Ryder Cup Express & Star 27th September 2023

Ryder Cup talking points

EUROPE have revengeverymuchintheir sights after their humbling19-9 defeatatWhistlingStraits twoyearsago,but howisthe 43rdRyder Cupat Rome’s MarcoSimone Golf and CountryClub likely to panout

Here, PhilCasey assesses the tippingpointsthat could make or breaktheir chances

Will home advantage provecrucial once more?

Sevenofthe past eightcontests have been wonby the home side,the exception beingthe ‘Miracleat Medinah’in2012, whereEuroperecovered from 10-4 down to pull off aremarkable victory.

Nine of the US team made arecentscouting trip to MarcoSimone as theybid to secureafirstwin on European soil since 1993, butmanyofthe European side have contestedthe Italian Open at the venueoverthe past three years, with Robert MacIntyre(2022) and Nicolai Hojgaard (2021) winningthe title

Can wild cards justifytheir picks?

Both captainsopted to have six wild cardsattheir disposaland therewas inevitably controversyas

KEY STATISTICS

OVERALL RESULTS

PREVIOUS 10 RESULTS

Zach Johnson selected an out-of-formJustin Thomas and Luke Donald left outAdrianMeronk, despite his Italian Open wininMay Thomas,inparticular,will be under scrutiny after beingselectedahead of the likes of Keegan Bradley, LucasGloverand Cameron Young, although he boasts astrongrecordinteam competitions and wasfifth on his mostrecentPGA Tour start.

Will Ludvig Abergliveuptohis billing?

Swedish hotshot Aberghas made the fastest transition ever from amateur golf to the Ryder Cupafter onlyturningprofessional in June,the 23-year-old winningthe final qualifyingeventin Switzerland and beingselectedbyDonald hours later

He alsoled the BMWPGA Championship after 54 holes,but struggledto aclosing 76, aresult which could be ablessingindisguiseifitcoolsthe hype surroundingthe supremely talented Swede.

What impactwill thelackofLIV players have? Brooks Koepkaisthe only memberofthe

Saudi-fundedbreakaway in Rome,the five-time major winner gettingawild card after droppingout of the automatic qualifyingplaces after the final event.

Dustin Johnson –who wonall fiveofhis matches in 2021– and Bryson DeChambeau could arguably have strengthenedthe US side,but the likes of Ian Poulter,Sergio Garcia and LeeWestwoodhave shown precious little to suggest theywould have come closetoqualifyingfor the European team.

Will Europe’sbig guns fire?

Europe canboast three of the world’s top-four players and2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrickisalsointhe top 10, butthat is no guaranteeofsuccess. Fitzpatrick haslostall fiveof his matches to date,while Viktor Hovlandhalved twoand lost three at WhistlingStraits,whereonly JonRahm,Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton wonmore than asingle point.

Rory McIlroy’slasttwo Ryder Cups have yielded threepointsfromeight matches andLukeDonald will need morefromhis star names if Europe areto regain the trophy.

Europe’s revenge mission

Heartbreak ‘could reigniteEurope’

Pain of defeat still lingers as Donald’sside seek revenge

by Phil Casey

ACCORDINGtocaptain Luke Donald, the humbling19-9 defeatatWhistling Straits in 2021 will not be a“focus”as Europe bid to regain the Ryder Cupin Rome.

Yetlisten to anyofthe players on the receivingend of that recordreversein

Wisconsin who arepartofDonald’s teamand adifferentstory emerges.

Shane Lowryrevealedthe idea for January’sHeroCup –effectively revivingthe Seve Trophy– wasformed on the plane journeyhome as Europe’s players realised moreteammatch-play experience would be beneficial.

Lowryalsoconcurredwith Tommy Fleetwood’s assessmentthat the nature of the defeatmeantthe players had formeda special bond and determination to regain the trophyas theystoodand watched the United States celebratingtheir recordtriumph

And Rory McIlroy, who wasreduced to tearsafter winninghis only pointof the weekinthe singles against Xander Schauffele following three heavy defeats,admittedhis ownperformance and the scoreline still “stung”

So whether Donald taps into those emotions or not,several members of his team have plenty of motivation to ensure their side regain the trophyand preventthe USAfromwinningon European soil for the firsttime since 1993.

Sevenofthe past eightcontests have beenwon by the home side,with the exception being2021’s‘Miracleat Medinah’when Europe staged a remarkable recovery from 10-4 down to

triumph in Chicago. Donald knows all aboutthat unlikely victoryafter playing akey –and often overlooked –partinit by partneringSergio Garcia to victory over Tiger Woodsand SteveStrickerin the Saturdayafternoon fourballs

WhileIan Poulter’s fivestraight birdies that propelledhim and McIlroy to victoryinthe final match tend to dominatethe headlines,Donald’s stunningapproachtothe par-three 17th after Woodshad alreadyhit it closewas vital in closingout anarrow winwhich,asPoulter putit, meant Europe suddenly “had apulse” .

Poulter,Garcia and fellowRyder Cup veteran LeeWestwoodare ineligible for this year’s contestafter givingup their membership of the DP World Tour amid the fallout from joiningthe Saudi-fundedLIV Golf League, butthe trio have done little to suggest they

would havequalified. And while Jon Rahm hasmade it clear on several occasions that he wanted to renew his successful partnership with Garcia,the likes of McIlroyand Lowryhave welcomedsomething of achangingof the guardinthe European ranks

Half of Donald’s side areunder the ageof30and Justin Rose is comfortably the oldestat43, with FedExCup winner Viktor Hovlandonly 25 and apossible long-termpartner for 23-year-old SwedeLudvig Aberg.

Abergwas hailedasa “generational” talentwhen selectedbyDonald in the aftermathofhis victoryinthe final qualifyingeventinSwitzerland, just his ninth startasaprofessional. Afortnightlater Abergalsoheld a two-shot lead after 54 holes of the BMWPGA Championship at Wentworthbeforestrugglingtoa

closing76, somethingwhich could proveablessing in disguiseifitreins in some of the hype surroundingthe former world number one amateur

As for the USA, theyhavebeenhit harder by the lossofLIV players, with only US PGAChampionship winner Brooks Koepkaselectedafter dropping outofthe automatic qualifyingplaces at the lastminute

Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau could arguably have strengthenedZach Johnson’sside but it canstill boastsix of the world’s top-10 players andthree of this year’s major winners in Koepka,Wyndham Clarkand Brian Harman.

Thevisitors remain favourites to end their longdrought on European soil butthe odds have narrowed in recent months and afirsttruly closecontest since Medinah could be on the cards.

McIlroy buoyedbyhome hopes after BMW success

EUROPE’S hopes were given ahuge boostafter an “awesome” week in the BMW PGA Championship,says Rory McIlroy

All 12 members of LukeDonald’s team made the cut at Wentworth and sevenfinished in the top10, with Tyrrell Hatton arunner-up,Jon Rahm fourth, Viktor Hovland fifth and TommyFleetwood sixth.

McIlroy,the 2014 champion, carded closing rounds of 67 and 65 to climb intoatie forseventh and said. “The team’sbeen shaping up really well forthe pastcouple of months, everyone’sbeen in pretty good form.

“I’m sureifyou askall the boys theywill saythe same.Theyare all justsoexcited to get to Rome and get going.

“Wealso had areallygood day on the course in Rome,which bodes well forus.”

HowGarcia tried to force his

way in Cup reckoning

ONE OF Europe’smostsuccessful players, Sergio Garcia, is reported to have attempted topay£700,000 in fines to the DP World Tour in order to regain his eligibility forthis year’s competition.

TheDPWorld Tour declined Garcia’soffer,saying he would have to wait until the next eventat Bethpage Black, NewYork in two years’ time.“It was explained that, despitethe ongoing peacetalks, as he had resigned his membership,he is not eligible to join until next year,” said asource.“It wasall abit bizarre as that wasmade clear allalong.”

Lewis bemused at ‘missed chance’ to promote cups

US Solheim Cup skipper StacyLewis hit out at the golfing authorities for a“missed opportunity” by not doing moretobetter connect the Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup

Thetwo eventsare being played oversuccessiveweeks forthe first time.Asked whether the twoevents should be marketed together,Lewis said: “1,000 per cent, yes. Ithought this could have been marketed together as twoweeks in Europe, twocups forplay.”

JonRahm celebratesgetting abirdie at Whistling Straits,but Europe ultimatelylost–thatanguish is still there.

IN THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP AND BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

HAS AN AWFUL RECORD IN THE RYDER CUP.LOST BOTH MATCHES AT HAZELTINE.ALSO LOST ALL THREE AT WHISTLING STRAITS

STRAKA WON HIS SECOND PGATOUR TITLE IN JULYAND WASTHEN TIED FORSECOND IN THE OPEN

FORMER US OPEN CHAMPION WAS OVERLOOKED IN 2021.ENDED A FOUR-YEAR DROUGHT ON PGATOUR AT AT&TPEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM.

WON THE FIRST QUALIFYING EVENT,BUT REQUIRED AWILD CARD PICK AFTER RECORDING JUST ONE TOP-10 FINISH

WON THE FIRST ITALIAN OPEN AT MARCO SIMONE IN 2021 ANDWAS FIFTH IN THE SAME EVENT THIS YEAR

FORMER WORLD NO 1 AMATEUR WHO ONLYTURNED PRO IN JUNE WON THE FINAL QUALIFYING EVENT IN SWITZERLAND.

Rose

Age: 43 |Ryder Cup win %: 60.87

Shane Lowry

Age: 36 |Ryder Cup win %: 33.33

Nicolai Hojgaard

Age: 22 |Ryder CupDebut

Ludvig Aberg

Age: 23 |Ryder Cup Debut

Lowry vows to silence the critics

by StevePieters

SHANE LOWRYwill feel he hassomething of a pointtoprove as he embarksonhis first Ryder Cup tournamentonEuropeansoil.

ThegenialIrishman cameinfor some unexpectedcriticism whenhewas chosen aheadof Poland’sAdrian Meronk as oneof skipper Luke Donald’swild cards.

Lowryanswered thesnipers by finishing a respectable third in theIrish Open andwas able to “shut afew people up”inthe process.

Richard Bland, theformer British Master winner,was among thosewho thought Meronk’s consistentform –including May’s Italian Open victoryat theRyderCup venue –meant he “deserves apick over an out-ofform Lowry”.

“Thatdidn’t sit very well with me to be honest,”saidLowry,who made his Ryder Cup bowinthe 19-9 defeat to theUSat Whistling Straits.“Ifeellike, yes, my resultshavenot beenamazing this year, but Ifeelifyou purelygo down to statisticsand go down the12bestplayers in Europe,I’m oneof them. If my [Irish Open performance]shut afew people up,sobeit, but I wasn’t trying to do that.

“I know Ideserve to be on that team andIknow I’ll be good in Rome and I’mveryexcited for it.”

Lowry, who hasthree top-20 results finishes this year,believes Europe have much to look forwardtowith some hugelytalented players coming through.

“I feel like this is almostthe next generation for European golf andit’sveryexciting to see guys like Nicolai (Hojgaard)and Ludvig (Aberg) on theteamand Viktor (Hovland),” addedLowry,inset. “I think Europeangolfis better than what people have been talking about overthe last couple of years.”

Lowryhad looked well placed to retain his BMAPGA title at Wentworth earlierthis month, but aquadruple-bogey nineonthe 17th ledtoa final-round71and atie for 18th place.The 36-year-old will hope that is notan omen as he prepares to take to themanicured fairways of theMarcoSimeone course..

by Dom Picksley

WHENitcomes to theRyderCup,Europe captain Luke Donald is awinner.

As aplayer,the 44-year-old Englishman never hadthe lingering taste of defeat to chew over in thebiennial tournament, never experienced theheartache of being beaten in oneof sport’s most fiercely-contested competitions –and he will be looking to transfer that winning formula to thedozen stars gunning to wrestle thefamous trophy backfrom theUnitedStates, who unceremoniouslyripped it from Europe’s grasp twoyears agoat Whistling Straits.

In four appearances for Team Europe–2004, 2006, 2010 and2012 –Donald was on thewinning side on all four occasions, playing 15 matches andcollecting an impressive10.5 points

Andafter being thrust into theskipper’s hotseatafter LIVrebel Henrik Stenson was giventhe boot, Donald knowsthe pressure is on him to lead theboysinbluetovictoryand reclaim thebraggingrights from the vociferous Americans.“Ifeelextremely privilegedtohavebeengiven that

Swede dreams aremade of this...

‘Incredible’ Aberghopes to repayDonald’sfaithafter surprise wild cardselection

by Chris Wiltshire

FEWseasonedgolfwatchers will have heardofLudvig Abergbeforeteam captain LukeDonald announcedhim as one of his wild card picks for Europe’s Ryder Cupside

The23-year-old Swedeonlyturned professional in June this year,and his biggestwin to date wasthe Omega European Masters, whichheachieved with afinal round of 64 earlier this month,edgingout fellowSwede

Alexander Bjorkbytwo strokes

ButDonald knows agem when he seesone,and CupveteranRory

McIlroyhas beenexcited byhis new team-mate’spotential, callinghis ball-striking abilities“incredible”.

Theonlyother playertomakethe Ryder Cup team after turningproin the same year wasSergio Garcia –one of the Ryder Cupgreatswith atotal of 28.5 points

Whether Aberg can followinthe Spaniard’sfootsteps will depend on whether he will thriveorbeconsumed by the suffocatingpressure.

“I would sayI’m averycalm person. Idon’t gettoo high,not too

low,”Aberg said. “I liketosee myself as very nice,considerate. Iwanttotreat people the wayIwanttobetreated, and Ithink that’s very important.

“I liketokeepmyfeetwheretheyare and not get too caughtupinthe moment. So Iliketoview myself as a nice person. ButIguess it’s up to other people to do that.”

McIlroywas given an early taste of Aberg’stemperamentand undoubted talentatapractice dayatthe Ryder Cupvenue,the MarcoSimone Golf & CountryClub in Rome

Theworld number twoand four-time major winner said he had beenexcitedto play alongside him

“There’safew new faces on the team and Ithoughtitwas agreat exercisein termsofgettingtoknowone another a little bit better,” said McIlroy, who teamedup with TommyFleetwoodbut lost3&2 to Abergand Viktor Hovland.

“I hadan opportunity to playwith Ludvigfor the firsttime,which Iwas excitedabout.I told him I’ve been lookingforward to this for awhile.”

Asked if Aberghad lived up to his expectations,Mcllroy added: “Probably exceeded them.Everyone talksabout what agreat driver of the golfball he is,

which he is.The ball-strikingis incredible.But Iwas really impressed with his wedge playand howhecan control his trajectorywithshorter clubs.Iwas on the bandwagon before and I’mcertainly at the frontofitnow.”

Aberg, who admittedhestill hasto pinch himself at creatingrelationships with players he grew up watching on TV,will gethis firsttaste of European team competition in the run-up to the Ryder Cup.

“Mycaddie, Jack, his fiancee Madelene Sagstrom is playingthe Solheim Cupsowe’re goingtobethere afew days and root forthe Europeans and then trytodosome practice as well,”hesaid.

Donald, whoseother wild cardsare Fleetwood, Sepp Straka,JustinRose, Shane Lowryand Nicolai Hojgaard,is convincedAbergwillflourish over the threedays.

“I played with him in Detroit and

Stand-in Donald sets his sights on keeping unbeatenrecordintact

responsibility anditisaresponsibility Ido nottakelightly,”hesaid. “Itistruly oneof thegreatesthonours that can be bestowed upon agolfer.

“Someof my best experiencesingolfhave been in theRyder Cup andIwould notswap thosefor anything.Itisanevent like no other andIcannot wait to createmore special memoriesinItaly.”

With thecaptain’sjacketalsocomes close scrutinyand this was in evidence when he cameinfor criticism aftermaking his six wild cardpicks, with some of his choices dividing opinion betweengolf fans and experts –nonemore so with theomission of in-form Polandace Adrian Meronk, who made his feelingsknownonthe matter

“It’sbeenanemotional timefor me,from shocktosadnesstoanger,”raged Meronk, who wonthe Italian Open in May, on the Ryder Cup course. “It’sa hard onetoswallow.”

Criticssuggestedheshould have been givenShane Lowry’splace on in theteam, althoughDonald defendedhis selection of the2019 Open champion.

“Golf-wise, he’s proven himself at many big occasions…and we sawsomeofthatat Whistling Straits,” said Donald.

“Part of theprocess of having six picks, some of them you have to pick just knowing that they’vebeenthere before. Knowing that they’vebeeninthose occasions andbeen able to handle them. Shanecertainlyfits into that category.”

wasblown away by his game.Hewas a coolnine under through 16 holes like it wasnothing. He made everything look very simple and he hits alot of quality shots,” he said.

“When Rory wasbreakingout I thought‘this kid is special’and Ludvig fits in that.

“I really do have alot of faith and belief in him.Heisa generational player, he’s goingtobearound along time and he’s goingtodoamazing things.Ifhewasn’t goingtoplaythis one he wasgoing to play the nexteight Ryder Cups,that’s howgood Ithink he is

“I am happytohavefourrookies on the team.In2004 Iwas one of fiveand we did just fine.Theseyoung kidsare ready and fearless.”

If Donald’s hunch is correct,Aberg could rattle America’sall-star cast… and putEuropeonthe fairwayto heaven.

LukeDonald has had to maketough decisions.

Sweden’sLudvig Abergonlyturned professional in June of this year

Nervous?I couldn’t even feel my arms!

by Chris Roberts

EUROPE beware!World No.1 and US

talisman Scottie Scheffler is aman on a Ryder Cup mission.

Havingbeena captain’spickin2021 and completeda highly successful Ryder CupdebutatWhistlingStraits as the Americans blastedtheir way to a 19-9 victory, the 27-year-old hasgone from strength to strength

Just two years later,Scheffler wasthe firstautomatic qualifier for the 2023 Ryder Cupteamasthe US look to securewin number 28 to Europe’s 14 –and it’s easytosee why.

TheNew Jersey nativeheads toItaly havingwon six times on the PGATour, includingthe Players Championship and the WM Phoenix Open this year He alsoleads the Tour with a phenomenal 68.629 scoringaverage aftersecuring17top-10 finishes

Even with that incredible record under his belt,Scheffler admits to beingnervousahead of facingthe old golfingfoe –asthe world’s top player he’s fully awareofthe high expectation of anation on his broad shoulders –buthealsobelieves it’ll bringthe best outofhim

“I can’t wait to getout there!” said Scheffler,who announced his arrival on the Ryder Cupscene twoyearsago by notchingupa 2-0-1, includingan emphatic 4-and-3 singles victoryover JonRahm.“ButIalsoknowit’sgoing to be aprettynerve-wracking experience.Weall have the first-tee jitters in the majortournaments,but I

Johnson: I’m flattered to be chosen

by Dom Picksley

ZACH JOHNSON admittedhewas shockedat being named captain of TeamUSA as heeyes asuccessful defence of theRyderCup over the coming days.

Theformer Masters andOpenChampionship winner,inset, has enjoyeda glittering playing career, but evenashenears thehalf-century in years,thoughts of leading theAmericans in theprestigious eventneverreallyentered his mind.

“I always haddreams of playing professional sports,specificallythePGA Tour, but no,my dreams never gotthis far,” said Johnson –who playedinfiveRyder Cups, losing four –asheexplained how he was given thenews of his appointment.

“Loand behold Iget on this Zoom.You’ve gotthepresident, thevice president, Seth Waugh anda couple other individuals and some of mypeers.

would saythat the Ryder Cupisthe mostpressure I’ve ever felt as agolfer

“When Isteppeduponthe firsttee in the firstmatch in 2021, Iliterally could not feel my arms.I’vebeenreally nervousbefore, and Irememberhow bad I’ve felt at the Mastersinthe past, butIcould still feel my arms

“But when you step back and think aboutit, Isuppose it’s alwaysgoingto be that way. You’renot just playingas an individual, you knowyou need to play well for the team and not let your team-mates down.Then, on top of that, you have to rememberyou’re representingyournation, and it really doesn’t get much bigger than that.

“I’vealwayskind of hadthatfaith and confidence in myselfasaplayer My Ryder Cupwin over Rahm may have changedsome people’s

perception of me –but it doesn’t change too much for me

“I knowwhen Itee-off against the Europeans I’ll be fully focused on gettingthe job done.Iexpecttowin, and Iexpectthe team to win.”

Scheffler’s team-mates will certainly be expectinghim to setthe leading example.Not surprisingly, as the world’s current best playerhe’s recognised throughout the game as an extraordinarytalentwhoseprecision ball-striking hasenabledhim to become one of the mostconsistent players of all time

Since makinghis Ryder Cupdebut, he’s maturedbeyond his yearsand possessesanuncannyability to know when to stay level-headedand when to let his competitivenessshow.

He admits his Ryder Cupexperience

hasplayeda keyrole in that process.

“The experience Ihad at the Ryder Cuptwo yearsago in Wisconsin is somethingIwill never forget, and somethingIcan’t wait to replicatein Italy,”addedScheffler

“Yes,itwill be tough,but we’vegot an amazingleader in Zach Johnson and atop-quality team “I knowhow much my game has developed as aresult of the whole Ryder Cupexperience.It’smademea better and moreroundedplayer.

“You knowthat to be on the winning side you’regoingtohavetoplayto yourverymax –and that should bring the very best outofevery playerwho’s lucky to be apartofsuchamassive event. If you can’t raiseyourgame for aRyder Cup, Idon’t think you’ll ever raiseyourgame.”

“Basically, they werejust like,‘We’re gonnacut right to thechase and ask you to bethe next Ryder Cup captain’.It’soneof thosesurreal momentsthatyou have.”

He will alsobethe youngestUScaptain since TomLehmann’sstintin2006.

“I have all theemotions running through me,” Johnsonadded. “Honour,pure honour comestomindmorethananything.

“Just knowing that Ican lead this great team andrepresentmycountry,again, is flattering.”

Likehis counterpart Luke Donald, Johnson hascomeunder fire for oneof his wild card picks, with Justin Thomas’sselection being heavilycriticised

But afive-timeRyderCup-winning legend hascometoJohnson’sdefence,claiming the skipper was right to pick the30-year-old.

“Mostofthe time, your No.12 guy is weak,” said LeeTrevino.

“I know that Justin hasn’t beenplaying very well but he’s notaweakplayer.”

HowScheffler controlled his emotions to crush Europe

Scottie Scheffler will be better for theexperience of his first Ryder Cup twoyears agowhenheled by example.

USAcan end their European hoodoo

by Jamie Barwick

NOT since 1993 have Team USA prevailedinthe Ryder Cupon European soil, butcaptain Zach Johnson hasput together aside that looks primedto end their away-dayblues when the two sides do battle in the Eternal City.

Thepicturesque MarcoSimone Golf Club is the venuefor the 44th edition of the famous golf tournamentasItaly hosts the eventfor the firsttime,with Team Europe hopingtoexercisetheir demons after a19-9 thrashingat

WhistlingStraits twoyearsago

That defeatwould have stunga transitioningEuropeside and it marked the biggest margin of defeatdatingbackto1975.

Beingonhome turf ,though, will givethem an advantage,but the winds of change have blown through their ranks with the likes of Sergio Garcia,Ian Poulter,Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Paul Casey outofthe picture.

They leave huge shoes to fill, with anew crop of golfingtalent hopingtoleave their mark on one of the biggest golfingstagesofall.

That fresh impetuswill be spearheadedbywild card pick LudvigAberg who,atjust23, will be makinghis debutinthe event havingmadethe quickest transition from the amateur ranks to the Ryder Cupinthe contest’s history– eclipsingthe previous recordset by Garcia,who made his debutin1999 after turningpro following April’sMasters.

Aberghas been selectedalong with TommyFleetwood,Sepp Straka,Shane Lowry, JustinRose

OVERALL

BETTING GUIDE

WINNER

USA21-20 Europe 5-4 Draw 12-1

TOPEUROPEAN POINTSSCORER

Jon Rahm 5-1 Rory McIlroy 5-1 Viktor Hovland 6-1 TommyFleetwood 7-1 Tyrrell Hatton 8-1 Matt Fitzpatrick 9-1

Hojgaard25-1

MacIntyre40-1

TOPUSA POINTSSCORER

and Nicolai Hojgaard,with Poland’sAdrianMeronk missing out, despite winningthe Italian Open at the host venueinMay

Thesix wild cardsjoin automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, JonRahm,Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyreinLukeDonald’s team Team USAare littered with top talentincludingthree of the four major winnersthis summer and arethe 21-20 favourites,with atie quotedat12-1.

Automatic picks includedworld No.1 Scottie Scheffler,USOpen champion Wyndham Clarkand TheOpenwinner BrianHarman.

PatrickCantlay,Xander

Schauffele and MaxHomaalso made it outright, with Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas,Sam

Burns,Collin Morikawa,Jordan

Spieth and Rickie Fowler making up the rest of the pack.

Morikawa,Cantlay,Scheffler and Schauffele were superbin victorytwo years agoand they will be hopingfor arepeat performance,but the arrivalof LIV Golf on the scene hashad an impact on both sides

Koepkaslippedout of the automatic qualifyingplaces in the final event, havingfinished second in the Masters and won the US PGAChampionship at Oak Hill, butthereisnoplace for he likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau andPatrick Reed, which means the visitors are arguably weaker than in 2021.

“A five-time majorchampion, he is built in my mind for the biggestofstagesand there’sno

bigger stagethanthe Ryder Cup,” Johnson saidafter awardinghim awild card pick.

Such is their depth of quality, theyare still able to field10 of the world’s top-20 golfers and the bulk of the side that romped to victoryin2021 remains intact and it is hard to look past them

Historyisverymuchstacked againstTeamUSA –fiveofthis year’s team weren’t born when their nation lastliftedthe trophy this side of the pond –but aside packedfull of world-classstars should ensuretheyreign in the Italian capital at 21-20 butbya closer margin than 2021.

Scottie Scheffler 5-1 Patrick Cantlay6-1 Xander Schauffele 7-1 Collin Morikawa 17-2

Koepka9-1

Sam Burns 18-1

Wyndham Clark 18-1

Brian Harman 30-1

OVERALL TOPPOINTSSCORER

Scottie Scheffler 17-2

Rory McIlroy 9-1

Patrick Cantlay12-1

Jon Rahm 12-1

Viktor Hovland 12-1

Xander Schauffele 14-1

Collin Morikawa 16-1

Brooks Koepka16-1

TommyFleetwood 16-1

Jordan Spieth 20-1

Tyrrell Hatton 20-1

Max Homa 20-1

Matt Fitzpatrick 22-1

Justin Thomas 22-1

Rickie Fowler 25-1

Justin Rose 33-1

Sam Burns 33-1

Wyndham Clark 33-1

Ludvig Aberg28-1

Shane Lowry 40-1

Nicolai Hojgaard50-1

Sepp Straka 66-1

Brian Harman 66-1

Robert MacIntyre80-1

OVERALL TOPWILDCARD SCORER

TommyFleetwood 11-2

Brooks Koepka6-1

Collin Morikawa 15-2

Ludvig Aberg15-2

Justin Thomas 9-1

Jordan Spieth 9-1

Justin Rose 10-1

Rickie Fowler 12-1

Shane Lowry 18-1

Sam Burns 22-1

Sepp Straka 28-1

Nicolai Hojgaard30-1

OVERALL TOPROOKIE SCORER

Max Horna 7-2

Ludvig Aberg7-2

Sam Burns 5-1

Wyndham Clark 5-1

Sepp Straka 8-1

Nicolai Hojgaard8-1

Robert MacIntyre11-1

Brian Harman 12-1

OVERALL TOPEUROPEAN ROOKIE

Ludvig Aberg15-8

Nicolai Hojgaard3-1

Sepp Straka 10-3 Robert MacIntyre4-1

OVERALL TOPUSA ROOKIE

Max Homa 7-4 Sam Burns 11-4 Wyndham Clark 3-1 Brian Harman 9-2

Team USA’sPatrick Cantlaywill have acrucial role to play.

Johnson has assembled aformidable side to beat atransitioning Europe