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Friday will see the 44th iteration of the Ryder Cup begin, with Team Europe set to take on Team USA at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy.
The course, which is in Rome, will see Zach Johnson's USA attempt to retain their Ryder Cup crown, having defeated Europe at Whistling Straits back in 2021 19-9 in what was their heaviest loss in the competition. And a win for the USA out in Italy would be the first time they have won the Ryder Cup back to back since their double wins in 1991 and 1993.
Luke Donald is Europe's Ryder Cup captain this time around, having previously represented them four times as a player. And on all four occasions, the 45-year-old was on the winning side too, memorably getting Europe's first point on the board back in 2012 to help them mount a seemingly insurmountable comeback in the 'Miracle at Medinah'.
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Having played in a number of previous Ryder Cup tournaments, Donald has plenty of stories to tell – one of which he revealed to fellow golfer Andrew 'Beef' Johnston on his 'Beef's Golf Club' podcast. Speaking back in 2022, Donald regaled Johnston with a tale from the 2004 Ryder Cup, which Europe won 18.5- 9.5 at Michigan's Oakland Hills Country Club.
At the time, Donald was 26, playing alongside the likes of Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie. Team USA featured the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk.
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"And a funny story actually," began Donald. "I was playing, I went back to Oakland Hills for the first time a few months ago, I had a corporate day there I was playing with one of the members.
"They said 'you know, you've ever heard of the story from the [2004] Ryder Cup about the bar bills?' And I was like 'no, I've never heard that one.'
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And he's like 'yeah, apparently, this is folklore within the membership at Oakland Hills, the bar bill for the US at the end of their Ryder Cup was $600.' And I said, what was the Europe? And he goes '$30,000!' So you know, we like to have a good time. No Bud Lights in our team room!"
- Ryder Cup
- Golf
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