Individual golf takes a break for team golf this week as 12 leading lights from Europe and the USA head to Rome for the Ryder Cup, an event which has become the one which transcends the sport around the world.
USA obliterated Europe two years ago and they head to Italy looking to become the first USA team to win on European soil in 30 years. Europe are fully motivated to attempt to get the cup back within their grasp so we should get an excellent weekend of golf.
Recent Results
2021 – USA 19-9 Europe
2018 – Europe 17.5-10.5 USA
2016 – USA 17-11 Europe
2014 – Europe 16.5-11.5 USA
2012 – USA 13.5-14.5 Europe
2010 – Europe 14.5-13.5 USA
2008 – USA 16.5-11.5 Europe
2006 – Europe 18.5-9.5 USA
2004 – USA 9.5-18.5 Europe
2002 – Europe 15.5-12.5 USA
The Format
28 individual rubbers will make up the Ryder Cup. There are two sessions of play on the first two days and then one lengthy one to determine the champions over the course of Sunday.
Friday and Saturday are made up of morning foursomes where both captains pick pairs to play alternate shots with the one ball and then afternoon fourballs in which each pairing will play their own ball. There are four rubbers in each session making up 16pts heading into Sunday.
On Sunday each of the 12 players will be out on show in singles action with a point for the overall course the reward for the winner of each. At the end of Sunday the individual points are added up and the nation with the most wins. The first team to 14.5 points wins the cup. If it ends 14-14 USA will retain the trophy.
Schedule
Friday Morning: 4x Foursomes matches
Friday Afternoon: 4x Fourballs matches
Saturday Morning: 4x Foursomes matches
Saturday Afternoon: 4x Fourballs matches
Sunday: 12x Singles matches
The Course
We head to the Marco Simone Golf Club for the first time for the Ryder Cup this week. If that course sounds familiar it is because it has staged the Italian Open on the DP World Tour for the past three seasons. Two of the three winners of that event here are in the European side. The course is a par 71 which this week is set up to a yardage of 7,181 yards so it isn’t overly long but with this being in Europe the rough is going to be thick.
Even with the way the course is set up in the Italian Open there is a premium on playing this course from the short grass. It generally suits good drivers who are accurate with a bit of length and that is likely to remain the case this week. There are plenty of undulations on the fairways too so control of the iron shorts are going to be key. Obviously putting carries more importance in match play but putts get given in this format so it isn’t always the decisive factor.
Europe
Each team had six automatic qualifiers and six players picked by the captain this year. The automatic qualifiers for the Europeans were the Scottish Open winner Rory McIlroy, The Masters champion Jon Rahm, former winner here in Robert MacIntyre, FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland, Tyrell Hatton and the 2022 US Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick, the first three via the European points list and the latter three through their exploits around the world.
That left Luke Donald with six picks for the tournament. He chose former winner around this golf course in Nicolai Hojgaard, one of three rookies picked by the captain, the other two being The Open runner-up Sepp Straka and the new man on the scene in Ludvig Aberg. Former Open champion Shane Lowry is another of his picks with the experienced English pair of Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose completing the European team.
USA
The defending champions had a near identical selection process for their team and the world number one Scottie Scheffler was a fairly early qualifier for the team. Two major champions in 2023 automatically qualified for USA as well in the US Open winner Wyndham Clark and The Open champion Brian Harman. The other three automatic qualifiers were Patrick Cantlay and Zander Schauffele, who are likely to be paired together throughout the week, and Max Homa.
That left six picks for Zach Johnson and with his first one he perhaps controversially called up the USPGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka. The popular and experienced Ryder Cup trio of Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas all required wildcard picks and duly received them as did the two-time major champion Collin Morikawa. The remaining pick went to the only rookie selected by Johnson. He gave that to the WGC Match Play winner Sam Burns.
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Betting
I think this promises to be an excellent Ryder Cup, a week on from what was a wonderful Solheim Cup and I would edge the same way with my thinking for this that I did for that which was if there is going to be a winner it will be Europe, but I certainly wouldn’t want some cover on the draw too. I think this could be a really tight clash with the way the two sides are matched up and a draw certainly isn’t out of the question.
Ultimately though, USA haven’t won in Europe in 30 years and I think that is down to the fact that Europe know how to set the course up to gain an advantage. There is going to be deep rough for the wayward shots and the greens will be slow in keeping with traditional conditions on the DP World Tour. That all goes in the favour of the home side as does the fact that they were all in action at the BMW PGA Championship two weeks ago and many were on show at the Irish Open before that. Not one member of the USA team played at Wentworth and apart from a couple who played the Fortinet, it is going on six weeks since most of this USA team had a competitive hit out. That feels key on a course which demands like this one. If there is a winner I expect it to be Europe but keep the draw onside.
Tips
Back Europe to win Ryder Cup for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with Coral
Back the draw for a 0.5/10 stake at 12.00 with William Hill
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