And so it begins – well, maybe not quite yet.
The Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony is usually the end of the anticipation, with the announcement of the pairings for the opening session at its conclusion signalling the finish of the build up.
This year, with the showpiece brought forward 24 hours due to weather concerns, that crescendo was missing but the pomp, the spectacle and noise was all there.
And one theme ran through the entire occasion – New York City.
From the country clubs on Long Island, to this week’s public host of Bethpage, to the simulator machines in Manhattan bars, everything about the Ceremony had our host at its heart.
Skyscrapers and subway cars lit up the big screen and both Captains paid tribute to the City That Never Sleeps.
After skydivers descended and presenters Carson Daly and Kira Dixon introduced a video featuring dignitaries from the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe, it was the visitors who took to the stage, open collared and in double breasted dark suits.
Much has been made of the expected fervent crowd and a few pantomime boos greeted the Europeans as they took to the stage.
“New York City!” exclaimed skipper Luke Donald. “New York is a place where if you show up with talent and a fighting spirit, the city will get behind you. Although maybe not if you’re wearing European blue this week.
“We know what awaits us; Bethpage isn’t exactly shy. This is New York sports country, passionate, loyal, and ferociously loud, and rightly so.
“You the fans here respect effort over ego. You show up for those who grind, for those who fight, and for those who rise to the big occasions. And you make us earn every cheer.
“We may not be your team, but we will give you something to respect, something to admire, and maybe by the end of this week, something to cheer for.
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 24: Captain Keegan Bradley, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffe, Collin Morikawa of Team United States stand during the national anthem during the opening ceremony for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 24, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)“Bethpage is the perfect venue for this contest, a public golf course, a state park, where thousands of fans will gather shoulder to shoulder. It’s a course for the people and a stage where players on both sides will try to prove they belong.”
Donald’s charm offensive brought a smattering of applause from the locals but if he and his troops are to win them over, they will have to wait.
The chants of ‘USA! USA!’ that greeted Keegan Bradley stepping up to the mic were loud and why not?
His team had strolled onto the stage looking all American in black blazers with gold buttons and the Captain was soon regaling the crowd with tales of his time at college on Long Island.
“I come from New England but I went to St. John’s,” he said. “That’s where I fell in love with New York.
“We’ve come a long way from 166th Street and Utopia Parkway in Queens, haven’t we? The grit, the grind, the rhythm of the city taught me how to compete, how to lead, and what passion for your cause really feels like. There is nothing like New York City.
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 24: Michael DelGuidice sings the national anthem during the opening ceremony for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 24, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)“Yes, the stories are true. My team-mates and I used to play Bethpage Black when it was closed on Mondays. We’d park by the maintenance shed and play the inner loop, holes three through 14.
“One day during my senior year, my team-mate George Lotus and I decided we were going to go over the road to play 15, 16, 17 and 18, the holes we really wanted to play but hadn’t been allowed to for four years. We were young, passionate and convinced we were invisible. Turns out we weren’t.
“The park service came. We got in a lot of trouble. But it was worth it. Just ask anyone in the Nassau Players Club how special it is to play Bethpage Black.”
But these speeches were not just a love letter to New York, they were an ode to the Ryder Cup.
“As someone who grew up in the game, this moment is surreal,” said Bradley. “My dad Mark is a proud PGA of America professional. My aunt Pat is an LPGA legend and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. For us, golf is the family business.
“But the Ryder Cup became personal for me in 1999 at Brookline. I was 13 years old, perched on my dad’s shoulders watching Justin Rose’s miracle putt drop on 17. When the crowd erupted on 18, my dad let me join in on the celebration. That was the moment golf stopped being a game and started being a calling. That day changed my life.”
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 24: (Top L-R) Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Sepp Straka, vice captain Alex Noren, vice captain Jose Maria Olazabal, (bottom L-R) Captain Luke Donald, Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Hojgaard, vice captain Thomas Bjorn, vice captain Edoardo Molinari and vice captain Francesco Molinari of Team Europe take paqrt in the opening ceremony for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 24, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)The crowd were happy to let his slip of the tongue slip and when he finished with a “Go USA”, the cheers once again rang out.
For Donald’s part, he had often spoken coming into the week about the challenge of winning on American soil and that theme also ran through his speech.
“The American team is rightly proud of their heritage, but so are we,” he said. “Our European legacy is rooted in resilience, in togetherness and in proving people wrong. Time and again, we’ve shown that when we come together as one with a shared purpose, we can achieve remarkable things.
“Two years ago, we wrote a chapter in Rome. This week in New York, we aim to write history.
“We didn’t come here just to be a part of the show. We came here to earn our place in Ryder Cup folklore. We’re not just playing to win, we’re playing for each other and for every young golfer back home who dreams about one day representing Team Europe.
“We know it won’t be easy; winning away never is. Only four European teams have done it before. But that’s the beauty of sport. The toughest roads lead to the greatest rewards.
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 24: A fan in support of Team United States reacts during the opening ceremony for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 24, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)“We are fuelled by something money cannot buy: purpose, brotherhood, and a responsibility to honor those who came before us, while inspiring those whose time is yet to come.”
The thankyous were issued, the Vice Captains and Teams were introduced, the anthems were played, there was a helicopter flyover and everyone began to filter out.
As they did, Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind was played in another tribute to New York City.
“In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of.”
On Sunday night, some dreams will come true and some will be dashed.
The waiting is almost over.