Ryder Cup 2023 opening ceremony blog
Welcome to Independent Sport’s coverage of the Ryder Cup 2023 opening ceremony where we will bring you the latest from Marco Simone in Rome, plus all the news ahead of tomorrow morning’s Friday foursomes.
USA are looking to win in Europe for the first time in 30 years, while Luke Donald’s Europe aim to hit back after a heavy 19-9 defeat two years ago at Whistling Straits.
Follow all the news, updates and reaction on the eve of the Ryder Cup.
Ryder Cup 2023 tee times and full schedule
The Ryder Cup is back and Europe look to lean on home advantage as the biennial competition heads to Italy for the first time in Rome.
The United States claimed a commanding 19-9 victory on home soil at Whistling Straits in 2021, winning back the trophy from Team Europe. But the US have not won on European soil since 1993 and many of Europe’s best players are peaking at the right time.
After the drama of the Solheim Cup, with Europe rallying to earn a draw and retain the cup, Luke Donald’s side will take confidence this week. Here’s everything you need to know.
Ryder Cup 2023 tee times and full schedule
Everything you need to know ahead of the biennial clash
‘No guarantees on tattoo’: Luke Donald not promising ink if Europe win Ryder Cup
Europe captain Luke Donald has no plans to follow the example of Thomas Bjorn and get a tattoo if his team regain the Ryder Cup in Rome.
Bjorn promised his players in 2018 he would get himself inked if they beat the United States at Le Golf National in Paris, which they comfortably did by seven points.
The Dane followed through on his word three months later, but Donald is not intending to follow suit if the result goes his side’s way at Marco Simone.
“No guarantees on the tattoo,” Donald said with a smile. “I certainly don’t have any on my body, just to let you in. But I’m sure we can find a suitable way to celebrate if it goes our way on Sunday.”
‘No guarantees on tattoo’: Luke Donald not promising ink if Europe win Ryder Cup
Thomas Bjorn vowed to get a tattoo if Europe beat the United States in 2018, and followed through on his word three months later
‘It’s like a house of cards’: Ryder Cup-winning captain Thomas Bjorn reveals the blueprint for success
t was Friday at Le Golf National in 2018, in the fourth match of the morning foursomes, when some blue finally made it onto the board. The cult of “Moliwood” – Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood’s formidable partnership – had only just begun and would eventually yield a staggering, flawless 4-0 record. Yet Europe, after one session, were 3-1 down to the Americans.
Captain Thomas Bjorn’s icy demeanor endured, however, unflustered despite the deficit and committed to 20 months of meticulous Ryder Cup preparation.
The stage is set in Rome to once again show why the Ryder Cup is one of the most emotional sporting spectacles, conducive to irrationally tearing up the script. Yet Bjorn built immense trust among his European players, and their support teams, creating a genuine fortress in Paris and the foundation for a 4-0 sweep on Friday afternoon in what would eventually become a staggering 17.5-10.5 victory.
“Nothing happened between the sessions on day one,” Bjorn tells The Independent. “I made a clear plan on Wednesday evening for Friday and I told every player what they were doing all day, morning and afternoon. What the matches and pairings would look like. What the players not playing both sessions should do, to practice on Thursday and be prepared.
Ryder Cup-winning captain Thomas Bjorn reveals blueprint for success
Exclusive: The Dane masterminded home success at Le Golf National five years ago and tells Jack Rathborn how Europe can reclaim the Ryder Cup from Team USA in Rome this week
‘He’s once in a generation’: How Ludvig Aberg rose from obscurity to the Ryder Cup
hen Ludvig Aberg was 12 years old, a coach at his local golf club took the first photos of his swing. One image in particular stood out: his body position at impact was immaculate, the sort a club member might spend many years – and squander many thousands of Swedish krona – trying and failing to achieve.
Eslov in southern Sweden is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, and they certainly all know Aberg now. The golf club sits on the edge of town, with a white panelled clubhouse and tree-lined fairways that demand a straight drive. He first visited aged eight with his dad Johan, a keen five-handicapper, before taking lessons with Eslov’s club coach, Tomas Setterhill.
“Ludvig was an easy kid,” says Setterhill, speaking on a day off from teaching. “Some people just have it, they can hit the ball without being told. He didn’t have to be taught that position.”
‘He’s once in a generation’: How Ludvig Aberg rose from obscurity to the Ryder Cup
Natural talent, military school regimes and a ‘unique’ mentality – as Ludvig Aberg prepares to play in the Ryder Cup only four months into his professional career, those who’ve guided his meteoric rise tell Lawrence Ostlere what makes him special
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