European stars should expect ‘horrible abuse’ from Ryder Cup crowd, says Dame Laura Davies
**Dame Laura Davies Warns Team Europe to Brace for Hostile Ryder Cup Crowd at Bethpage**
Dame Laura Davies has issued a stark warning to Team Europe ahead of this week’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York. She says the European side must be prepared to face “horrible abuse” from the passionate home crowd.
Luke Donald’s team is aiming to follow up their 2021 victory in Rome by becoming only the fifth European side to win the Ryder Cup on American soil. However, achieving this feat will be challenging, especially considering Europe suffered a heavy 19-9 defeat the last time the competition was held in the United States.
A formidable US team, led by captain Keegan Bradley, is expected to make life difficult for the Europeans. Alongside the strength of the opposition, Team Europe will also have to contend with a frenzied and hostile home crowd, anticipated to create an intense atmosphere throughout the three days of competition.
That overwhelming atmosphere was a significant factor four years ago at Whistling Straits, where a less experienced European team struggled. Davies, a golf pundit and former Solheim Cup star, said Europe should expect a similar, if not worse, experience this time around.
**Abuse Towards Players and Their Families**
“There was a lot of abuse to some of the friends and family of the players, which was not good, because they were their only support system, given that there were no European fans at Whistling Straits due to Covid,” Davies explained. “I heard a lot of horrible abuse that was said to players, and that was in the middle of nowhere, Whistling Straits. Now we’re in New York, with the New York crowd. I hope it doesn’t go over the top, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s that bad again, maybe even worse.”
In preparation, Captain Donald has gone to great lengths to ready his players for the hostile crowd, including providing virtual reality headsets programmed with simulated abusive scenarios to help players acclimatize to the expected atmosphere.
However, Davies advises that the European focus should not be on trying to silence the partisan crowd, but rather on ensuring the hostile environment does not become the deciding factor in close matches.
“If the Europeans can get on top, they might quiet the crowd’s brief, but I’m not saying that’s necessarily going to happen. Maybe it’ll just make them even more vociferous,” she said.
“If you lose your match, lose it because they played great or you didn’t play well, not because you get upset, and all of a sudden you’ve seen one member of your family not enjoying their time out there. Hopefully, they can stay focused and that won’t happen. But unfortunately, I think it probably will.”
**Sam Burns: A Player to Watch for Team USA**
While the crowd will undoubtedly have an impact, the US side boasts a highly talented lineup favored to reclaim the Ryder Cup this week. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler will spearhead the team, but Davies highlighted five-time PGA Tour winner Sam Burns as a player who could make a significant impact.
“People like Sam Burns that putt so well and in front of the American galleries, if he gets on a roll with that, I wouldn’t want to necessarily play him,” Davies noted.
She also mentioned Bryson DeChambeau as a potential key player, particularly in front of an intimidating crowd. “At Whistling Straits when he drove the first against Sergio Garcia and held a 25-footer for an eagle, you know, Sergio was done after one hole. So, they’ve got some really dynamic players. Then they’ve got steady eddies like Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley. So, they’ve got a really good mix. But the one player that I think might have a good Ryder Cup is Sam Burns.”
**Confidence in Europe’s Chances**
Despite the formidable opposition and hostile atmosphere, Davies remains confident that Europe can return home with the trophy — even if they don’t secure an outright win after three days of intense competition.
“I think the match is going to be really close, and I think it’s going to be a draw,” she said. “So I’m saying we retain the cup. And I know, having drawn a couple of Solheim Cups in Spain, that the Americans just couldn’t accept it. I think that would be even better if we don’t even win it, but we retain the cup and we get the prize given and back to Ireland, and we’ll go and win it again [in 2027].”
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*Laura Davies was speaking on behalf of BetMGM.*
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https://metro.co.uk/2025/09/24/european-stars-expect-horrible-abuse-ryder-cup-crowd-says-dame-laura-davies-24240922/
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