signing stuff, seeing the kids and all of that. I thought that was great. “Yeah, it’s different when it’s go time, like when it’s time to play. I think that’s like every other tournament except this one is hyped up. When it’s time to play, I’ve always felt like I really just want to focus on my game, focus on each shot, try and get into my bubble as much as possible, especially when I’m coming in to play my shots. “That’s no different in the Ryder Cup; it’s just that it’s an extreme atmosphere. It’s the most extreme atmosphere that we get. But the crowd is such a huge part of the Ryder Cup.” After Europe’s 19-9 hammering at Whistling Straits, Shane Lowry spoke about how his wife, Wendy, and some of the other wives and partners of the European players had been the target of pretty bad verbal abuse from some of the US fans. For the first time, crowd monitors will be out on the course for this week’s match as the PGA of America bids to try and ensure that the behaviour of the fans doesn’t get out of hand. “That energy, that passion and that home team environment is something that plays such a big part in the Ryder Cup, and I think you have to embrace that, enjoy it, and look forward to it, even when you’re the away team,” added Fleetwood, who is making his first appearance on US soil as the 2025 PGA Tour FedEx Cup winner after his breakthrough triumph on the circuit in last month’s Tour Championship in Atlanta. “We’ve all discussed as a team who feels comfortable, how the family would feel comfortable, what they want to do. When the families are here, it’s not just for you. We’re all part of Team Europe, and whatever that involves and whoever that involves supporting out there, that could be very, very different. I think it’s something that we’ve all discussed, and it’s one of those things, it’ll be very fluid throughout the week. I’m sure it’s all going to be great.” Justin Rose, who is playing in the contest for the seventh time, has already been on a winning team in the US as part of the side that pulled off the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012, when he wildly celebrated holing a monster putt on the 17th green against Phil Mickelson in the last-day singles. “Yeah, Chicago crowd was an intense arena to play in, very difficult,” admitted the Englishman. “I think you began to understand how important momentum is, really, with any match that has a home and an away crowd. So I think that really activates the intensity and the environment out there. “You don’t want to compare anything to New York, but I think Chicago was also a big crowd. I think the scale of the Ryder Cup seems to have really kind of kicked on massively in the last decade. So I feel like each occasion is getting more and more intense, which is a lot of fun, obviously. “And I think this one it’s obviously going to ramp up. Obviously we were here for two days (last week) and it was very quiet. Had the course to ourselves. Yesterday playing with fans in was a good step up in gear. We’re getting closer to the start line and obviously it’s all going to start to feel very real, and the intensity of it is going to grow and grow as the week goes on.” Europe’s clothing for the practice days has been a nod to past successes on US soil, with Rose wearing a similar outfit to the one Bernhard Langer’s team had on for the final day when they tasted victory at Oakland Hills in 2004. Tops with a slash of salmon pink on Monday marked the 1987 win at Muirfield Village while Tuesday’s outfit represented the 1995 victory at Oak Hill and the one for Thursday will be for Medinah. “Yeah, we’re definitely trying to harness those good, positive memories from Team Europe over the years,” said a smiling Rose. “I think in practice we wore the ’87 shirt and then obviously, yeah, the 2012 shirts, that sort of deep purple, which obviously I had the privilege of wearing at Medinah, which was obviously an amazing week. “It was a pretty tough week, as well, for two full days, pretty much, until the very end of Saturday, as we all know, and then clearly Sunday turned it around.”