A Ryder Cup captain is tasked with making myriad decisions, but when hosting the event, one of the most crucial is setting up the golf course in a way to benefit his team. That was never more important than at Bethpage Black, infamously known as one of golf's most difficult tests. (There's a literal warning sign out for players before they arrive on the first tee, ensuring they know the Black Course is only for "highly skilled golfers.")

Most of the Black Course's test comes from tee-to-green where narrow fairways and extremely penal rough are the hallmarks of the layout that fans have come to know, largely from Bethpage State Park hosting U.S. Opens.

The setup for the 2025 Ryder Cup was shocking for those who expected that kind of test for the biennial event, as United States captain Ke

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