Zola and Griffey Jr add even more star power to Ryder Cup

FARMINGDALE, New York — Europe's star power at the Ryder Cup goes beyond the golfers on the course, now that Gianfranco Zola is manning one of its carts.

The former Chelsea and Italy soccer star is driving vice-captain Francesco Molinari around Bethpage Black this week, perhaps able to offer advice based on his experience of playing in major international competitions.

Justin Rose, who is a Chelsea fan from England, didn't know Zola would be with the Europeans until bumping into him at the team's hotel.

"I meet a lot of really cool people in my life through the game of golf, but I was like: 'Whoa! Wow! Hey, Gianfranco!' I was starstruck, which is amazing," Rose said.

Rose has only become a big soccer fan in recent years thanks to his 16-year-old son, so he acknowledged not being fully aware of some of Zola's career highlights — which include scoring the winning goal for Chelsea in the 1998 Cup Winners' Cup final, being voted the club's best player ever in 2003 and helping Italy finish as runner-up at the 1994 World Cup.

"But I think his energy, what he can provide, I think he's here just to be, sort of — let's call it a fly on the wall," Rose said.

"But, I think if there's a moment that he observes, and can kind of chime in, and can understand the pressure, or can understand momentum, or that locker room mentality, then obviously there's probably going to be something this week where he can relay a really powerful message.

"Hopefully he has that opportunity, because I'd love to hear it."

Back on Black

The memories came back for Cameron Young as soon as he returned to Bethpage Black.

The US Ryder Cup team member couldn't recall being back at the course since winning the New York State Open in 2017. Everything, obviously, looks much different this week outside the ropes, but everything on the course felt familiar.

"I feel like, every year, you get back to the same place, the time in between just goes away, and it's the same thing coming in here," Young said. "Walking out on the first tee, feels like I was here yesterday."

Young shot a then-course-record 64 in the final round to catch Chris DeForest and went on to beat him in a playoff, becoming the first amateur to win the event. Even eight years later, the 28-year-old Young can remember specific details of his round.

"I hit a shot on 12," Young said, "and I don't know what it was, but I think it was maybe a 6-iron, kind of into the wind to the left of the pin on 12, and that was just when I knew that, that day, I had full control over what I was doing."

He had long set a goal to get back to Bethpage for the Ryder Cup, but he needed another rally to make it. Young thought it was a long shot during the middle of this season, but he surged late, finishing in the top 12 in each of his final four events and was chosen as a captain's pick by Keegan Bradley.

Now, Young will try to make new memories on the Black Course.

"Everything feels so much the same," he said. "Obviously, now there are the stands and there are some better players hanging around, but the golf itself just feels so much the same."

No Bethpage for juniors

The Junior Ryder Cup players didn't get to finish up at Bethpage Black as scheduled.

The final-round singles matches on Thursday were shifted to Nassau Country Club because of a forecast of inclement weather that already forced a change to the main Ryder Cup program.

Nassau Country Club, located in Glen Cove, was the site of the foursomes and four-ball matches on Tuesday and Wednesday between the US and European teams of six boys and girls. The decision to keep singles play there was made after the Ryder Cup opening ceremony had already been moved up from Thursday to Wednesday because of rain in the forecast.

The US had a 10-8 lead going into Thursday and needed 15.5 points to win back the trophy that Europe captured in 2023.

Celebrity snapper

Ken Griffey Jr and his camera are back to work at the Ryder Cup.

The MLB Hall of Famer is working for the PGA of America's digital team at the Ryder Cup. He shot the Masters earlier this year for the event's official website.

Griffey, who said he got into photography when his kids began playing sports, had already shot the World Series, the MLB All-Star Game, NFL games and soccer — not to mention driving the pace car during his trip to the Indy 500 last year. The Masters was his first time shooting golf.

An emotional occurrence

The Ryder Cup is packed with so much passion it can bring out emotion from players who don't typically show much.

David Duval was fist-pumping his way around the green at his first Ryder Cup in 1999. Dustin Johnson had to think hard about the most emotion he showed and settled on a big fist pump (not that big) at the Ryder Cup in Medinah.

That led to questions of Cameron Young, the lone New Yorker in this Ryder Cup, known for rarely cracking a smile.

Is there anything this week that could cause him to go crazy?

"Yeah, I think it could happen," Young said with the slightest smile. "There's nothing I would love more than to give myself an opportunity to see what I am capable of on that front."

He is not alone.

Collin Morikawa was asked which American he would like to see get overcome by the energy of the Ryder Cup. "I would love to see Cam Young just throw a massive fist pump in someone's face. I would love it," Morikawa said.

"I mean, home state, home crowd, red, white and blue, played on the Junior Ryder Cup."

Morikawa said he has known Young from junior and college golf, and how competitive he is while remaining so stoic.

"Yeah, I would love to see a nice little putter raise, undercut, fist pump," Morikawa said. "I don't know if he'll do it. He doesn't even smile after he wins. So I'm hoping."

Agencies via Xinhua