McIlroy and the European team prepare for the hostile Ryder Cup environment with VR technology
VIRGINIA WATER, England – Rory McIlroy revealed that the European Ryder Cup team is preparing for the intense environment awaiting them in New York, using virtual reality (VR) technology to simulate the noise and potential provocations from American fans. The European team captain, Luke Donald, has implemented this innovative tool to familiarize the players with the atmosphere of Bethpage Black, a course known for its passionate and sometimes noisy public. McIlroy explained that the team received the VR devices after a meeting on Tuesday, allowing them to visualize the course and adjust the noise level, including insults, to simulate the real experience.The European team, which had 11 players at Wentworth, is heading to New York to practice at Bethpage Black. Sepp Straka, who stayed home last week for the birth of his son, is expected to join the team. Straka is one of the five European players who have never competed at Bethpage Black. The last time Europe won the Ryder Cup on American soil was in 2012 in Medinah, with a spectacular comeback led by Ian Poulter. “We’re doing everything we can to prepare as best we can for what it’s going to feel like on Friday of the week,” McIlroy said. “But nothing can really prepare you until you’re in it. You can use all the virtual reality headsets you want and do all the different things we’ve been trying to do to prepare, but once that first tee comes on Friday, it’s real, and we just have to deal with what we’re given.” Europe can count on more support than in its last Ryder Cup as a visitor. That was in 2021 at Whistling Straits, with worldwide travel restrictions due to COVID-19 still in effect. There were hardly any European fans in an American defeat.“It’s to simulate the images, the sounds and the noise,” McIlroy said. “It’s what we’re going to have to deal with. So it’s better to try to desensitize yourself as much as possible before going in. You can make them say whatever you want.”
Rory McIlroy
