Going to New York, Team Europe certainly are expecting a ruckus as they take on the Americans in the most prestigious golf event of the year. Favorite players aside, Team U.S. will have a huge home soil advantage as they will constantly be motivated by the crowd. On the other hand, it won’t come as a surprise if Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm & Co. are heckled. But the Irishman revealed that the Europeans are already preparing for it.

In an article shared by the Belfast Telegraph, McIlroy shared that captain Luke Donald passed around VR headsets to replicate the abuse they will experience at Bethpage. This will help them desensitise any negative reactions they will receive from the spectators. “It is just to simulate the sights and sounds, and noise. That’s the stuff that we are going to have to deal with. So it’s better to try to desensitise yourself as much as possible before you get in there,” said the Grand Slam champ.

But Jon Rahm was a bit skeptical of the unique strategy implemented by the Team Europe captain. He stated, “VR is never anywhere close to real life. You get an idea of what it’s going to look like, right, I think ahead of time.” Being a gamer, the Spaniard would know well how realistic VR headsets can be. He may have had his own share of experience playing Call of Duty VR at some point.

Having said that, while Team Europe may already be preparing for Bethpage, will they really be going to New York at a disadvantage? The common belief is that Scottie Scheffler & Co. are the underdogs, despite playing on home soil.

Should Rory McIlroy & Jon Rahm really be concerned about competing at Bethpage?

Yes, the crowd on the course in New York will certainly be wild. Even if that part of the country has a large population of Irish immigrants, they are American Irishmen who might be more loyal to Scottie Scheffler than Rory McIlroy or Shane Lowry. Even then, the spectators might be the biggest issue Team Europe might face at Bethpage this year.

As many experts believe, Team Europe is the stronger side in the 2025 Ryder Cup. The fact that they have picked the same squad that won in 2023 shows how confident they are in their abilities. On the other hand, the Americans squandered any chance they had to compete in Rome the last time they played the Ryder Cup. This year, they are going in with four rookies and a very fresh squad.

As determined as Keegan Bradley is, some of his players, like Patrick Cantlay, didn’t look as enthusiastic during the Captain’s Picks and the special Ryder Cup video preceding the 2025 Procore Championship. Only time will tell if they will be able to deliver a convincing performance at Bethpage Black.