While Rory McIlroy’s online sorta-spat with Bryson DeChambeau made headlines this week – the Northern Irishman inferred that the American publicly name-drops he and Scottie Scheffler in order to remain relevant – miaow – the more interesting and perhaps more cutting comment came from Europe captain, Luke Donald.

Talking about the U.S players receiving $US500,000 each to compete in Ryder Cup, with $300,000 going to charity and $200,000 going into their pockets as a “stipend”, Donald said it’s possible that boisterous (read: pissed, loud, obnoxious) New Yorkers could turn against Team USA.

“That could happen,” Donald said. “We all know how high the ticket prices are ($US750), and it’s going to be an expensive trip out for a family of four. If the US players are getting paid a stipend, or whatever it is, and they aren’t performing, the New Yorkers could make them know about it.”

Donald added that when he asked his players if they wanted to be paid, “Everyone was like: ‘We haven’t even considered playing for money for that event.’”

“We have a great purpose and that’s really enough for us. We understand that the money raised goes to help the European Tour Group and the grassroots. We talk a lot about this; we are here to inspire the next generation," Donald said.

 

 

“So this money is going to good things. It will hopefully help future Ryder Cup players become great players. I think our purpose, why we play the Ryder Cup, is pretty strong and that’s enough for that week.

“It speaks to what the Ryder Cup means to these guys. A couple of hundred thousand dollars to these guys isn’t a lot of money in the grand scheme of things. Those weeks of the Ryder Cup, they are the best weeks. There’s so much more to them. We certainly don’t need any motivation or monetary rewards to get us up.”

Whatever else happens this weekend, Europe owns the high ground. 

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Organisers of this XLVth Ryder Cup have requested that United States President Donald Trump delay his attendance at Bethpage on Friday because, as happened in the final of the U.S Open at Flushing Meadow, it could delay the start.

Bethpage will host 50,000 people each day, while the machinations of the Secret Service's protection of the President - particularly with tension high since the assassination of Charlie Kirk - means the Service will be running a particularly tight and heightened vigil.

Put it this way: When Trump turns up at the first tee on Friday it would not be the time for a kid to unleash the six-ball shooter he bought at the Easter firecracker sales at Fyshwick.

PLUS...

Concerns over possible appearance by Trump at Ryder Cup

Ryder Cup organisers insist hosting a "seamless, secure" event is their priority as concerns grow over the impact of an appearance by United States president Donald Trump.

Organisers fear that any delay could disrupt the day's play given that in New York at this time of year, there is only so much sunlight.

However, there should still be sufficient illumination of the later groups' play given Trump’s inherent belief that the sun shines out of his bottom.

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The Ryder Cup has been running since 1927 and the 45th iteration of the biennial trans-Atlantic teams matchplay tournament kicks off Friday night in Australia with foursomes and four-ball-best-ball competition.

And it will, as ever, be compelling viewing. The Ryder Cup, for manifold reasons, is great story. Something about it.

And yet, speaking presumptuously, as is one’s wont, on behalf of all sports fans in our Great Southern Land, an informed, keen-eyed, beer-drinking group of dingalings I like to call The Punterati, I would ask: What is it with The WAGs?

Why are the Wives and Girlfriends such a high-profile team supporter base during Ryder Cup?

U.S Ryder Cup WAGs from 2006 including Amy Campbell, Tabitha Furyk, Amy Mickelson, Elin Nordegren and Melissa Lehman applaud during the Opening Ceremony of the 36th Ryder Cup at The K Club, County Kildare, Ireland. PHOTO: Getty Images

Now – I’m not knocking their appearance. Not knocking their involvement. Not saying their high-vis support is bad or off-putting. All power to them. All power to this tradition like no other, as they say. It’s a thing that has evolved and it’s actually sort of cool that it’s organically become a thing the Ryder Cup is known for. Viva la WAGs.

But I still think it’s weird.

Why, in this particular, globally-significant sports event, do the Significant Others of the players assume so prevalent a role? Why are the partners of the players so large and colourful a feature of the greater tournament’s story?

They’re everywhere on the broadcast. They’re in the photos before it. They’re in ball-gowns and high-heels and tiaras, possibly. They cruise about inside the ropes in open-top golf carts in Gucci sunglasses and golden gumboots, hair sheened to magnificence, teeth so radiant they could illuminate Coonabarabran by night.

It's weird, right? The husbands and partners of the players in the Solheim Cup aren’t ferried about in golf carts or photographed smooching their partners or interviewed for their thoughts by Nick Faldo. The partners of tennis players in the Davis Cup don’t all sit in a box and shake pom-poms.

It’s hard to think of a dynamic like it. Even Taylor Swift’s famous support for Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce, is just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her.

Or something, I dunno.

Look. It’s harmless and glamorous and it's a thing that's become a thing, and long may it be so. And it won't detract from my enjoyment of the golf.

But it’s still a bit weird.

And that, as Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) would say in the hit film of 1994, Forrest Gump, is all I have to say about that.