Exclusive: "Awful" Ryder Cup policy turned home fans against Team USA

The US Ryder Cup stars need to make sure they interact with the fans at Bethpage Black this week if they are to avoid a repeat of the "awful" policy that angered the home crowd in Detroit in 2004.

Current European captain Luke Donald made his Ryder Cup debut at Oakland Hills along with David Howell, who has been reflecting on a bizarre decision that turned out to be a huge benefit for Bernhard Langer's side.

Langer delivered a masterclass in diplomacy in the build up to the first contest back on American soil after the infamous Battle of Brookline, which was marred by unsavoury behaviour from the Boston crowd.

The European team in 2004 were constantly engaging with the fans, signing autographs and posing for photographs at every opportunity.

But the American team were instructed to avoid signing autographs and keeping their distance from the crowd, a policy that backfired as it ensured Europe would gain more popularity.

"Bernhard's charm offensive certainly did work in our favour," said Howell in an exclusive interview with GolfMagic. "It was an easy win for us because the Americans had gone completely the other way and tried to unburden themselves with autographs. 

"They had a 'no autograph' policy, which was awful. Why would you do that with all these people coming out? Yes, it makes your life easier, but it doesn't make it nicer in a way and that backfired on them as much as it was a win for us.

"You've always got to kill people with kindness, haven't you? And I'm pretty sure that that will be happening again this time around at Bethpage."

Howell has vivid memories of the Detroit fans expressing their displeasure with the lack of interaction from the players they had intended to throw their support behind.

"They did turn on a few of the Americans in the practice days," added Howell, who will be in New York commentating on this week's Ryder Cup for Sky Sports. "They were dismayed at the players' attitude towards their interactions with the home crowd, or lack thereof.

"That was certainly a thing the first few days, which was great, so they loved us because we did the complete opposite, and our practice rounds took forever as a consequence!

"But it set the tone, you want to be a likeable team, especially away from home, and it's just a golf match. I mean, it's the biggest golf match in the world, but what did Samuel Ryder have in mind when he first started camaraderie amongst the teams?

"Yeah, fierce competition. Let's prove who the best team is, but I'm sure it was, it was supposed to be done in the right way."

And, having had a front-row seat watching the bizarre scenes at Oakland Hills, Howell expects Donald to use Langer's strategy as a blueprint for his team to copy in New York.

"Of course, I would think that we'll be truly hospitable with our time at Bethpage this week, you would imagine," he said. "I think we have less time on the course now as a team, just nine holes per day, which allows you to have a 3-hour, 9-hole practice round.

"That should be too much of a burden on anyone. And that gives you plenty of time to sign and smile and take selfies with the fans."

Howell, meanwhile, is confident that Donald's team can emulate the 2004 European side and claim a rare away victory in the Ryder Cup.

"I've said all along I think we'll win," said Howell, who was also part of the winning side in 2006 at The K Club. "I'm very bullish. I just see the strength of our team. Historically, over the last 30 years, we've been brilliant at Ryder Cups. 

"We've got a great captain, and we've got as strong a team as I can ever remember. The task is monumental even for such a strong team, especially in New York.

"But we have done it before at Oakland Hills and Medinah, and I think we'll do it by a couple of points at Bethpage."

Watch every moment of the Ryder Cup exclusively live on Sky Sports and NOW from Friday 26 September. There's no golf like it.