In the most recent away matches of 2016 and 2021, Europe trail 11½-4½ in foursomes. It feels as though they have to reverse this trend to have any chance this week.
Why it is so hard for away teams to prosper at alternate shot is hard to fathom. Maybe this time there is a better chance because Europe are the more experienced team, with Rasmus Hojgaard their only rookie.
Certainly Donald wants his golfers to get off to a fast start to try to quieten what are expected to be vociferous home fans.
Indeed, the ultimate aim would be to prompt home galleries to turn on their team, especially as the US players are each being paid $500,000 (£371,000), with $300,000 (£148,000) to go to their charity of choice.
This potentially alters the dynamics of the match, with Europe united in not wanting financial reward.
New York fans love to back their teams and barrack the opposition. But they are not shy in letting their dissatisfaction be known if things start to go wrong, and already incredibly rich golfers on another financial make could become fair game.
Donald will hope the experience of his team – tried and tested foursomes partnerships such as Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, and Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton – can get into the US from the off.
Bradley has four rookies – Ben Griffin, JJ Spaun, Russell Henley and Cameron Young – to blood.
First-timers have prospered in the past, but each of them is currently preparing for the most nerve-wracking shots of their lives, especially if required to play on the first morning.
Europe are steeped in experience and not just because their team comprises 11 of the dedicated dozen who won so handsomely in Italy two years ago.
Donald has 2014-winning captain Paul McGinley as an astute strategic adviser, the statistical nous of Edoardo Molinari among his vice-captains along with winning skippers Thomas Bjorn and Jose Maria Olazabal.
By contrast, Bradley will presumably have to rely heavily on vice-captain Jim Furyk, who played nine Ryder Cups, winning only two. The 55-year-old was the losing skipper to Bjorn in Paris in 2018.
Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson are the only other back-up with Ryder Cup experience – Simpson was on the losing team in all three of his matches, while Snedeker made up for 2012 defeat with success in 2016.
Famously, Bradley will never open his kit bag from Medinah until he wins a Ryder Cup. He still calls that tumultuous final day when Europe surged back from 10-6 down “horrifying”.
Crucially, the in-form 39-year-old’s wildcard picks can all look at their captain knowing he could have picked himself instead of them. That is surely a powerful motivator for half of his team and potentially a Bradley masterstroke.
The days ahead will be peppered with captain and player news conferences, a game of cat and mouse with the media trying to elicit controversial comments that could light a blue touch paper.
Knowing there is already a wealth of tinder, the skippers will not want sparks to fly – certainly until the contest finally gets under way on Friday morning.
Who knows how it will play out? Will the one-sided pattern continue or will we get a much-needed epic that goes to the wire?
The past five matches have not been close; this has been the era of the home blowout. But on aggregate in that period Europe lead by a single point: 70½-69½.
Home advantage is significant, but so is experience and know-how. That is the culture clash at the heart of this year’s Ryder Cup.
This will be at its most acute in the earliest exchanges. If neither side gain a significant lead from those foursomes matches, the closeness of the contest may endure until the very end.
Bring it on.
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