On the opening practice day ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, half of the 12-strong European team met with the media to look ahead to the 44th edition of golf’s greatest team contest.
From experienced members of the hosts’ team in two-time Major Champion Jon Rahm to rookie Ludvig Åberg, discussion ranged from the influence of home crowds, the emotional bond created between teammates, the course's finishing stretch and first-tee nerves.
Tommy Fleetwood: The crowds are there to lift you at all times, and I think when it's going well, you absolutely ride the wave of a home crowd and the momentum that they are creating: the cheers, the sound, the noise, that's amazing, and you know that they are there to lift you up if it's not going so well.
It is definitely an advantage to have the home crowd around. You look at Ryder Cup moments, putts holed or shots hit, the crowd is part of that.
The reaction you get, the roars that you get, they play a huge part in your memory.
I think they bring that as well. So far in my career, there's nothing like playing in front of a home crowd and I know this one will be the same.
Tommy Fleetwood: I think it's a much more emotional week than what we are used to. You are all just very zoned in in what you're doing, and you have your particular team of a few people around you.
It's a week that people dream of in their careers... You're all playing for each other and we all feel very, very strongly about the Ryder Cup and the tournament.
We feel it's a massive privilege to have the responsibility of carrying on the legacy of European golf and European players in the Ryder Cup and I think we are all very aware of that and anybody that's been involved in the European Ryder Cups over the years make sure that's always at the front of our minds when we get here.
I think Luke's been unbelievable. Watching him speak through this whole process and having him around, I think everybody has just loved his captaincy, the way he's gone about things.
I think we are all looking forward to playing for him and under him in the Ryder Cup.
I think it would be great for Francesco and Edoardo (Molinari) [if Europe won on Italian soil]. What a special time for their country to have the two brothers that have kind of been the face of Italian golf for a long time now.
Sepp Straka: I feel like I've known all of the [European] players for quite a while now. I don't think there's anybody that I haven't known for less than four or five years.
Getting to spend more time around them, more quality time around them, practice rounds, has been great. Started with the practice trip a couple weeks ago.
The team bonding has been incredible. Team dinners and all that has been a lot of fun.
The Course
It’s [the rough] very thick, and especially out of the fairways, the blades are really thick and it's very different than anything you see almost anywhere.
The ball comes out pretty slow most of the time, you definitely want to spend a lot of time especially around the greens, getting the feel right, and preparing for that.
It's a good course. It will be great for match play. There are a lot of high-risk reward shots and a couple of drivable par fours and reachable par fives. I think that will be really fun to watch and really fun to play.
I really like number five. I think it's a really cool reachable par four. The finishing stretch is great. 16, 17, 18 is great - three incredible holes. That's probably my favourite stretch on the course.
: Ludvig Åberg I wish I never got nervous! I think obviously anyone that plays golf, you know, feels the nerves sometimes. So do I, obviously. And I'm going to feel those same things on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this week.
But you know, it's very much an excitement. It's very much an anticipation of what's to come and I try to view it as something good. It doesn't necessarily need to, you know, affect my behavior in a poor way. It's more of something that, you know, it shows that I care. So I'm looking forward to having those feelings again.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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