Gareth Bale reminisces Team Europe’s “incredible” 2010 Ryder Cup win ahead of All Stars match
Gareth Bale is European, though he won't be in the Ryder Cup team when his side hosts the American team in Rome in a few weeks. Still, he remembers what it's like to be there and to see his side win. Bale, a retired footballer, has been an avid golfer for years.
He recalled the atmosphere being electric in 2010 when Europe won at Wales, which is where Bale is from. Now, the team will head to Italy and Bale will likely be joining them via Sky Sports:
"The Ryder Cup is a special event, having experienced the incredible atmosphere at Europe's win in 2010, I can't wait to experience some of that magic again in Rome in a few weeks' time."
He continued:
"The All-Star Match, under the captaincy of Colin Montgomerie, will be an amazing experience and I'm really looking forward to teeing it up with some great people. It's sure to be a top event and one the fans will really enjoy."
Tennis legend Novak Djokovic, who is competing in the All-Star match with Bale, added to that:
"I can't wait to tee it up in Rome and experience the incredible atmosphere of a Ryder Cup, which has become legendary. The course looks like a fantastic test of golf and my playing partner Kipp, a seasoned pro, has won a lot on the G4D Tour recently so I'm confident we can get a point for the team."
Montgomerie, who captained the Ryder Cup team in 2010, will captain the All-Star team now with Bale, Djokovic, and others. They're opposite a team with Victor Cruz, Kathryn Newton and more.
Looking back at 2010 Ryder Cup
This year's Ryder Cup team is very different than the one that won in 2010 with Bale in the audience.
They were captained by Colin Montgomerie and had the following roster: Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jiminez, Peter Hanson, Edoardo Molinari, Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington.
Now, they're captained by Donald, and only McIlroy remains on the team. He's joined by Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Nicolai Hojaard and Ludvig Aberg.
The United States, which will turn to Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark and others (led by Zach Johnson), will try to win on European soil for the first time in a very long time.
They'll face steep competition with Donald's crew, and they're evidently going to face an electric hostile environment on away soil. They have a talented crew, including the world number one, but they face a tall task.
The Ryder Cup begins on September 29. These 24 golfers will head to Italy, along with captains and vice captains, to take place in the semi-annual competition. They will play through the weekend, ending the hotly contested golf match on October 1.