Why this week's 'Team Cup' is important for Europe's Ryder Cup hopes

A huge banner featuring an image of Seve Ballesteros was unfurled on the opening morning of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome

The spirit of Seve Ballesteros will surely embolden the dozen European golfers eventually charged with trying to retain the Ryder Cup in New York this September.

Thirteen years on from his untimely death, the influence of the continent's most charismatic star is enduringly felt when Europe take on the USA in their biennial jousts.

It was omnipresent when Europe surged back to win the 'Miracle of Medinah' in 2012 - a match that was the embodiment of how he fearlessly played. It was the first Ryder Cup after Seve's death aged 54 - and that spirit remains.

Indeed, captain Luke Donald ensured there was space dedicated to the swashbuckling Spaniard in the European team room in 2023 during the most recent contest in Rome.

An imprint of his image also adorned team shirts, deliberately close to their hearts. Quite rightly, Seve's memory continues as an enduring and inspirational presence.

But this week, when Europe's preparations for what has become one of the hardest assignments in the sport are significantly ramped up, the Spanish superstar's name will be far from conspicuous.

Twenty candidates will contest the 'Team Cup' in Abu Dhabi from 10-12 January. Great Britain and Ireland take on Continental Europe in a match that in the vast majority of previous incarnations was appropriately known as the 'Seve Trophy'.

By no means a final audition, the event does provide potentially valuable experience and an opportunity for Donald to run the rule over likely Ryder Cup candidates for September's daunting showdown at Bethpage Black.

Seve was the original Continental European captain, inspiring a one point victory over Colin Montgomerie's GB&I team at Sunningdale in 2000. The matches continued in this guise in non Ryder Cup years until 2013 and all of the greats of European golf in this period were involved.

It was not always a huge success; few turned up to watch in Ireland in 2007 because the National Ploughing Championships were being held nearby and attracted 80,000 fans. Only a few hundred souls chose to witness the golf despite teams led by Ballesteros and Sir Nick Faldo.

Eventually the match fizzled as relations soured between the Ballesteros family and the European Tour. It was replaced by the Eurasia Cup - Asia versus Europe - between 2014-18 and Seve's name disappointingly disappeared from the schedule.

While these lower key matches have been in existence the continent has beaten the USA in the 2002, 04, 06, 10, 12, 14, 18 and 23 Ryder Cups. Eight wins; the only defeats coming in the away contests of 2008, 16 and 21.

And the most recent of those losses was in the only year when there was not one of these warm up team events. Europe lost by a record margin, 19- 9 at Whistling Straits. A coincidence? Maybe, but probably not.

Donald certainly credited the return of the GB&I v the Continent for the Hero Cup at the start of 2023 as playing an important part in his preparations for the Rome victory later that year.

Half the team that won back the Ryder Cup took part in Abu Dhabi, including rookies Bob MacIntyre, Nicolai Hojgaard and Sepp Straka.

There was an opportunity to bond, gauge personalities and see how these players responded to a team matchplay environment. Newcomers mixed with more established Ryder Cuppers such as Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton.

"It gives vital experience of team matchplay," Donald recently told Worldwide Golf. "It also gives me, some of my vice-captains and the tour staff the opportunity to spend time with these players and embed them into the 'one family' culture."

Donald added: "While my goal is to win in New York, it's also to build a foundation for players to make future Ryder Cup teams."

The eventual result in the most recent iteration of the Team Cup - a four point win for the continental side led by Francesco Molinari - was of secondary importance and the same will apply to this week's contest.

Justin Rose replaces Fleetwood as GB&I's playing skipper, which should provide the 44-year-old with useful experience if he graduates to a vice-captain's role in the States this autumn.

Rose leads an English dominated team with the only exception being Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin. LIV's Tyrrell Hatton, as well as Fleetwood and Rose are the only members of the line up with Ryder Cup experience.

It is likely that Donald, in his overviewing role, will be particularly interested in how Aaron Rai fits in. The quiet Wolverhampton pro became a PGA Tour winner last year while climbing more than 100 world ranking spots to the edge of the top 20.

Matt Wallace retains his place and is determined to be at Bethpage with his clubs rather than a BBC Radio 5 Live microphone, as was the case two years ago.

Molinari again leads the continental team, having assisted Donald in Rome in 2023. Half of his side hails from Denmark (what forces the Danes have become) with the Hojgaard twins Nicolai and Rasmus leading the way.

The resurgent Matteo Manassero will be keen to impress. Now 31 years old, he was regarded as a Ryder Cup certainty when he first burst onto the scene.

The Italian is one of those who earned 2025 playing privileges in the US with his performances on the DP World Tour last season. He will have plenty of opportunity to catch Donald's eye but there is no time like the present.

It is a pity that a match that is all about Europe takes place in the Middle East and an even bigger shame that the opportunity to celebrate the great Severiano Ballesteros has fallen victim to politics and money issues.

Nevertheless this geographically misplaced match, with the most anodyne of sponsor-less names, does have a value that might help nudge Europe to a rare away win next September. And Seve would certainly approve of that.