Ryder Cup 2025: How Team Cup experience can help Luke Donald and Team Europe's bid for away win at Bethpage Black

Should Luke Donald guide Team Europe to a historic victory on American soil at the Ryder Cup this September, there is little doubt that the Team Cup will have been a factor in that success.

The three-day match play team event was reintroduced to the DP World Tour schedule to help with preparations for this September's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, with 10 players from Great Britain and Ireland facing 10 from Continental Europe in Abu Dhabi.

Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari served as playing captains, with the event giving players experience in a team environment and Donald the opportunity to fine-tune some of his thoughts ahead of the Ryder Cup.

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The contest was more one-sided than most would have predicted, GB and Ireland winning all four sessions on their way to a convincing 17-8 win over Continental Europe, but there were still lots of positives and learnings to take to New York later this year…

Donald casts eye over Ryder Cup hopefuls

The Team Cup was revived in 2023 to boost Europe's chances of regaining the Ryder Cup, with six players who featured in that year's edition going on to play in Donald's winning team later that year.

Four members of the last Ryder Cup side featured in Abu Dhabi, along with two players from past European teams, with Donald impressed by many of the players pushing to make a debut appearance.

"Aaron Rai is 22nd in the world and has proved that he is getting better and better each time he has played," Donald told Sky Sports. "It was really good for him to come into the team environment and see how these team competitions work.

"He [Laurie Canter] was very impressive. Statistically just behind Tommy [Fleetwood] and Tyrrell [Hatton] going into the singles. Great driver of the golf ball and that's really nice in match play to always be in play.

"Matthieu Pavon really played some great golf. He just looked very strong from the get-go."

Pavon pushes into Ryder Cup consideration

There has not been a Frenchman on the Ryder Cup team since Victor Dubuisson in 2014, but Matthieu Pavon - a winner on the PGA Tour last year on his way to reaching the season-ending Tour Championship - could be ready to end that.

Pavon was one of the limited positives for Continental Europe during the first two days, partnering Romain Langasque to victory in each of the first three sessions, then managed to match Fleetwood's birdie burst in the singles before falling to a 3&1 defeat.

"He [Pavon] has been something special," said Paul McGinley, former Ryder Cup captain and strategic adviser to Donald for the 2025 contest. "He's got a bit of grit about him.

"As much as we are looking at this Ryder Cup in a different way to any away one before, what we are looking for is personality, guile and grit and someone that can play in a hostile environment.

"I think Pavon brings that to the table, so he's been really impressive. He had a big year in America last year which sets him up for a big year this year because he's in all of the majors and signature events."

Fleetwood and Hatton lead from the front

Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry will all almost certainly feature for Europe in New York, while experienced duo Fleetwood and Hatton seemingly enhanced their hopes with unbeaten performances for Great Britain and Ireland.

Fleetwood claimed the winning point in his victory over Pavon in the top match - having also claimed the winning point for Europe to beat the United States in 2023 - to finish on four points from four, while Hatton claimed 3.5 points and also did not lose a match.

Hatton will be limited to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the four majors to earn Ryder Cup qualification points, due to him competing in the LIV Golf League, but believes he has shown the value he would add to Team Europe.

"By now, I guess Luke knows what I'm capable of or the type of golf that I can produce," Hatton said. "My job is harder to automatically qualify for the team but I have five events to do that. I'm going to give it my best."

On the English pair, Donald said after the victory: "Tommy and Tyrrell played unbelievable golf. We know how good they are and they were difference makers at the end of the score."

Players get samples of Ryder Cup atmosphere

A small crowd gathered at the first tee in the Middle East is a stark contrast to what the Europeans will face in September, where thousands of noisy Americans will likely provide a hostile welcome, leading to Donald creating alternative ways to get players used to a pro-USA crowd.

Players were forced to listen to chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A" over the PA system ahead of practice rounds and at the first tee during tournament days, with artificial noise added at various points of the week and additional crowd chanting.

The practice rounds also included intentional distraction tactics aimed at players, like they may face from the American crowd during the Ryder Cup. The two environments are obviously vastly different but could help the Europeans - even slightly - prepare for playing on away soil.

"You can't simulate the intensity of a Ryder Cup with the crowd and the energy," Rose said. "At the end of the day, as soon as you put a crest here and you have 10 mates right behind you want to win. The intensity is there. The competitiveness is there. Just the environment is hard to simulate."

Stories help players prepare for Bethpage

Being inside a team room was an unknown quantity for many involved, but Ryder Cup players and captains past and present - including Jose Maria Olazabal, McGinley and Sam Torrance, were on hand to offer their support and get players educated on what it is like to represent Team Europe.

"We are not here to dictate to the players and treat them like school children with 'this is what you must do'," McGinley explained. "We're sharing ideas. We're sharing experiences.

"All that is good for the players to learn and understand that this is not just kindergarten stuff that we're going into over there. This is going to be a very hostile, volatile atmosphere where a lot of unsavoury things will potentially go on and we have got to be ready for it.

"I think the players love to listen to the stories, and you illustrate your points by telling stories and giving examples."

Rose demonstrates himself as captain in waiting

Former world No 1 Rose remains hopeful of being at the Ryder Cup as a player, having missed out on a captain's pick for the last away contest in 2021, although he gained valuable experience for future backroom roles for Team Europe.

"Huge honour," Rose said about his captaincy experience. "Loved the challenge of it. Loved the experience of it and the lads have made me look incredibly good at it!

"I've basically been babysat. Tried to give it my best with messaging and put my stamp on my team. It's been a great experience for me personally and hopefully [one I] can take with me into the future, whatever it may be."

On Rose's performance and what he will have gained, Donald added: "It was great to see Rose take on that role. A little part of the process is to try and get some of these guys - who might be future Ryder Cup captains - into the mix and feel what it's like to be a captain.

"That's all part of it, to prepare these guys for future Ryder Cup captaincies and prepare these players - hopefully - to be ready for New York, but if not ready for the next one and the one after that."

Europe reaches new levels in pursuit of history

There has only been one European victory on American soil this century, with this week's Team Cup an opportunity for the backroom team to finalise plans - on and off the course - that will give them the best chance of winning more frequently away from home.

McGinley said during the event that he has "never seen preparation like it", with additional on-course data analysis partnered with new pairings, approaches to nutrition, post-round treatments and extra tactics trialled.

"There's a lot of awesome lessons for all the guys come September," Rose said after the victory, where he said his team had been "spoilt" by what had been on offer to them during the event.

The Team Cup has given some of Europe's prospective Ryder Cup candidates a taste of what they could experience later this year. Will it help lead Donald and his team to back-to-back victories? Only time will tell, but it won't have hindered those hopes...

What's next?

The race to represent Team Europe at the 2025 Ryder Cup is already well under way and will dominate the next few months, with players having until the Betfred British Masters in August to automatically earn their place in Donald's team.

Can Team Europe claim a historic Ryder Cup victory on American soil? Watch the Ryder Cup exclusively live from September 26-28 on Sky Sports. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more with NOW.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Ryder Cup 2025: How Team Cup experience can help Luke Donald and Team Europe's bid for away win at Bethpage Black