Ryder Cup - ‘I prefer to play under the hostility’ - Europe’s Matt Fitzpatrick up for partisan American crowd

Matt Fitzpatrick is looking forward to having a chance to silence the galleries when he competes for Europe in front of a partisan American crowd in the Ryder Cup this week.

Although the US has announced an easing of travel restrictions for vaccinated travellers from the UK and EU, that will not come into effect until November, meaning the only away supporters who will be at Whistling Straits will already need to be based in the United States.

All of Europe's golfers who not already based out in the US have arrived at Wisconsin today ahead of the event, which gets underway on Tuesday. Padraig Harrington's team are the holders from Paris in 2018, and they will be looking for their first victory in the US since the miracle at Medinah in 2012. It will be Fitzpatrick’s second appearance for the team, having made his debut five years ago at the age of just 22.

“It was difficult last time,” he told PA, reflecting on the playing in front of the American crowd.

“I only played a foursomes and a singles match. Of course I would have liked to play more, everybody would, and I never really felt like I experienced it in full.

“For me it was fine, but I know for other people it was much worse.”

Europe have plenty of golfers who thrive in hot atmospheres of any kind, notably Ian Poulter, but Fitzpatrick believes he can feed off any negative energy the Americans try to hit him with.

“It’s going to be pretty one-sided,” said the world number 27.

“It always is, home or away, but it would have been nice to have a few of our own in there.

“It’s an added pressure, an added motivation to try to play well.”