Justin Rose Reveals Mindset Euro Ryder Cup Players Need to Face American Crowds

It’s no secret that Justin Rose is a powerful voice on the European side of the Ryder Cup. The authority he receives from his veteran status in professional golf and his tremendous track record at the event is recognized by fans, players and team leaders, so when he speaks, everyone takes a moment to listen.

With the full American team to play at Bethpage Black now known, and less than two days before European captain Luke Donald selects his six free picks, Rose shared his thoughts on several details of transcendent importance for his team. Among them was one that both sides attach great importance to: the crowds expected at the venue.

Rose acknowledged in a recent interview that playing on American soil will be a tremendous challenge and revealed the mindset Europeans must have to perform at the highest level.

“We’ve been talking about it for a long time, and that’s the unknown,” Rose told Sky Sports. “But I think the team’s ready from a form point of view. The crowd is something that’s hard to prepare for, but I think we need to have the mindset of being ready for anything. And obviously enjoy the experience as best we can.”

American captain Keegan Bradley himself has repeatedly spoken of his high expectations for the crowd at Bethpage Black. Bradley has deep personal ties to the state of New York, where the course is located, and he hopes those ties will energize the crowd.

Rose also spoke about the important moment the team is experiencing ahead of the free-pick selection. He mentioned the great responsibility Donald and his leading team have at this point in the process.

“The team has formed itself really nicely for the most part, and the final bits of detail are obviously down to the captain and his backroom staff to figure out the best blend,” he said.

Speaking about how difficult it is to leave out players who deserved to make the team, Rose said it’s the worst part of being captain.

“That’s the tough part about being a captain, invariably you’re going to have to let a couple of guys down. That is probably the only sad part. The rest is probably very fulfilling. Luke’s hardest decisions are coming on Monday, but I think he has a lot to be positive about.”

Rose has participated in six Ryder Cups, winning four of them. He has contributed 15.5 points to his team in his career.

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