Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm revealed that Team Europe have experimented using VR headsets to replicate the hostile atmosphere expected in the Ryder Cup this month.
McIlroy will make his eighth consecutive Ryder Cup appearance in New York, where Luke Donald’s side are looking to regain the trophy and claim a first victory on American soil since 2012.
Donald hosted a team gathering on Tuesday evening ahead of the BMW PGA Championship, including caddies and partners, where players used the technology to try and replicate the noise and atmosphere they could encounter at Bethpage Black.
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Rory McIlroy signed off ahead of the Ryder Cup in style by firing in two eagles and five birdies to shoot an impressive 65 in the final round of the BMW PGA Championship
The level of abuse and noise in the headsets was tailored towards the individual, with the immersive experience giving players an early idea of what they will face on the first tee as they hit their opening tee shots.
“Just to simulate the sights and sounds and noise,” McIlroy told reporters after his final-round 65 at Wentworth. “It’s better to try to desensitize yourself as much as possible before you get in there.
“They said ‘how far to you want this [heckling] to go?’ and I said ‘go as far as you want!'”
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Rory McIlroy says he admires Novak Djokovic’s ability to deal with hostility with a pro-American crowd and hints at taking advice from the Serbian after the pair had a conversation
“There’s a lot of us that have experienced playing away Ryder Cups and there’s a few of us that have experienced winning Ryder Cups (away). We are doing everything we can to best prepare ourselves for what that’s going to be like, but nothing can really prepare you until you’re actually in that.
“You can wear all the VR headsets you want and do all the different things we’ve been trying to do to get ourselves ready, but once the first tee comes on Friday it’s real and I just have to deal with whatever’s given.”
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Speaking at Wentworth, Luke Donald shares his thoughts on his potential European pairings ahead of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black
McIlroy is one of eight players in the European team with past experience of an away Ryder Cup, with Rahm – top-scorer for Team Europe in their record-breaking loss in 2021 – embracing the early look-in at this year’s venue.
“VR is never anywhere close to real life” Rahm told Sky Sports. “The main thing I’ve taken from it is that you can only do the first tee, but you get an idea of what it’s going to look like ahead of time.
“I think it was funny because you can actually hit the tee shot, which is just weird because you have that little controller and swing. They have somebody talking on the headset.
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Luke Donald looks ahead to the challenging facing the European players in this month’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black
“I think they found somebody from the Northeast, but it’s not even close. It’s not the same stakes, but I thought it was really, really fun to just get an idea of what’s going to be.”
McIlroy ready to learn from past experience
McIlroy said he was ‘trying to develop” a thicker skin heading into this year’s contest, having previously complained of fans overstepping boundaries and reacting back at them during the 2016 Ryder Cup.
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“I understand that you have to do a better job of putting the blinkers on and not seeing and hearing everything out there as well,” McIlroy explained. “It wasn’t a great comment but I shouldn’t have reacted.
“We’re going to have more support in New York than we had in Whistling Straits [2021] just in terms of Covid isn’t a thing anymore. It’s definitely more of a cosmopolitan city, more of a melting pot and more backgrounds and people identify as part European or whatever it is.
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Rory McIlroy looks ahead to the Ryder Cup at the end of September and reacts to a US Ryder Cup tee-shirt that looks like a silhouette of him
“We should get a little more support but at the same time, you’re going to America with an American crowd.”
When is the Ryder Cup on Sky Sports?
There will be extended live coverage from every day of Ryder Cup week, starting on Monday September 22, where Team Europe look to regain the trophy with a historic away win in the United States.
Round-the-clock coverage of the opening day’s play will begin with live build-up from 9am on Friday September 26, ahead of full coverage from midday. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.