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The slumber party they hosted on Wednesday before their semi-final capped off England’s strategy of being clear favorites for their home World Cup.

The team assembled for a movie night by watching Step Up, a 1940s movie about an underdog dancer having his day on a big stage, on the projector at their base.

It demonstrates England’s effort to end an 11-year search for the world title and become world champions for the first time on their own soil as a result.

According to David Richardson, an experienced consultant in sports leadership and an honorary visiting professor at Liverpool John Moores University, “It’s about ignoring the noise around them and making sure they don’t care if they are favorites.”

The outcome will look after itself as long as you have an internal expectation. People will anticipate, but they have defeated strong opponents in the final, so the goal is to dispel the myth.

World No. 1 England are the clear favorites for the Saturday final at Twickenham, but the top-ranked teams on earth might compete in it.

The English have triumphed in 37 of their previous 13 meetings in nine years when they have faced off against each other. In the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and the 2014 World Cup final, the Red Roses defeated the Canadians.

Sarah Hunter is now the team’s defense coach and was a member of the winning team in 2014 when England lost in the heartbreaking 2022 final.

She will need to have experience with young players to deal with nerves around camp.

She says, “You have to have faith in the whole process, the plan, and people.”

When we won in 2014, and on the day of the final, everyone was so relaxed and composed. Everyone was aware of the duties and responsibilities that they would have. We lacked the need to “make it bigger.”

Being one of the few national teams with a completely professional setup, both for players and coaches, helps Mitchell’s side.

Charlie Hayter, the head of women’s performance since 2023, and other members of their backroom staff have responsibilities that prioritize the players’ psychological well-being.

In order to increase their chances of winning their first World Cup, Canada, meanwhile, had to crowdfund some of their costs.

The difference in support off the pitch could be significant, even though the Canadians have a number of world-class players and exerted pressure on England in their most recent meeting, a 21-12 defeat in 2024.

The key point from England has been to alter the narrative that the country has come so far on numerous occasions. They have reached six of their previous finals, but they have lost just one.

There are many new faces in addition to the 12 starting 15 from the 2022 final. This year, eight of the 32-woman squad made their World Cup debuts, and they all have a different coach.

According to Richardson, the only way to get past the fear of failing as a result of 2022 is to change the narrative.

There were difficult decisions that they had to make in the final that didn’t go their way.

You have a skilled squad, but the focus of the story is on handling this circumstance rather than rehashing the past. It is a compelling narrative that emphasizes securing their best chance.

“Seizing opportunities is unfinished business,” the phrase says. You can see that the players are buying into it as it appears to be filtering through.

You can get hung up on the past because it’s like the England men’s football team. However, the camp had a different vibe three years ago, with different staff members and different countries. Nothing about the weekend is involved.

The favorite tag adds pressure, and the omnipresent message that women’s sports are leaving a legacy and inspiring future generations is also present.

However, England manager Mitchell stated that “this team” would not be defined by their failure to win the World Cup at their squad announcement in July.

This week, RFU Chairman Bill Sweeney stated on the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast that “the legacy is already in place.

“We’re bringing in a lot more brand-new fans,” the company’s goal was always to promote the game. More volunteers and more players are attracted to us.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, an NBA franchise, have signed CJ Fulton.

In anticipation of a contract that has been confirmed, the Belfast-born 23-year-old has spent the first half of the pre-season with the back-to-back Western Conference finalists.

Fulton is expected to be traded to the Iowa Wolves in the G-League, the NBA’s team-affiliated development league, in the coming days, giving him a chance to develop and make his way to the Timberwolves’ entire roster.

He explained to BBC Sport NI earlier in September, “It’s a way to keep me glued to the franchise and work my way up.”

Fulton made his NBA debut for the Timberwolves during the Summer League despite being selected for the NBA Draft in June.

He was the third Irish-born player to play basketball at the highest level in the United States since Pat Burke and Susan Moran, who both played four minutes in the team’s 89-85 victory over the Phoenix Suns in July.

The former St. Malachy’s College student then scored two points, two assists, and two steals in 17 minutes against the Houston Rockets.

He initially caught the Timberwolves’ attention when he played college basketball for Lafayette and the Charleston Cougars, where he averaged 7.8 points and 6.5% assists per game.

Fernando Alonso says it would be “very hard” to retire from Formula 1 at the end of 2026 if Aston Martin are not competitive next season.

The 44-year-old two-time world champion’s contract expires at the end of next year and Alonso says he has “thought about” leaving F1.

“If things go well, I think it’s a very good moment to stop because I’ve been chasing a competitive car and competitive racing for many, many years, and if I have that I think it’s a very good way to close my career,” Alonso said in an interview released by the team.

Alonso won his two world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, and has not won a race since his victory for Ferrari in the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.

Although regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, and still performing at a very high level, his career since then has been a story of not having a competitive car.

Alonso finished runner-up in the championship three times in four years for Ferrari, and in 2010 and 2012 missed out on beating Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel to the title by just five and four points respectively, despite driving a less competitive car.

A move to McLaren for 2014 did not pay off as the team were in decline and their Honda engines were the worst on the grid at the time.

He stepped away from F1 at the end of 2018 to pursue other interests, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours and the world endurance championship twice, as well as competing in the Indianapolis 500 and Dakar Rally.

Alonso returned to F1 in 2021 with Alpine and moved to Aston Martin in 2023, when the team had a brief burst of competitiveness and Alonso took six podiums in the first eight races before the team’s form tailed off.

Aston Martin are having a difficult 2025 season and are seventh in the constructors’ championship with seven races remaining.

Alonso is 14th in the drivers’ championship, two points and three places behind team-mate Lance Stroll, despite out-qualifying the Canadian 19 times to one so far.

Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has spent the past few years investing in the team in the hope of turning them into champions.

Next year, they will produce their first car under the technical leadership of design legend Adrain Newey, who joined them in March this year after resigning from Red Bull in April 2024.

Alonso says he sees 2026, when F1 is introducing new regulations for engines and chassis, as an “opportunity” and has been impressed by his first experiences of working with Newey.

“He’s an incredible person and everyone in the team is learning from him,” Alonso said.

Alonso, who will turn 45 in July next year, says he believes Aston Martin have put together all the ingredients needed to win.

“I’m pretty convinced about that,” he said. “The only thing is when. That’s probably my only question mark from this project.

“In my case, driving in the last couple of years of my career, obviously, I want to taste the success of the Aston Martin project.

“But I know that everything takes a little bit of time to glue all the pieces together.

“Aston Martin fighting for and winning the World Championship is more or less guaranteed in the future – we have everything needed to fight for a World Championship.

After being unexpectedly called off for the Ashes this winter, England Test captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum say they make new players feel “on top of the world.”

Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, and Jack Leach are all scheduled to play against off-spinner Jacks in their only other Test appearances in 2022, but Shoaib Bashir will be covered there.

Jacks told BBC Radio 5 Live, “You feel like you can take anyone on.”

“For someone who makes their debut on the team, it builds you up quickly and makes you feel like you belong there right away.

Jacks is a regular member of England’s white-ball team, but this year’s first-class cricket team has only taken five wickets in 74.1 overs.

“Baz (McCullum) called me, had a casual chat, then dropped it in, and it completely surprised me,” Jacks said.

I’m happy to fill any position that the team requires. I’ve been playing that game for the white-ball team.

“It was fantastic to be a part of the Stokes-led Test side.” Therefore, I’m eager to participate once more.

Bring on Bethpage !

That was the rallying cry from Rory McIlroy in the immediate aftermath of Europe’s 16½-11½ Ryder Cup victory over the United States in 2023.

The Northern Irishman was on a roll, even though the celebratory champagne had already hit his head.

“One of the big accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup. And that’s what we’re going to do at Bethpage, he triumphantly declared.

As the players and fans revelled in Rome, all demanding “two more years” for skipper Luke Donald, statisticians reached for the record books.

With margins of five, ten, seven, six, and five points, they would have revealed that the home side had won the previous five Ryder Cups on a canter.

There have been six away wins in the 22 matches since 1979, when the contest became Europe v the US. Since 1993, the once dominating US side hasn’t won.

Let’s get to the big one first, before we get started. Even Donald is expecting a “bear pit” at Bethpage and the skipper has handed out virtual reality headsets to the players to replicate the abuse they are expecting.

Although most of the partisan support is good-natured, it occasionally crosses the line. Raucous home crowds have become a recurring theme at Ryder Cups.

“It’s not going to come as a shock”, Sir Nick Faldo, a stalwart of 11 Ryder Cups, told BBC Sport. You’ll need to be mentally prepared for it, they say.

” It’s going to be down to discipline – something’s going to go on, something’s going to be said and we’re saying to Luke, could you make it a rule that nobody will crack, or over-react.

“I believe your caddie and you have a secret conversation.” You turn and look and say something, have a little laugh and then he says ‘ right job at hand, get on with it’. re-enter the golfer after they click. This is a great golf course, we’ve got to play a great shot, that will keep you 100% focused”.

However, it’s difficult to block out.

Colin Montgomerie was subjected to such bad abuse at Brookline in 1999 that his late father was forced to walk away from his singles match against then US Open champion Payne Stewart.

When “things changed on the ninth tee,” The Scot was three holes clear of the Scot.

“It got ugly, somebody shouted out and didn’t allow me to hit my tee shot”, he recalled.

“I turned around to the crowd and said that I’ll have to walk in if this happens again, or that I’m not allowed to play.”

” I was shaking at the time, I’m feeling it now talking about it. This is a round of golf.

Despite his own reaction, Montgomerie echoed Faldo’s thoughts on focusing on the task ahead and how crucial a fast start could be.

He said, “Friday is huge for Europe.” If we can get ahead and stay ahead, you’ll probably find the American hostility could be directed at their own players. “

Justin Rose, who will make his seventh appearance for Europe this week, has direct experience from the epic Medinah comeback in 2012.

” The crowd in Chicago were rough and tough but for the most part the Americans had the upper hand, “he said.

The crowd did change, and they did go quiet as soon as we were able to change the script. They didn’t like it and that’s going to be our goal, to pacify the crowd.

“I don’t believe it’s going to be simple.” I don’t think we should expect to pacify the crowd, that might not be possible. Simply put, we must be steadfast as a team.

” But Medinah proves it’s possible. “

And he thinks the domestic fans’ expectations might be just as difficult for the US players to handle.

” It’s about not letting the environment affect us, “he said.

The fans chanting” two more years “towards Donald at Marco Simone in Rome was one thing, but the players joining in was the rubber stamp he needed to continue.

The European captaincy hasn’t been anything more than a one-and-out deal since Tony Jacklin and Bernard Gallacher were in charge in the 1980s.

But Donald has the continent’s golden touch. Four out of four players, with two of them being from America, win. One out of one as skipper.

Crucially, he was the only player to win the match and set the tone for the 2012 Sunday singles singles by coming out first and defeating Bubba Watson to start the record-setting turnaround from 10-6 down.

And that experience and nous will be needed to deal with some of the feistiest fans in American sport and home players desperate to regain the trophy.

He responded, “This is a different challenge.” I am aware we have lost three of the past four away Ryder Cups by significant margins. Some of Rome’s benefits are undoubtedly no longer.

“A lot of my thinking revolves around crowd management and how we react as a team.

That process began 15 months ago in terms of communication to get my message across. Hopefully they will see some good results. “

Rose and Donald shared a team-mate in 2012 and are aiming for a fifth Ryder Cup victory.

The Englishman told BBC South:” Luke has a plan. The message was consistent. He’s not adding to the noise and keeping it as simple as possible for us.

The visitors’ team hasn’t changed much in the 98-year history of the event, and this is their 45th year.

As Europe, the next fewest number of changes was three in 1985, 1987 and 2006 – and all three ended in victories.

The solitary change is Dane Rasmus Hojgaard, who was a member of the team in Rome after his twin brother Nicolai, who had already made his debut through the ranking system.

Montgomerie, who led the side to victory in 2010 and won five out of eight as a player, joked on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Ryder Cup preview programme: “With all due respect Rasmus and Nicolai are the same person really. We have the same team because they both had the same egg, which is fantastic.

With Donald looking to emulate Jacklin as the only captain to win home and away matches and cement his place alongside Europe’s greats, he opted not to include any rookies in his six selections.

“If I were going to win a Ryder Cup home, I would be comfortable with a few rookies and members of the next generation coming through,” Rose said.

“There is still tons of pressure, don’t get me wrong, but I’m really happy the boys have experienced a Ryder Cup and they know what to expect in terms of the rhythm and flow of the week and the emotion”.

And you get the idea that Donald is trying to turn a once-established community into a “cauldron” according to Montgomerie.

“It’s important we have a good amount of experience in that team room with people that have dealt with it”, said Donald.

Faldo added: “Your big guys have got to do the heavy lifting. He came in second only to Sergio Garcia for 25 points in 11 appearances.

” You need half the team playing great, winning the point and hope one or two others have a great period. You only need four out of the first twelve points in the singles if you can score close to ten in the first two days. That’s the gameplan. “

Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Rose, and others who have all won more than 50% of the points they have contested were mentioned by Faldo in his remarks.

Major winners McIlroy (18 points) and Rose (15.5) also bring seasoned know-how, having been in the victorious 2012 side alongside Donald.

Rahm was LIV Golf’s individual player of the year for the second time after Fleetwood won the season-ending Tour Championship last month.

Hatton’s major performances meant he claimed an automatic place despite also playing on the Saudi circuit and having limited qualification opportunities.

Given his performances since then, Robert MacIntyre, an inspired wildcard pick in Rome who qualified this time round, might be a member of that quintet.

After going unbeaten on his Ryder Cup debut, he has won the Scottish and Canadian Open titles – as well as finishing runner-up at the US Open in June.

Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg impressed as a pairing in Rome with two victories out of three matches, just like Rahm and Hovland were both in need of a wildcard pick.

Donald has also put his faith in Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka – who won one and lost one of their two outings together in 2023 – and Matt Fitzpatrick, despite his poor record of one point in three appearances, two of which were heavy away defeats in 2016 and 2021.

The pairings have been made work and have had a dry run, according to Jacklin, the first captain to win the Ryder Cup.

Scottie Scheffler, the game’s standout talent, leads the American team. Two more major titles in 2025, among six victories, have solidified his position as the world’s best.

Faldo contends that only the four-time major winner will be feared in Europe.

” Scottie will be a target because he’s meant to win, “he said”. That is a victory if you only manage to score him one point.

Scheffler went unbeaten as a rookie in the US ‘ record 19-9 mauling at Whistling Straits in 2021, but was reduced to tears in Rome after he and Brooks Koepka suffered a record 9&amp, 7 defeat at the hands of Hovland and Aberg.

Will he be motivated by McIlroy’s “revengeance,” which he cried when he left Michigan two years later after placing fourth overall in Europe, at Marco Simone,?

Scheffler, the Open champion, won two fourball matches alongside Bryson DeChambeau on the banks of Lake Michigan four years ago and the big-hitting LIV player returns in New York after sitting out last time.

“But consider the other names, “added Faldo.” They don’t scare me. Xander Schauffele is present, but he’s a little off the mark. There’s nobody in the team that any of our guys will look at]and fear]. “

Schauffele started the year slowly due to a broken rib, and while the 2024 champion had top-10 finishes in both the Masters and Open Championship, he had a inconsistent year that made him miss the Tour Championship for the first time in nine years.

Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay may have something to say about Faldo’s comments though, given they have the best Ryder Cup records on the US team.

In 2021, Thomas, who has eight points from 13 games, slammed the can before downing a celebratory beer on the first tee at Whistling Straits on the Saturday following just three of the five game practices.

Cantlay was the pantomime villain in Rome with ‘ cap-gate ‘ and his caddie’s spat with McIlroy. However, he has won five of his eight matches and a gnarly singles victory over Rose.

Both were given wildcard picks by captain Keegan Bradley, as was two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, who has been out of sorts since two early-season runners-up finishes.

Ben Griffin and Cameron Young, both of whom won on the PGA Tour in 2025, were also chosen by the skipper because he made the decision to not participate.

Bradley’s ‘ will he, won’t he ‘ be a playing captain dilemma dominated the build-up and the world number 12 would likely have been in the team had he not been skipper.

The home side is rifling four rookies, including US Open champion JJ Spaun, who was defeated by McIlroy in March and Tour Championship runner-up Russell Henley, who both qualified.

Since Jacklin’s dozen sneaked home in Ohio 38 years ago, Europe have won away once in every decade – 2012, 2004, 1995 and that all-important first one in 1987.

In 1981 and 1993, the US only managed to win Europe. Slim pickings. And you begin to feel pressure when a home game occurs.

Both sides will claim underdog status this week, but as American golf writer Alex Miceli told BBC Sport:” Our top six is good, the bottom six is not.

Because of their superior bottom six, the Europeans are “slight favorites.” Only slight, because they are away from home”.

It is a thought that Montgomerie shares. “I don’t fear the American team the way I have in the past and I think Europe are going to do this.

I don’t mean this as a fan of Europe. They are a stronger team, a stronger 12. “

Bring on Bethpage !

That was the rallying cry from Rory McIlroy in the immediate aftermath of Europe’s 16½-11½ Ryder Cup victory over the United States in 2023.

The Northern Irishman was on a roll, even though the celebratory champagne had already hit his head.

“One of the big accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup. And that’s what we’re going to do at Bethpage, he triumphantly declared.

As the players and fans revelled in Rome, all demanding “two more years” for skipper Luke Donald, statisticians reached for the record books.

With margins of five, ten, seven, six, and five points, they would have revealed that the home side had won the previous five Ryder Cups on a canter.

There have been six away wins in the 22 matches since 1979, when the contest became Europe v the US. Since 1993, the once dominating US side hasn’t won.

Let’s get to the big one first, before we get started. Even Donald is expecting a “bear pit” at Bethpage and the skipper has handed out virtual reality headsets to the players to replicate the abuse they are expecting.

Although most of the partisan support is good-natured, it occasionally crosses the line. Raucous home crowds have become a recurring theme at Ryder Cups.

“It’s not going to come as a shock”, Sir Nick Faldo, a stalwart of 11 Ryder Cups, told BBC Sport. You’ll need to be mentally prepared for it, they say.

” It’s going to be down to discipline – something’s going to go on, something’s going to be said and we’re saying to Luke, could you make it a rule that nobody will crack, or over-react.

“I believe your caddie and you have a secret conversation.” You turn and look and say something, have a little laugh and then he says ‘ right job at hand, get on with it’. re-enter the golfer after they click. This is a great golf course, we’ve got to play a great shot, that will keep you 100% focused”.

However, it’s difficult to block out.

Colin Montgomerie was subjected to such bad abuse at Brookline in 1999 that his late father was forced to walk away from his singles match against then US Open champion Payne Stewart.

When “things changed on the ninth tee,” The Scot was three holes clear of the Scot.

“It got ugly, somebody shouted out and didn’t allow me to hit my tee shot”, he recalled.

“I turned around to the crowd and said that I’ll have to walk in if this happens again, or that I’m not allowed to play.”

” I was shaking at the time, I’m feeling it now talking about it. This is a round of golf.

Despite his own reaction, Montgomerie echoed Faldo’s thoughts on focusing on the task ahead and how crucial a fast start could be.

He said, “Friday is huge for Europe.” If we can get ahead and stay ahead, you’ll probably find the American hostility could be directed at their own players. “

Justin Rose, who will make his seventh appearance for Europe this week, has direct experience from the epic Medinah comeback in 2012.

” The crowd in Chicago were rough and tough but for the most part the Americans had the upper hand, “he said.

The crowd did change, and they did go quiet as soon as we were able to change the script. They didn’t like it and that’s going to be our goal, to pacify the crowd.

“I don’t believe it’s going to be simple.” I don’t think we should expect to pacify the crowd, that might not be possible. Simply put, we must be steadfast as a team.

” But Medinah proves it’s possible. “

And he thinks the domestic fans’ expectations might be just as difficult for the US players to handle.

” It’s about not letting the environment affect us, “he said.

The fans chanting” two more years “towards Donald at Marco Simone in Rome was one thing, but the players joining in was the rubber stamp he needed to continue.

The European captaincy hasn’t been anything more than a one-and-out deal since Tony Jacklin and Bernard Gallacher were in charge in the 1980s.

But Donald has the continent’s golden touch. Four out of four players, with two of them being from America, win. One out of one as skipper.

Crucially, he was the only player to win the match and set the tone for the 2012 Sunday singles singles by coming out first and defeating Bubba Watson to start the record-setting turnaround from 10-6 down.

And that experience and nous will be needed to deal with some of the feistiest fans in American sport and home players desperate to regain the trophy.

He responded, “This is a different challenge.” I am aware we have lost three of the past four away Ryder Cups by significant margins. Some of Rome’s benefits are undoubtedly no longer.

“A lot of my thinking revolves around crowd management and how we react as a team.

That process began 15 months ago in terms of communication to get my message across. Hopefully they will see some good results. “

Rose and Donald shared a team-mate in 2012 and are aiming for a fifth Ryder Cup victory.

The Englishman told BBC South:” Luke has a plan. The message was consistent. He’s not adding to the noise and keeping it as simple as possible for us.

The visitors’ team hasn’t changed much in the 98-year history of the event, and this is their 45th year.

As Europe, the next fewest number of changes was three in 1985, 1987 and 2006 – and all three ended in victories.

The solitary change is Dane Rasmus Hojgaard, who was a member of the team in Rome after his twin brother Nicolai, who had already made his debut through the ranking system.

Montgomerie, who led the side to victory in 2010 and won five out of eight as a player, joked on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Ryder Cup preview programme: “With all due respect Rasmus and Nicolai are the same person really. We have the same team because they both had the same egg, which is fantastic.

With Donald looking to emulate Jacklin as the only captain to win home and away matches and cement his place alongside Europe’s greats, he opted not to include any rookies in his six selections.

“If I were going to win a Ryder Cup home, I would be comfortable with a few rookies and members of the next generation coming through,” Rose said.

“There is still tons of pressure, don’t get me wrong, but I’m really happy the boys have experienced a Ryder Cup and they know what to expect in terms of the rhythm and flow of the week and the emotion”.

And you get the idea that Donald is trying to turn a once-established community into a “cauldron” according to Montgomerie.

“It’s important we have a good amount of experience in that team room with people that have dealt with it”, said Donald.

Faldo added: “Your big guys have got to do the heavy lifting. He came in second only to Sergio Garcia for 25 points in 11 appearances.

” You need half the team playing great, winning the point and hope one or two others have a great period. You only need four out of the first twelve points in the singles if you can score close to ten in the first two days. That’s the gameplan. “

Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Rose, and others who have all won more than 50% of the points they have contested were mentioned by Faldo in his remarks.

Major winners McIlroy (18 points) and Rose (15.5) also bring seasoned know-how, having been in the victorious 2012 side alongside Donald.

Rahm was LIV Golf’s individual player of the year for the second time after Fleetwood won the season-ending Tour Championship last month.

Hatton’s major performances meant he claimed an automatic place despite also playing on the Saudi circuit and having limited qualification opportunities.

Given his performances since then, Robert MacIntyre, an inspired wildcard pick in Rome who qualified this time round, might be a member of that quintet.

After going unbeaten on his Ryder Cup debut, he has won the Scottish and Canadian Open titles – as well as finishing runner-up at the US Open in June.

Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg impressed as a pairing in Rome with two victories out of three matches, just like Rahm and Hovland were both in need of a wildcard pick.

Donald has also put his faith in Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka – who won one and lost one of their two outings together in 2023 – and Matt Fitzpatrick, despite his poor record of one point in three appearances, two of which were heavy away defeats in 2016 and 2021.

The pairings have been made work and have had a dry run, according to Jacklin, the first captain to win the Ryder Cup.

Scottie Scheffler, the game’s standout talent, leads the American team. Two more major titles in 2025, among six victories, have solidified his position as the world’s best.

Faldo contends that only the four-time major winner will be feared in Europe.

” Scottie will be a target because he’s meant to win, “he said”. That is a victory if you only manage to score him one point.

Scheffler went unbeaten as a rookie in the US ‘ record 19-9 mauling at Whistling Straits in 2021, but was reduced to tears in Rome after he and Brooks Koepka suffered a record 9&amp, 7 defeat at the hands of Hovland and Aberg.

Will he be motivated by McIlroy’s “revengeance,” which he cried when he left Michigan two years later after placing fourth overall in Europe, at Marco Simone,?

Scheffler, the Open champion, won two fourball matches alongside Bryson DeChambeau on the banks of Lake Michigan four years ago and the big-hitting LIV player returns in New York after sitting out last time.

“But consider the other names, “added Faldo.” They don’t scare me. Xander Schauffele is present, but he’s a little off the mark. There’s nobody in the team that any of our guys will look at]and fear]. “

Schauffele started the year slowly due to a broken rib, and while the 2024 champion had top-10 finishes in both the Masters and Open Championship, he had a inconsistent year that made him miss the Tour Championship for the first time in nine years.

Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay may have something to say about Faldo’s comments though, given they have the best Ryder Cup records on the US team.

In 2021, Thomas, who has eight points from 13 games, slammed the can before downing a celebratory beer on the first tee at Whistling Straits on the Saturday following just three of the five game practices.

Cantlay was the pantomime villain in Rome with ‘ cap-gate ‘ and his caddie’s spat with McIlroy. However, he has won five of his eight matches and a gnarly singles victory over Rose.

Both were given wildcard picks by captain Keegan Bradley, as was two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, who has been out of sorts since two early-season runners-up finishes.

Ben Griffin and Cameron Young, both of whom won on the PGA Tour in 2025, were also chosen by the skipper because he made the decision to not participate.

Bradley’s ‘ will he, won’t he ‘ be a playing captain dilemma dominated the build-up and the world number 12 would likely have been in the team had he not been skipper.

The home side is rifling four rookies, including US Open champion JJ Spaun, who was defeated by McIlroy in March and Tour Championship runner-up Russell Henley, who both qualified.

Since Jacklin’s dozen sneaked home in Ohio 38 years ago, Europe have won away once in every decade – 2012, 2004, 1995 and that all-important first one in 1987.

In 1981 and 1993, the US only managed to win Europe. Slim pickings. And you begin to feel pressure when a home game occurs.

Both sides will claim underdog status this week – although the US are favourites according to bookmakers – but as American golf writer Alex Miceli told BBC Sport:” Our top six is good, the bottom six is not.

Because of their superior bottom six, the Europeans are “slight favorites.” Only slight, because they are away from home”.

It is a thought that Montgomerie shares. “I don’t fear the American team the way I have in the past and I think Europe are going to do this.

I don’t mean this as a fan of Europe. They are a stronger team, a stronger 12. “