Why Luke Donald is hoping Europeans are dressed for success in Ryder Cup

As was the case when he masterminded a 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome two years ago, the Englishman’s attention to detail has already been shown in the build up to the eagerly-awaited clash on Long Island.Team outfits for the event will include specific colours from past European away victories in the transatlantic tussle.

On Monday, for example, when they turned up for some practice, they wore tops that were predominantly salmon pink, which was a nod to a 1997 win at Muirfield Village. Other outfits planned for later in the week will also mark victories in 1995 at Oak Hill, 2004 at Oakland Hills and, most recently, 2012 at Medinah.

“Yeah, I think it's always important to rally around something,” said Donald, speaking in his first joint-press conference of the week with Team USA counterpart Keegan Bradley on Monday, in reply to being asked about the importance of that message to his players.

“We always have things that we come up with that are important to us. History and our unity and celebrating what we've done in the past and the legends that have kind of come before us is really important.

“Yeah, I wanted to focus on that. This is going to be a difficult challenge. We haven't come close to winning three out of the last four away Ryder Cups. It's not been very close at all. That's my job to bridge that gap.

“But we have won quite a few times. We've won four times away since 1987 and come close a few other times as well. I think that's motivating to the guys that it can be done, it has been done, and again, we're here to try and do it again.”

Bradley is leading the Americans into battle after deciding not to pick himself despite being in a position that he could easily have and become the first playing captain in the transatlantic tussle since Arnold Palmer in 1963.

“Definitely,” he replied to being asked if he’d thought about being here in a playing capacity. “I've thought about it every second. But I've also thought about how impossible it would be.

‘I feel like I've been called for a bigger cause here’

“I was picked to do this job as captain, and there's been certain things that I've done during the week or lead-up that if I was playing, I don't think I could have done at the level that I needed to do them at.

“I catch myself every now and then looking down the fairway, seeing the guys walk down the fairway and think how badly I'd like to do that, and how badly I'd want to be in the group with Scottie Scheffler and seeing him play and being his team-mate. But I feel like I've been called for a bigger cause here, to help our guys get ready to play and play at the highest level.

“In the back of my mind, I'm always thinking, ‘I could have been out there’. But, ultimately, I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed being the captain and how I've enjoyed not having to worry about getting to sleep and getting my rest or how I haven't had to think about what time I'm going to go practice or meet my coach and then meet the guys. It simplified things a lot for me.”