Course Preview and Fits: Ryder Cup

The most entertaining event in the sport of golf is finally here, the Ryder Cup! Nothing like a traditional golf tournament, the Ryder Cup is held every other year as a Europe vs. United States clash, showcasing 24 of the best golfers in the world. Each iteration of the Ryder Cup alternates between Europe and the United States and features an environment unfamiliar to the sport of golf. Fans and players are encouraged to show emotion that they otherwise leave at home, creating a chaotic environment and pressure-packed golf shots from start to finish. Team Europe enters the Ryder Cup this year holding the trophy, which means that the United States will need 14.5 points to claw it back.

The Course:

Bethpage Black is set to host the Ryder Cup for the first time in its 90-year history and should make for an extremely compelling event from both the golf course and fan environment. Bethpage features a poa/bentgrass mix on the greens, and a rye/poa mix in the fairways and rough. In classic Northeast fashion, there is very little water to speak of, as it only comes into play a single time throughout the 18 holes. Despite that, Bethpage is sure to provide a stiff test of golf as a 7,350-yard par 70 layout known for its brutally thick rough and small tilting greens. The last professional golf tournament at Bethpage was the 2019 PGA Championship when Brooks Koepka held on to win at -8, and only five other players finished in red numbers. Because Bethpage doesn’t host a PGA Tour event most years, we are left with a relatively limited data set, but the picture it paints is clear: If you want to play well at Bethpage, you need to bomb it off the tee and make a bunch of putts.