Two years after the Americans beat the Europeans at Whistling Straits to take the Ryder Cup trophy, the 44th edition of the match at Marco Simone is almost upon us.
While final preparations have been taking place on the course with daily practice sessions ahead of the action that begins on Friday morning, there was a chance for the players to temporarily take their minds off the upcoming task and enjoy a lavish gala dinner in Italian capital Rome.
Many of the players were joined by their partners for the occasion, with four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy greeted by fans as he posed for photos at the city’s historic Spanish Steps alongside his wife Erica Stoll, Brooks Koepka seen with his wife Jena Sims, and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler alongside his wife Meredith Scudder.
Among others was Masters champion Jon Rahm, greeted fans alongside his wife Kelley Cahill. European captain Luke Donald and Zach Johnson also attended, along with their wives Diane Antonopoulos and Kim Barclay.
The two teams, whose players, captains and vice captains were all dressed in black suits and black ties, also posed for team photos at the location.
The gala dinner is a Ryder Cup tradition, and one the players and their partners will surely appreciate with the intensity of three days of match play imminent.
Ryder Cup players attended the gala dinner ahead of the 44th edition of the match
After the dinner, which included a performance from singer-songwriter Phillip Phillips, it’s back to Marco Simone for the players with their final practice session on Thursday morning before the Opening Ceremony in the afternoon.
The action gets underway with a session of foursomes on Friday morning, as each team tries to get off to a flying start.
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