The First Look: Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup is making its first visit to Italy, with the United States arriving off a record-setting victory two years earlier but trying to end decades of futility in Europe.

The United States’ 10-point margin at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits in 2021 was the largest at a Ryder Cup since Europe was added to the proceedings in 1979. This year’s team, captained by two-time major winner Zach Johnson, is looking to become the first U.S. squad to win a road Ryder Cup since 1993.

The U.S. Team features four rookies – including first-time major champions Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman – as well as the current No. 1 player in the world Scottie Scheffler. A trio of past FedExCup champions – Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth – also highlights the U.S. roster.

Europe has a strong core, including Nos. 2-4 in the world ranking: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland. Rahm’s four wins, including the Masters, were the most on the PGA TOUR in 2023, and Hovland arrives as the reigning FedExCup champion after back-to-back wins at the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship.

The European roster also includes Ludvig Aberg, PGA TOUR University’s No. 1 player in 2023, who has quickly impressed since turning pro in June. He won his first pro title earlier this month at the Omega European Masters. In just 10 starts as a pro, he has already risen to No. 80 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Nine of the 12 Americans made a recent scouting trip to Rome, while all 12 of the Europeans visited the venue before teeing it up at the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship. All 12 made the cut at Wentworth, with seven finishing inside the top 10 on the leaderboard.

With a venue seemingly built for match play – Marco Simone features multiple drivable par 4s and reachable par 5s – and a collection of the game’s top players, it’s set for a drama-filled Ryder Cup in Rome.

*Players listed in order of Official World Golf Ranking as of Sept. 18.

Source: pgatour.com