Magical memories make The Belfry apt place for centenary Ryder Cup countdown to start

“Here we go again,” declared Luke Donald, who is captaining the European team for a third match running in the transatlantic tussle, of the battle for 12 coveted spots getting underway on Thursday and, make no mistake, it will be very special indeed for those players who either qualify automatically or earn a captain’s pick to be involved in the milestone edition at Adare Manor in County Limerick next September.

For so long, the Ryder Cup was a one-sided contest, with Great Britain & Ireland mustering just three wins against the United States in the first 22 matches. The opening three clashes after it was expanded to Europe also ended in defeat before a landmark moment in 1985 led to what is now one of the most eagerly-anticipated events in sport.

Look down on the 18th green of the Brabazon Course from in front of the hotel at The Belfry and, for those of a certain vintage, it’s impossible not to feel that you see Sam Torrance standing there with his arms raised to the sky after holing an iconic 20-foot birdie putt to inflict a first loss for the Americans in 28 years.

Seventeen years later, with Torrance in the role as captain, Paul McGinley, who went on to become a triumphant captain as well at Gleneagles in 2014, knocked in a ten-footer on the same green to secure another European victory and duly celebrated by jumping into the lake.

That was the last of four matches held here and, remarkably, the third of those - a 1993 encounter - was the last time the Americans, with Tom Watson at the helm, won on European soil. Seven tussles have come and gone since then on this side of the Atlantic, with the home side winning all of them - in Spain, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France and Italy.

Without what happened at The Belfry, the Ryder Cup wouldn’t be what it is today. It’s why walking in the footsteps of the likes of Torrance, Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Colin Montgomerie and, of course, this week’s tournament host should be inspiring a new generation of European players over the next four days.

Just as Donald was at one time. “Obviously The Belfry has some iconic, memorable stories for me as a kid, watching Ryder Cups,” admitted the Englishman. “And quite relevant to how I find my position as captain now (referring to Tony Jacklin having to settle for a draw here in 1989 when he was going for three in a row).”

The former world No 1 boasts one of the best Ryder Cup records in history, if not the best. His four playing appearances were all on winning teams. He’s since added two more victories as a captain and is now bidding to create history by becoming the first skipper on either team to make it a hat-trick.

“The home Ryder Cups feel more pressure,” said Donald in a cautionary tone despite having already masterminded an impressive 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome in 2023 before seeing his side hang on during a nervy final day to retain the trophy with a 15-13 win in New York around 11 months’ ago. “There's an expectation that you're meant to win and trying to win three in a row brings even more pressure. Winning consistently in sport is just difficult, it really is.”

‘I expect there to be new blood’

In what was a first in the contest, 11 of the 12 players from Donald’s side in Rome made the team again in New York. In fact, all 12 of the surnames stayed the side, with the only change being that Rasmus Hojgaard was replaced by his twin brother, Nicolai.

Though a year is a long time in golf, you’ve got to think that Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Bob MacIntyre, too, will all be on duty again in Ireland. Shane Lowry will also be determined to be involved on home soil.

Which would leave just two or maybe three spots up for grabs. “I expect there to be some new blood this time, and I think that is important,” admitted Donald, who will be keeping an eye on two possible contenders - Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra and Finland’s Oliver Lindell - as their playing partner in the opening 36 holes this week. “We were all rookies at some point as players, and it's important to get out there and especially being a home one, when it's a little bit easier for rookies.”

Unsurprisingly, the Europeans have stuck with a tried and tested formula for the qualification campaign, meaning six players will qualify automatically from a points list and the remaining six will be captain’s picks. With LIV’s future uncertain and the DP World Tour not wanting to continue with a conditional release system that has been in place this year, only time will tell where the likes of Rahm and Hatton will be earning points.

“There's so much uncertainty right now,” observed Donald. “It looks like if LIV continues, it will be quite different, potentially, with some players leaving. The Tour is just saying to the players, you just can't plan on having those conditional releases right now because of the uncertainty. I think that's pretty fair.”

Thanks to LIV’s scheduled event for this week having been scrapped, Hatton, who “expects” the breakaway circuit to still be operating in some form next year, is here instead and looking to get his qualifying campaign off to a flyer in a field that is being spearheaded by Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed while a nine-strong Scottish contingent includes newly-crowned Nexo champion Scott Jamieson.