From The Ryder Cup: Ranking All 24 Players On Team USA and Europe, With Blurbs and Info On Each Golfer
Lorenzo Palizzolo. Getty Images.It goes without saying that we’re splitting hairs here. Anyone who’s made the Ryder Cup team, either via points or a captain’s pick, has had a fantastic year. These are the top 1% of the top 1% of professional golfers. As such, the “weakest” guys on this list are still highly accomplished athletes at the pinnacle of their sport.
But this is the internet, and we’re in the business of ranking things, of making predictions. Use these blurbs on each player to catch up on what’s been happening in golf since your mind’s wandered to football, to recap the year that was, to help inform your wagers or to simply be a more informed viewer as you soak in the last meaningful golf until 2024.
As a reminder, the U.S. is coming off a historic blowout in the 2021 Ryder Cup, its 19-9 winning margin the largest since Continental Europe was added to the party in 1979. But the U.S. has not won a Ryder Cup in Europe since 1993. Losers of six straight across the pond, Zach Johnson’s side has the advantage in terms of average world ranking and enters as a slight favorite on the betting markets. But the European team has some serious momentum and odds have tightened considerably in recent weeks. It should be a compelling show at Marco Simone just outside of Rome, a golf course built with this very event in mind. It’s officially Ryder Cup week. Let’s nerd out.
Luke Walker. Getty Images.24. Robert MacIntyre (EUR)
Age: 26 Data Golf ranking: 131 Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Earned his way onto the team through the European points list which only counts performance in European Tour events. That’s the story: he’s been one of the best players on the DP World Tour for the last few years but has not been able to establish himself on the PGA Tour. He’ll get a proper chance next year thanks to the new rule that rewards the top-10 (not already qualified) finishers on the DP World Tour’s season-long points list with a PGA Tour card. The advanced metrics say he’s the worst player in the field by a wide margin—at 131 on Data Golf’s list he’s surrounded by a bunch of Korn Ferry Tour players. Only qualified for two majors this year: missed the cut at the PGA CHampionship and took T71 at the Open. His best tournament showing likely ever came on home soil at the Scottish Open, where he birdied the 18th in dramatic fashion to take the clubhouse lead before Rory McIlroy leapfrogged him with two closing birdies. It hasn’t been great since, with one solid showing against a very weak field in the Czech Republic sandwiched by a m issued cut in a DP World Tour event, a T55 in the Omega European Masters and a T45 at Wentworth. I’d be surprised if he gets more than two matches total.
23. Nicolai Hojgaard (EUR)
Age: 22 Data Golf ranking: 64 Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
He and his twin brother, Rasmus, have long been pegged as future stalwarts of European Ryder Cup teams. He snagged the last captain’s pick over Adrian Meronk, who won this year’s Italian Open at Marco Simone…but what you might not have read is that Hojgaard also has a win at this golf course. He’s a known commodity in Europe with two victories on the DP World Tour and has a number of top finishes this year—Rasmus has four, but Nicolai’s the more consistent player—but he, along with Robert MacIntyre, are the only two players in the competition who haven’t had much success on the PGA Tour. Like Aberg, this was a play for the future, with Donald betting that Hojgaard has the potential to keep rising up the rankings and be a member of these teams for years to come. His best finish in five career major starts is a T23 and don’t be surprised if he only plays one match before the Sunday singles. There is a significant drop-off on Team Europe after their 10th man, and anything they get from the world No. 80 will be a bonus.
Icon Sportswire. Getty Images.22. Sam Burns (USA)
Age: 27 Data Golf ranking: 19 Ryder cup appearances: Rookie
The last man in, many felt Keegan Bradley or Cameron Young were more deserving of the spot. DId Burns benefit from his close relationship with Scottie Scheffler and his experience of playing (and playing pretty well, despite his 0-3-2 record) in last year’s Presidents Cup? Of course he did. Is he having his best year? No, he is not. But he did win the only match play event on the PGA Tour this year and he’s historically a great putter, which cannot be said for the majority of his teammates. He was ninth on tour this year in strokes gained putting, trailing only Max Homa on the U.S. roster. His iron play regressed considerably as he dropped all the way outside the top 120 in that statistic. The classic rookie-who’s-not-really-a-rookie, he’s won five times on tour and got his feet wet at Quail Hollow, where statistically he played rather nicely but ran into the vagaries of match play and failed to win a match. There’s plenty of fire under that laconic Louisianan exterior; he’s still heated about not making the 2017 Walker Cup team, so he’ll be extra eager to justify his inclusion into this squad. In addition to Scheffler, he gets along well with Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. When people decry the boys club, they’re talking about picks like this. A hot putter, however, would quiet the noise.
21. Sepp Straka (EUR)
Age: 30 Data Golf ranking: 43 Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
He’s a unique Ryder Cup Europe player in that he went to high school in the United States, played at University of Georgia, has been living and playing stateside since he turned pro and speaks with a southern drawl. But his German’s perfect, too. Spent the first 14 years of his life in Austria and has represented them at every level, so this isn’t one of those sketchy soccer dual-national situations or a Rory Sabbatini-type deal. Wasn’t on many people’s radars as a potential Ryder Cup-level player until July—that’s when he won his second PGA Tour event at the John Deere Classic and, in his very next start, tied for second at the Open Championship. Boom, he was in. Linked up with the team to play the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and picked up a top 10. He won’t be intimidated at all by the U.S. team, many of whom are his friends.
Alex Burstow. Getty Images.20. Justin Rose (EUR)
Age: 43 Data Golf ranking: 26 Ryder Cup appearances: 5
Ryder Cup record: 13-8-2
He’s the elder statesman of this group. There’s no doubt about that. The lone holdout from Europe’s core group who dominated Ryder Cups in the 2000s—Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey have all gone to LIV, but Rose was unwilling to jeopardize his future spot in majors and in the Ryder Cup. Had a resurgent year, winning for the first time in four-plus years at Pebble Beach and enjoying a bunch of very solid finishes in the summer. He’s cooled off a bit in his last five starts but we should caution against using results in stroke-play events to portend Ryder Cup performance. Just like his departed mates he has a very good Ryder Cup mark and will treasure every second of this week; at 43, he knows this could well be the last, but he’s kept himself in pole position for a captaincy by not resigning his DP World Tour membership. He’s no longer the world-class ball striker he was in his prime but putting has become a strength over the last few years, and putting is massively important in match play.
19. Rickie Fowler (USA)
Age: 34 Data Golf ranking: Ryder Cup appearances: 4
Ryder Cup record: 3-7-5
Most expected a resurgent year from Fowler, who played his first Ryder Cup at 21 and had amassed four appearances by 27 before falling off the proverbial map. Didn’t even qualify for three majors last year but a move back to Butch Harmon and continued belief in his abilities has seen him turn the corner. Returned to the winner’s circle in triumphant fashion at the Rocket Mortgage and, given his run of consistently excellent play throughout the spring and summer, all but locked up his spot on this team. Fowler’s a top-tier vibes guy who mingles seamlessly with his teammates, no matter what generation they’re in. At 34, he’s no longer the Ryan Sheckler-look alike in all orange; he’s the second-oldest (!) player on this team and a steady presence who can pair with anyone. He, too, is an above average putter on a team that needs them. Very close with both Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, but with those two likely to pair up, it’s not abundantly clear who he’ll partner with or just how much he’ll play. But the Ryder Cup ecosystem as a whole, and the fans who enjoy it, are thrilled to have him back in the mix.
David Cannon. Getty Images.18. Wyndham Clark (USA)
Age: 30 Data Golf ranking: 13 Ryder cup appearances: Rookie
He’s a testament to the talent percolating just below the top-level in the professional game. A year ago he dropped outside the top 300 in the world rankings as he struggled with self-belief and spotty approach play. With a rededicated attitude, the help of a sports psychologist and full ownership of his swing—he’s one of the very few elite players without a swing coach—Clark has elbowed his way into a Ryder Cup roster spot, and he left no doubt about it by finishing second in the points. Played beautifully in winning the U.S. Open at LACC and, while there was a slight dip in form as he adjusted to all the added attention he looked very solid with a solo third in the gross division of the Tour Championship. He’s got a very well rounded game with one weakness, which he’s been able to manage most weeks on tour: he does not hit many fairways. He was 144th in driving accuracy this past season, which is why he was only just above tour average in strokes gained off the tee despite ranking 11th in driving distance. A setup like the one at Le Golf National was devised with a player like him in mind. Will the Europeans do the same at Marco Simone, and will it have the same impact?
17. Jordan Spieth (USA)
Age: 30 Data Golf rankings: 24 Ryder Cup appearances: 4
Ryder Cup record: 8-7-3
Making his fifth consecutive Ryder Cup appearance, and with five he’s tied with Rickie Fowler for most experience on the U.S. side. He’s been “back” for quite a while now, even if this level he’s sort of plateaued at doesn’t compare to his 2015-17 best. With one top-10 finish in his last six starts it wasn’t the ideal finish to the season and his ball striking can get squirrely, though he still has that propensity to put the ball in the hole from places he has no business doing so. He’s always cordial when speaking in public but there’s a fratty side there that comes out this week, and by all accounts he’s one of the vocal leaders of this team. Occupies sort of a unique roll in that way, as he’s younger than two of the three rookies but has seen more in golf than maybe anyone else on his team. Lived a childhood dream by pairing with childhood best friend/adulthood best-man-and-wedding Justin Thomas in a Ryder Cup two years ago and he’ll be campaigning Johnson to let ‘em rip again.
Sean M. Haffey. Getty Images.16. Matt Fitzpatrick (EUR)
Age: 29 Data Golf ranking: 15 Ryder Cup appearances: 2
Ryder Cup record: 0-5-0
He’s taken a huge step in his career since the last Ryder Cup, winning a major championship for his first victory on American soil and adding another with a designated-event playoff win over Jordan Spieth at the RBC Heritage. Comes in playing nicely, with a runner-up at the BMW Championship, a T9 at the Tour Championship, a T3 at the Omego European Masters and a T18 at Wentworth in his last four starts. BUT, and it’s a huge but, he has a dismal Ryder Cup record to reconcile. Like, historically bad—he’s the first player since the 1950s to play in two separate Ryder CUps and fail to score even half a point. The last RC match he played was particularly painful to watch: he went out last in singles at Whistling Straits, against Daniel Berger, needing a half point to keep Europe from suffering its worst defeat since the continental countries were involved. All square on the 18th hole, he fatted his approach into the water and walked the rest of the way with his nose pointing at his shoes. He’ll feel he hasn’t really gotten a fair shake at the Ryder Cup yet—he played just one foursomes match at Hazeltine as a 21-year-old before singles and once again didn’t get to play a fourball match at Whistling Straits. This marks his first Ryder Cup on home soil, and if the course is set up to be penal off the tee he could shine. At 29, he’s no longer a plucky upstart hoping to prove he belongs. He’s a major champion, a top player in the world, and it’s time for him to play like it in this competition.
15. Tyrrell Hatton (EUR)
Age: 31 Data Golf ranking: 10 Ryder Cup appearances: 2
Ryder Cup record: 2-4-1
Another of Donald’s men who has answered the call and elevated his game this year. He’s missed just one of his last 15 cuts and has five top-six finishes in that span. Had a losing record in both of his Ryder Cup appearances and has played three of his four non-singles matches alongside Paul Casey, who has since departed to LIV. He’s played hard courses very well on the PGA Tour but, for whatever reason, hasn’t really shown up in the majors in recent years, with his last top 10 in a major coming at the 2019 Open Championship. Finished runner-up at the Players Championship, however, and was second only to Ryan Fox in his last start at the BMW PGA Championship. Ranked 12th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained tee to green and seventh in strokes gained putting. Plays plenty of practice rounds with Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick, so they’d be natural partners, but we also saw Jon Rahm fist-pumping when he made his final birdie putt at Wentworth a few years ago. Making his third consecutive Ryder Cup appearance.
Mike Ehrmann. Getty Images.14. Justin Thomas (USA)
Age: 30 Data Golf ranking: 45 Ryder Cup appearances: 2
Ryder Cup record: 6-2-1
The most controversial pick in this cycle. ZJ trusted his pedigree and tenacity—two major championships, 15 PGA Tour wins, the world No. 1 ranking, an excellent record in Ryder Cups—over current form. Which, at the time of the pick, was pretty putrid. After making the Tour Championship seven straight years JT missed the playoffs entirely this year. It was a painful summer: he missed the cut at the Players, Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship; finished T60 or worse in the PGA Championship and the Players; shot 81 in a major championship twice and posted just two top-10 finishes against six missed cuts for the season. But he maintained that making this team was always his No. 1 goal and, with a little bit of practice, he’d navigate out of the depths and help his team in Rome. He’s done better recently, at least, with a T13 at the Wyndham Championship and a T5 in his tune-up start at the Fortinet Championship. He was the avatar of the dominant U.S. side in Wisconsin, slamming beers with Daniel Berger while sitting out Saturday afternoon and chirping about having to putt-out three footers. He lives for weeks like these, but if he performs poorly folks will point to his inclusion as evidence of a systemic problem. Such is life in the spotlight.
13. Max Homa (USA)
Age: 32 Data Golf ranking: 9 Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
One of three rookies on the U.S. side, though he’ll feel his Presidents Cup experience gave at least a taste of what to expect this week. He finally overcame his Major Championship Problem this year with a fine showing at the Open Championship and has posted top-13 finishes in each of his last six starts. Statistically he does everything above average and the Presidents Cup brought out a much more fiery side than we’re accustomed to seeing in normal Tour events. He’s the type to stop and smell the roses so this week will feel like a sweet checkpoint on a very winding professional golf journey. Plays plenty of practice rounds with Morikawa, his fellow Cal-Berkeley alum, and Homa recently signed with Morikawa’s agent, so the ties there are considerable. Selfishly excited to see if the European fans have thought up any creative chirps about his social media activity.
Luke Walker. Getty Images.12. Brian Harman (USA)
Age: 36 Data Golf ranking: 16 Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
The antidote to the Boys Club is playing so well they simply can’t keep you off the team. It’s exactly what Brian Harman’s done—a solid year became a great one with a dominant (and, admittedly, rather surprising) display at Hoylake. That major championship victory catapulted the 36-year-old up the world rankings, the points list, all that jazz, and here he is making his first Team USA appearance as a professional as a 36-year-old, the oldest American here in Rome. He was a helluva junior player and has some fun history in match play, including going Full Tilt on Rickie Fowler in an NCAA singles match. He also played in two Walker Cups and two Palmer Cups during his University of Georgia days, so head-to-head combat is nothing new for this big-game hunter. (Literally). He and Morikawa would be the only two Americans who you’d classify as accuracy-over-power players, the type who’d excel on a Le Golf National-type layout. Expect him to get more reps in foursomes than fourball; he keeps it in front of him and might have the best short game on the team, so he’ll be able to bail out when things inevitably go awry in alternate shot. Won’t get many headlines in the run-up but he won’t give you holes and could be a handful.
11. Patrick Cantlay (USA)
Age: 31 Data Golf ranking: 5 Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 3-0-1
Goes about his business quietly and hasn’t made a ton of noise in the majors, but he’s sneaky No. 5 in both the world rankings and Data Golf’s ranking. There’s a ton of top 20 finishes in there and he absolutely ate in the designated events this year: solo third at Riviera, T4 at Bay Hill, T9 at the match play, third at the RBC Heritage, second in Memphis and fifth at the Tour Championship. That’s how you earn over $10 million in a season with zero wins and your best finish in a major being a T9. He’s got a very strong record across two Presidents Cups and one Ryder Cup—a combined 9-3-1, and he’s done much of his winning alongside fellow SoCal buddy Xander Schauffele. There’s no reason for Zach Johnson to deviate from that strategy; they’re top of the 10 best players in the world, they love to play together and they’ve had success doing it. Pencil them in for Friday morning foursomes.
Warren Little. Getty Images.10. Shane Lowry (EUR)
Age: 36 Data Golf ranking: 39 Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 1-2-1
The JT pick was controversial on this side of the pond, but it’s Lowry’s that made most headlines on the other side. It stemmed from a pretty bleh stretch of golf —he didn’t post a top 10 in 15 consecutive starts from February until he was picked. The good news? He’s been sharp since getting the call, and you wonder if all the talk about whether he deserved it lit a fire under him. Took T3 at his national open in Ireland before a T18 at the PGA Championship. At 36, he’s the second-oldest player on the team but is playing in just his second Ryder Cup and first on European soil. This means the world to him and he’s been all-in on the process, in frequent conversation with captain Luke Donald and even losing a little weight to help him go all five matches if that’s what’s asked of him. Missed the FedEx Cup playoffs by a few spots and while he’s not one to sit on the driving range all day, he’s been hard at work practicing his way: by playing. Went absolutely bonkers after holing a par putt to win a fourball match with Tyrrell Hatton over Tony Finau and Harris English. He’s long been close with McIlroy—the two lost 4 and 3 to Finau/English on Friday afternoon—but he’s such an easygoing lad that any pairing should be no issue.
9. Brooks Koepka (USA)
Age: 33 Data Golf ranking: 50 Ryder Cup appearances: 3
Ryder Cup record: 6-5-1
The recent detente has overshadowed the fact that there’s a LIV golfer playing in this Ryder Cup, a scenario that looked highly unlikely when Jay Monahan was threatening lifetime bans from the professional golf ecosystem for defectors. He’s also basically been a lock since May, the result of finishing second in the first major of the year (where he admittedly blew the Masters) and winning the second one for his fifth major overall. He’s never been shy about admitting how much his focus ebbs and flows, and ever since the birth of his first son Crew—and the baby’s subsequent stay in the ICU—you get the sense golf has taken a back seat. His three most results on LIV since leave a ton to be desired: T38, T38 and T24. But again, no one has been able to flick the switch at the big events quite like Koepka has, and this one absolutely qualifies. He’s an “other-sport” guy who leans into the face-to-face combat nature of a week like this. The lone American who played in a tournament last week.
Ross Kinnaird. Getty Images.8. Ludvig Aberg (EUR)
Age: 23 Data Golf ranking: 33 Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
The starboy, as they say in European football. Only been a professional for three months and becomes the first player ever to play in a Ryder Cup before playing in his first major championship. The 23-year-old graduated Texas Tech, a good-not-historically-great golf program, in June after winning the PGA Tour University points race, which now comes with immediate promotion to the PGA Tour. Tall, well-built Swede wasted zero time proving he belongs with four top-25 finishes in his first seven starts. That, plus his extraordinary driving statistics, caught the attention of captain Luke Donald. Europe needed young players to emerge after the slaughter at Whistling Straits, and Aberg had shown he could hang with the best players in the states. But had he done enough to get the nod over someone more established? We’ll never know, for he wasn’t done yet; Aberg then flew across to play two DP World Tour events right before Donald made his picks: a T4 in Czech Republic and a victory in Switzerland removed any doubt. For good measure he took the 54-hole lead at the BMW PGA Championship only to struggle on Sunday, but a third-straight top 10 has him buzzing heading into an environment he’s never played in before. He is, by the advanced metrics, the best driver of the ball on the planet at the moment, as his strokes gained off the tee numbers since he turned pro are better even than Rory McIlroy’s. Rory loved what he saw during the team’s scouting trip to Marco Simone: “He probably exceeded my expectations,” McIlroy said. “Everyone talks about what a great driver of the ball Ludvig is—and he is. Ball-striking is incredible. But I was really impressed with his wedge play…I was on the bandwagon before. I’m at the front of it now.” The question is whether Donald opts to throw him right into the fire with Friday morning foursomes. It looks like an all-Nordic pairing of Aberg/Hovland could well be in the cards, as the two can converse in their native languages (Norwegian and Swedish are very similar) and the two teamed to win a best-ball match against McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood on that scouting trip. He has not blinked at all in his brief professional career but this is a stage unlike any other; it makes major champions’ hands shake. What will it do to a 23-year-old, albeit a very impressive one, who’s never played in an event bigger than the Arnold Palmer Invitational?
7. Collin Morikawa (USA)
Age: 26 Data Golf ranking: 8 Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 3-0-1
For a minute there he looked in danger of missing the team, which would’ve been hard to imagine given where he stood after the 2021 Ryder Cup: a 24-year-old two-time major winner coming off a 3-0-1 Ryder Cup debut. Still has not won anywhere since the 2021 Open Championship but his ball striking is showing signs of returning to that 2020-21 level—yes, he was second in strokes gained approach, but being 18th in strokes gained off the tee while finishing 138th in driving distance shows just how much control he has over his ball. That’s a huge luxury in match play, especially in foursomes. The advanced metrics have him inside the top 10 in the world and are much higher on him than the OWGR (he’s No. 18), which might disproportionately reward super-high finishes. He relishes wearind the red, white and blue and, like Scheffler and Cantlay and Schauffele, does not have the scar tissue of losing a bunch of these Ryder Cups. Cut from the Tiger cloth a bit in that he’ll tee off and then not look at his opponent once throughout the entire match.
David Cannon. Getty Images.6. Tommy Fleetwood (EUR)
Age: 32 Data Golf ranking: 7 Ryder Cup appearances: 2
Ryder Cup record: 4-2-2
Co-starred in the Moliwood powerhouse that dominated the 2018 matches at Le Golf National. Failed to win any of his three matches at Whistling Straits but he wasn’t playing the type of golf he is now. A well-rounded approach—he finished 41st or better in all five key strokes gained statistics on the PGA Tour this past season—led to his best and most consistent year as a pro, even if he failed (only just) to finally get that first victory on U.S. soil. His last nine starts have yielded seven top-10 finishes including at the U.S. Open, where he shot his second final-round 63, and the Open Championship. He’s squarely in his prime and playing the best he has in his entire career. Played both his team matches alongside VIktor Hovland in 2021 after playing all four of his (all victories) with Francesco Molinari in 2018. Odds are he’ll play with a third partner in his third Ryder Cup, perhaps one of his fellow Englishmen in Matt FItzpatrick or Tyrrell Hatton.
5. Scottie Scheffler (USA)
Age: 27 Data Golf ranking: 3 Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 2-0-1
He was the last man in to the Ryder Cup team two years ago and largely credits that week with his rapid rise to stardom. Captain Steve Stricker put a ton of confidence into the Texan by sending him out first in singles against then-No. 1 in the world Jon Rahm; Scheffler outplayed him, set the tone for a beatdown and proved to himself he’s as good as anyone on the planet. Two years later he enters as the world’s top-ranked player, though Data Golf puts two Europeans above him in McIlroy and Hovland. Enjoyed a generationally good ball striking year—like, prime-Tiger-level great, and his peers talk about his concistency with amazement—but at times looked tortured on the greens. He’s been hard at work at it and has toyed around with a few different putters but nothing has clicked just yet; it’s why there’s some level of concern for this week, where make-or-miss scenarios are far more acute than they might be over 72 holes. Still, he’s an absolute horse tee-to-green and almost impossible to leave on the bench in any format.
Brian Lawless - PA Images. Getty Images.4. Rory McIlroy (EUR)
Age: 34 Data Golf ranking: 1 Ryder Cup appearances: 6
Ryder Cup record: 12-12-4
Broke down in tears after winning his singles match at Whistling Straits. It was a revealing interview, both in terms of how much he cares and how emotional that week was for him. He was awful over the first two days; so much so that Padraig Harrington opted to sit him for a session—it was just the second time in his six Ryder Cup appearances that he hasn’t gone all five. He’s the leader of this team, a role he’s welcomed in recent years as the gray hairs have started to creep in. It’s crazy to think LIV wasn’t much of a discussion two years ago, and McIlroy will feel like he’s aged a decade in the two years since. Golf wise, he showed very well in the final three majors of the year, won another National Open and has been a top 10 machine recently; a streak of 10 straight top-10s came to an ugly finish at the Horizon Irish Open, where he held the lead on Sunday before rinsing two wedge shots and shooting a billion. The wedge play is something of a concern, but his approach numbers were excellent at Wentworth and surely that discipline will dominate his practice. There’s nothing he hasn’t experienced in this game, so he’ll be a big resource for the younger guys and the heart and soul of this team.
3. Xander Schauffele (USA)
Age: 29 Data Golf ranking: 4 Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 3-1-0
Been a while since a vicotry but he’s a constant presence on big-time leaderboards and hardly ever has a stinker week. He’s 5-2 across in two-man matches across two Presidents Cups and a Ryder Cup, and six of those seven he’s gone to battle alongside Patrick Cantlay. Expect that partnership to continue. Began the year with a WD in Hawaii but gained ground with his approach play in each of his 20 subsequent starts in 2023 and he’s about as dependable as a golfer can be. A good candidate to go all five, and I see no reason for Johnson to split up the Xantlay (just made that up) pairing unless they lose a few in a row. Blessed us all with memes during Team USA’s celebrations in Wisconsin so we can expect the vino to be flowing should the Americans get the W.
2. Jon Rahm (EUR)
Age: 28 Data Golf ranking: 6 Ryder Cup appearances: 2
Ryder Cup record: 4-3-1
Admitted he played too much in the immediate aftermath of his Masters win and that it affected his energy levels and play. Still some excellent results in a “down” period, if you can even call it that: a runner-up finish in the final major of the year (albeit a very distant second behind Brian Harman), a top-10 at the U.S. Open and, most recently, a solo fourth at Wentworth. He paired beautifully with childhood hero Sergio Garcia at Whistling Straits, winning all three of their matches while paired together, before he ran into Scottie Scheffler’s buzzsaw in the first singles tie of the morning. In his third Ryder Cup he’ll take on more of a leadership role; obviously, his play speaks for itself, but he’s also emerged as a respected and unbiased voice in the game amid all the recent turbulence. He’ll likely go all five again, and Rahm playing at his early-2023 level would go a long way toward Europe regaining the cup.
Ben Jared. Getty Images.1. Viktor Hovland (EUR)
Age: 26 Data Golf ranking: 2 Ryder Cups: 1
Ryder Cup record: 0-3-2
Played all five sessions at Whistling Straits but failed to win a match (0-3-2, including a highly entertaining singles tie with Collin Morikawa) but he’s leveled up as a player since. Back then there was still a glaring weakness in his game—his chipping—but, with a better understanding of physics (with the help of his coach, Joseph Mayo) and plenty of hard work he’s turned it into a borderline strength. Finished inside the top 20 in all four major championships this year and took third at the Players; he’s so consistent tee-to-green that he seems to always find his way to the first page of leaderboards on the most demanding setups. Put up the sternest fight against Brooks Koepka before a fairway bunker ended his chances at the PGA Championship. Kept playing well all year long, picking up the biggest win of his career thus far at the Memorial and then winning the FedEx Cup with robot-like ball striking. Data Golf pegs him as the world’s second best player and the eye test backs it up. Aberg would seem the natural partner, but he’s also close with Fitzpatrick. Any of the other 11 would sign up to play with him in a heartbeat.
Prediction
Europe just has the mojo, don’t they?! The two teams have differed in their prep for this week: all 12 Europeans played two weeks ago at the BMW PGA Championship, all 12 made the cut and 9 finished in the top 18. The U.S., apart from Brooks Kopeka, Justin Thomas and Max Homa, haven’t played a competitive round in over a month. The Americans certainly have a depth advantage and are stronger 1-12, but look for Donald to lean on his top 9 heavily. Europe builds an early lead in foursomes, a format they’ve dominated, the fans get into it early, Hovland wins all five of his matches and Europe wins the Cup back. 15-13.