The first important battle of the 2027 Ryder Cup is for underdog status

The first important battle of the 2027 Ryder Cup is already underway, a year before the matches. U.S. captain Jim Furyk and European captain Luke Donald are competing for underdog status — and trying to turn it into a source of motivation.

Furyk did not mince words. He said the American team has had “issues” lately, particularly in foursomes, and promised that the U.S. side would be prepared when it arrives at Adare Manor in 2027. He then made the first claim to the underdog role.

“We’re the underdogs. I know it’s always been played, we come in, the Americans seem to be the favorites,” Furyk said at the “Year to Go” Ryder Cup press conference. “This year, there’s no chance that that could happen. We’re the underdogs. We understand that. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. And you know, I’m excited about that process. I’m a process guy and kind of get ducks in a row and put these guys in a good position and let our guys go out and show their talent.”

Convincing yourself and your team that you are the doubted or disrespected side is an old-school motivational tactic that remains common in team sports. That is why Georgia football coach Kirby Smart often says that “everyone” has counted his team out, even when it sits near the top of the polls and national title odds. Dabo Swinney often calls his team “little ole Clemson,” recalling the days when the Tigers were viewed as a tier below the sport’s elite. Cornerback Richard Sherman also routinely convinced himself that opponents disrespected him to get ready for kickoff.

Ryder Cup captaincy is increasingly about building team chemistry, choosing the right pairings and pushing the right buttons to get the most from a group of world-class golfers. Furyk looked at an American team that has been dominated in the last two Cups, including a home loss at Bethpage, and has not won in Europe since 1993 — and claimed the underdog role. At this point, any lever a U.S. captain can pull is worth trying.

But Donald was not going to willingly surrender that ground. Europe has thrived in the underdog role ever since the U.S. obliterated the team at Whistling Straits in 2021.

“I tend to agree,” Donald said when asked about Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker’s statement that the U.S. team will “be a problem” at Adare Manor. “I have zero complacency about how strong the U.S. are going to be. They always are. On paper, they tend to be stronger than us through the World Rankings. Obviously, we have a great record at home, but again, zero complacency. You know, I’ve seen what Jim has been doing behind the scenes, changing the stats, changing the qualification system. He is very, very motivated to come here and put up a good fight. Certainly, I’m just as motivated to sort of keep finding those edges for my team as well. But you know, I know that the U.S. will be very strong.”

Donald is aiming to become the first captain to win three straight Ryder Cups. He has built a winning culture that has bonded and brought out the best in a group of world-class players who spend most of their careers playing for themselves.

He has done it by focusing on small details, crafting a good experience for his players, leaning into Ryder Cup history and emphasizing what it means to represent the European flag — and to be the underdogs.

“We’re caretakers of this European jersey right now,” Rory McIlroy said after Europe’s win in 2023. “And we’re hopefully going to pass it on in the future in a better spot than where we found it.”

“It’s the ability to walk through those gates and those doors and forget about who you are outside of this week. What you have done or what you may do afterwards, really truly doesn’t matter,” Jon Rahm said.

When players compete for something bigger than themselves and believe they have been counted out and are expected to lose, a galvanizing force often takes effect — one that causes everyone to raise their level. That has been the case for a European side that has embraced Donald’s approach.

So as Furyk tried to take the underdog ground from Europe, Donald pushed back, explaining that being the underdog is more than a proclamation. It is an ethos.

“For us, underdog is a mentality,” Donald said. “We always want to prove something to ourselves, to the rest of the world. Yeah, we understand that being at home is an advantage but we also know that the U.S. are very strong.”

This battle will continue over the next year. The Americans will talk about Bethpage and how dominant Europe is on home soil. The Europeans will counter with the official World Rankings. The winners of the four majors in 2027 will further shape the fight over who gets to be the underdog. The captains will have to harness that narrative for their own sides.

For Donald, it will be more of the same: a tried-and-true method of getting the best out of his team. For Furyk, convincing a talent-laden American roster that it is the doubted side could go a long way toward pulling off something few think is possible. It might be their only hope.

“It’s going to be difficult,” Furyk said of winning in Ireland. “Irish fans, Irish sports are amazing, but folks are going to come in droves from all over Europe to support their favorite countrymen and I need 12 guys — I’ve been saying it all week, I need 12 guys that love that atmosphere and love walking into that type of arena because it takes a certain mentality, and those are the guys I’ll be looking for.”

The path to victory at Adare Manor has already begun. To the underdogs go the spoils.