Olazabal Sees Europeans Focus Winning Bethpage

Unlike any other Ryder Cup, the Europeans are openly pushing the narrative that they want to win this Ryder Cup and to do so will require a different thought process and plan.

What those differing processes or plans are is challenging to nail down, but it will require the Europeans to go outside their comfort zone that has not seen them lose on home soil since 1993 at the Belfry.

“The game of golf is full of challenges, and I really believe that winning away the Ryder Cup I think is one of -- well, if not one of the biggest challenges, I'm pretty sure it's up there, and as a player, as a past player, to be able to do that, that will be a huge achievement,” Olazabal said.

Currently, Donald sees his team forming positively, with Rory McIlroy leading the way, having won three times in 2025. Adding Shane Lowry, Rasmus Hojgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, Sepp Straka, and Justin Rose rounds out the top six.

With Jon Rahm making a serious move at the PGA Championship, Donald’s European Team is taking shape.

“We have stats on everyone, and it's my job to kind of communicate with players once the team starts to form to figure out good partnership matches in terms of personality, as well,” Donald said of the selection process at the PGA in Charlotte “I wouldn't say it's one over the other. I think statistics and data is really important, but gut instinct and personality matchups is equally as important. Then you have to sort of match it to the golf course, and then you have to look at golf balls, as well, which is another headache that we have to think about, especially the week before when we're trying to figure out those kind of ideal partnerships.”

Donald’s last Ryder Cup as a player was in 2012. He desires to leave Bethpage Black as the Europeans left Medinah and join few Ryder Cup captains to win on foreign soil?

“Maybe the whole round of Sunday, I think that was fantastic, how we turned things around, how the players went out there with no fear and played such great golf,” Olazabal said of some of his lasting memories of Medinah. “Maybe those moments in the locker room afterwards, when we were all together, hugging each other and crying, maybe that moment was really the most special one, all together enjoying that moment. It's something that I have cherished ever since.”