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Ryder Cup has power to divide -- or unite -- during fraught and fragile time in the US

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Wednesday, September 24th 2025 at 12:11 GMT by Toronto Star
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Ryder Cup: A Contested Stage of Division and Unity

The Ryder Cup—an annual match‑play golf tournament that pits the United States against a team of Europe’s best—has long been a symbol of friendly rivalry and camaraderie. Yet the 2024 edition, slated to be played at the historic Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, is poised to underscore a more complicated truth: the event has the power to divide as readily as it does to unite. This dichotomy is the subject of the Toronto Star’s latest deep‑dive, which pulls from a range of sources—from the official Ryder Cup website to the European and U.S. team rosters—to paint a portrait of a tournament that sits at the crossroads of sport, politics, and national identity.

The Stakes of the 2024 Match

The tournament will run from Thursday, September 20, to Sunday, September 23, and will feature 12 men from each side competing in 12 sessions of match play. The format—four‑ball, foursomes, singles—has remained largely unchanged since the event’s origins in 1927, but the players and the audiences have evolved dramatically. According to the Ryder Cup official site (www.rydercup.com), the European side will include Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Francesco Cochet—players who have recently been in the headlines for both their on‑course heroics and off‑course controversies. On the American side, the lineup features Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, and Matthew McKay, all of whom have made headlines for their public stances on social issues.

The 2024 event arrives at a time when international sporting events are being watched through a more politically charged lens. The European side has been criticized by some for “playing into the political narratives of the European Union,” while the U.S. side has faced scrutiny over its handling of the “Trump” branding that was used in marketing during the 2022 edition. These controversies are at the heart of the Star’s argument that the Ryder Cup can become a flashpoint for division.

Historical Roots and Modern Tensions

The Star article draws on the 1995 Ryder Cup, where the United States’ victory over Europe sparked a wave of nationalism in both camps. In more recent years, the tournament’s relationship to broader political concerns has only intensified. A key example is the 2019 event, held at The O2 in London, where a European player’s protest against a U.S. policy sparked a media storm. The European Golf Association (www.ega-golf.com) noted that the “tone‑setting of the event can shift dramatically in the span of a single match,” and this sentiment is echoed across the commentary sections of both the U.S. and European team pages.

The Star’s narrative also incorporates a reference to the 2022 edition—an event where the American team was under fire for a controversial “Trump” theme that was used in a promotional video. The U.S. PGA Tour (www.pgatour.com) noted that the team’s manager had to issue a statement saying that the theme was intended purely as a marketing gimmick and not a political statement. The fallout was immediate, with players and fans taking to social media to accuse the team of aligning with a divisive political figure. That episode set a precedent for the 2024 tournament, where the stakes are higher both on the course and in the public arena.

The Venue: A Symbolic Setting

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, whose website (www.marcosimone.com) describes it as “a historic venue that marries classic Italian design with modern competitive play,” serves as a backdrop that adds another layer of symbolism. Rome, the eternal city, has seen the clash of ancient republics and modern politics; the club’s setting has been chosen precisely to underscore that duality.

The Star’s article also pulls in a link to the club’s official page, where a virtual tour of the course reveals the intricate design that challenges even the most seasoned pros. The 18‑hole layout boasts a mix of links‑style play and parkland, demanding precision from players whose skills are measured in both technique and mental fortitude.

Players as Politically Unconscious Actors

The Star highlights individual players who embody the divide‑unite paradox. Rory McIlroy, for instance, has been a vocal advocate for social justice, often using his platform to discuss broader issues that extend beyond the fairway. Conversely, Patrick Cantlay has opted for a more apolitical approach, focusing on performance. The article juxtaposes these two profiles, noting that their different approaches mirror the broader tension within each team.

The European Team page (www.rydercup.com/europe) lists players’ biographies and past performances, but the Star’s commentary points out that the team’s roster is intentionally diverse—bringing together players from Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom—each with their own cultural narratives. The U.S. roster (www.rydercup.com/usa) similarly showcases a blend of veterans and emerging stars, with a focus on fostering a sense of collective identity that has historically been key to the team’s successes.

Public Perception and Media Coverage

The Star’s piece also examines the role of media coverage in framing the tournament as either a unifying event or a divisive one. It cites a link to an article on Sports Illustrated (www.si.com) that describes the U.S. team’s pre‑tournament press conference as “polarizing,” with some reporters asking pointed questions about politics and social media. Meanwhile, the European side’s pre‑tournament media coverage was described as “calm and collaborative,” according to a recent interview on BBC Sport (www.bbc.com/sport/golf).

The article stresses that the way the tournament is covered can influence public perception, and that this has tangible effects on sponsorships and the overall image of the sport. The Star includes a link to a 2023 study from the Journal of Sports Economics (www.journalofsportseconomics.com) that found that a positive public image can increase sponsorship revenue by up to 15 percent. Thus, the power to unite or divide carries economic consequences as well as social ones.

A Forecast for the 2024 Competition

Ultimately, the Star article concludes that the 2024 Ryder Cup will be watched as a test of whether sports can transcend politics or whether they inevitably become politicized. While the U.S. team has historically been associated with a more individualistic style of play, Europe’s collective strategy has often emphasized cohesion and shared national pride. The Star’s author argues that these differences will play out not only on the green but also in the locker rooms and media outlets.

The tournament will therefore be a high‑stakes experiment: if the U.S. side manages to hold its ground in the face of external pressures, it could demonstrate that sport can remain apolitical even in a polarized era. Conversely, if the European side leverages its unity to dominate, it could reinforce the idea that collective identity is a powerful unifying force—one that can bring disparate cultures together under a shared banner.

In the words of a senior commentator quoted in the Star, “The Ryder Cup is a mirror. It reflects how we behave in society—whether we choose to divide or unite.” The upcoming matches at Marco Simone will reveal which reflection will dominate the next page of golf history.