Bethpage Black Preparation: Europe’s Scouting Trip and Practice Groups
Europe visited Bethpage on September 15–16, 2025. Luke Donald used the trip to explore pairing options before the tournament week.
Players Mentioned
Europe's preparation for the 2025 Ryder Cup included a two-day visit to Bethpage Black on September 15–16, before tournament week. Eleven players travelled from the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth; Sepp Straka joined them in New York.
A team visit before the competition
The official account of the trip describes Europe's first such practice visit to an away Ryder Cup venue. Donald's announced plan was nine holes on Monday, 18 on Tuesday and a team dinner in New York. Sky Sports' report confirms that they played those 27 holes and that Straka joined the team in New York.
Donald said continuity from Rome did not mean repeating its pairings. He described considering changes in players' driving, approach play and putting when building different options for foursomes and four-ball.
Practice groups during Ryder Cup week
Both teams practised in groups before the opening pairings were announced. Golf Monthly's practice schedule lists the American Wednesday group of Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele. Europe's Thursday groups included Fitzpatrick, Fleetwood, Hovland and MacIntyre together.
A practice group can contain several possible partnerships. The match card is the point at which a captain commits two players to a particular opponent pairing. Donald's preparations therefore provided options rather than a fixed reproduction of the 2023 line-up.
The venue's competition setup was 7,352 yards, par 70. Its major-championship history and tournament dimensions are covered in the Bethpage course guide.
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