Europe inches closer to winning 2023 Ryder Cup, but U.S. wins Saturday fourballs session to maintain glimmer of hope

Europe inches closer to winning 2023 Ryder Cup, but U.S. wins Saturday fourballs session to maintain glimmer of hope

ROME – For the first time at the 44th Ryder Cup, the U.S. won a session at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

After winning the Saturday afternoon fourballs 3-1, the U.S. trails 10 ½ to 5 ½ and will need to erase the largest deficit in Ryder Cup history if it is going to retain the Cup.

But we’re saying there’s a chance, especially after Patrick Cantlay birdied the final two holes, including a 30-foot birdie putt at 18, to flip his match.

“Hopefully have a ray of light and we can build on this session and try and pull off a big victory tomorrow,” Cantlay said.

Two years ago, the U.S. led 11-5 at Whistling Straits before cruising to a 19-9 victory. No team has rallied from more than a 10-6 deficit, but the U.S. only needs to reach 14 points to retain the Cup. In both 1999 and 2012, the winning side earned 8 ½ points in Sunday singles.

The U.S. showed some life winning the first two matches, but the Euros bounced back to win the third match and inch closer to extending the U.S. losing streak on European soil, which dates to 1993. It looked as if it would be a split of the session. That is until Cantlay’s heroics.

“Feels like we have momentum and we go kind of into the locker room laughing a little bit which just feels good,” Max Homa said.

Here’s a recap of all four matches.

Ryder Cup: Tournament hub | Photos | Fans

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/T9gUbhs

Team USA players, caddies wave hats at fans after Patrick Cantlay buries putt to win 2023 Ryder Cup match

Team USA players, caddies wave hats at fans after Patrick Cantlay buries putt to win 2023 Ryder Cup match

Things are getting a little chippy in Rome — and it’s the best.

A report surfaced Patrick Cantlay is not wearing a hat at the 2023 Ryder Cup because of an issue with players being paid, though Cantlay has since responded to the “Hat Gate” rumors, simply stating the team hat “just doesn’t fit.” He also mentioned that he didn’t wear one at Whistling Straits in 2021 because of the same issue.

Fans at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club heard the rumors, too, and started to taunt Cantlay all Saturday afternoon, waving their hats at him whenever he was on a green or tee box.

Cantlay was paired with Wyndham Clark during the last fourballs session of the competition, taking on Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick in the final match of the day.

After burying a short birdie effort on the par-3 17th to tie up the match, Cantlay raced his green-side chip 43 feet by the hole at the par-5 closer.

But his nickname isn’t “Patty Ice” for nothing.

Cantlay buried the putt and claimed the American’s third match win of the session. After the putt went in, members of Team USA (as well as a few caddies) took their hats off and started waving them to Cantlay, and some waved them at the crowd.

Joe LaCava, Cantlay’s caddie, also got in on the action. LaCava exchanged words with Shane Lowry, who was watching the match from off the green, and they didn’t seem to be pleasantries. (The tweet says Rory, but it was Lowry.)

The Europeans lead 10½-5½ heading into Sunday, leaving the smallest of windows open for the Americans as they pursue an unlikely comeback.

After play was done for the day, McIlroy and Justin Thomas’ caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay, had a verbal altercation while waiting for shuttles.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/T9gUbhs

2023 Ryder Cup: Check out U.S. Ryder Cup Team merchandise from Ralph Lauren

2023 Ryder Cup: Check out U.S. Ryder Cup Team merchandise from Ralph Lauren

Since 2014, Ralph Lauren has been the official uniform provider for the U.S. Ryder Cup Team as well as the caddies, spouses and partners.

This tradition has been continued at the highly anticipated 2023 Ryder Cup at the picturesque Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy. Spectators and attendees can purchase RL items in the merchandise tent to show their support for the U.S. Ryder Cup Team.  

This partnership marks a convergence of timeless elegance and athletic prowess, as Ralph Lauren’s iconic designs will grace a great group of athletes and supporters.

Focusing on performance fabrics, each piece is designed to move. Ralph Lauren has added subtle Ryder Cup specific touches to collars, trims, zippers and more.

Golfweek’s Averee Dovsek had a chance to see the collection first hand and gave fans at home the full rundown.

If you couldn’t make it to Rome to catch all the live action, you can shop the Ryder Cup collection at home at ralphlauren.com.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/T9gUbhs

Lynch: Team USA’s Ryder Cup problem used to be acrimony. Now it's apathy, which is worse

Lynch: Team USA’s Ryder Cup problem used to be acrimony. Now it's apathy, which is worse

Not every American will be disappointed if Europe’s Ryder Cup rout short-circuits the importance of the final day’s singles matches. Certainly not devotees of Taylor Swift, now all but guaranteed that Sunday sports will again be dominated by their idol’s appearance at an NFL game. For that, they ought to thank the formidable performances of Europe’s players and captain, Luke Donald. But this is the most lop-sided contest in Rome since the Christians were drawn at home to the lions at the Coliseum, so the aftermath will almost certainly see less credit for Europe than criticism of the U.S.

The last two U.S. teams that competed over here were balkanized with internal strife. Scotland in 2014 was a week-long squabble between skipper Tom Watson and Phredo Mickelson, his “I’m smart!” detractor. That led to the “task force,” an exercise in shifting responsibility masquerading as group therapy. By Paris in 2018, Jordan Spieth had had enough of Patrick Reed (let he who hasn’t cast the first stone), so Reed aired his grievances about his former partner to the media before Europe had finished its first magnum of celebratory champagne.

In Rome, the U.S. team has traded acrimony for apathy, delivering a performance more befitting the last morning of a buddies’ trip to Myrtle Beach, without the redeeming excuse of thundering hangovers that would at least suggest fun was had along the way. But fun is in woefully short supply for Zach Johnson’s team.

Ryder Cup: Tournament hub | Photos

That can be attributed in part to the unspecified illness that has impacted the U.S. team room, but missing fairways and putts aren’t symptoms of any infection. Sniffles won’t explain how Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Ã…berg could play the first three holes of alternate shot on Saturday morning in one-over-par, and win all of them. Mystery bugs can’t account for the U.S. team needing 11 matches before it managed to record an outright victory.

Like many European captains before him, Donald used the ghost of Seve Ballesteros as inspiration this week, but the secret to his success was best summarized by Lucius Seneca, a philosopher who lived across town a couple of millennia ago: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Team Europe captain Luke Donald leaves a team photo prior to a practice round of the Ryder Cup golf competition at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports

Donald handled the preparation part himself. The opportunity? Well, that was gifted to him.

Because he replaced the deposed Henrik Stenson as Europe’s captain, Donald had five months fewer to prepare than his counterpart, not an insignificant period of time in a two-year Cup cycle. But he polished the template that guided his predecessors. Messaging was flawless, social media image-making was luminous, unity was air-tight, statistics were plain common sense, pairings were savvy. And like a lot of his forebears in the role, he got some help from the opposition.

Johnson is passionate about both the Ryder Cup and his patriotism. So too are his vice captains. The problem is that the same sentiment isn’t universal in the team room. To be clear, all twelve American players are not apathetic about being here. Most of them care. Most of them care a great deal. But apathy is a deadly contagion in team environments, and it only takes one case. Especially when the going is tough.

Every aspect of Team USA’s preparation and performance was repurposed by Europe to boost their confidence. Like when the U.S. showed up three shy of a full squad on their reconnaissance trip earlier this month, though Spieth had a perfectly valid excuse. Or when nine of the team didn’t compete for a month before coming to Rome. Even the LIV guy checked that box, and they’re supposedly the ones who want to spend more time at home. Or when rumors circulated that every prospective member of Johnson’s squad had signed the agreement stipulating their obligations for the week months ago, except for two, who only recently inked the paper. Or when they heard that some on the U.S. team are skipping group dinners to rest. Or knowing that some Americans are upset about not being paid to play, as though patriotism is just another commercial transaction.

People relentlessly focused on money will always find it difficult to reconcile themselves to giving their time to an unpaid cause, no matter how distinguished, even if only for a few days. The dispiriting impact of the cash arms race in professional golf isn’t only evident in the veterans who are absent this week.

“A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea that is higher than himself; and a mean man, by one lower than himself,” wrote the ancient Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius. “The one produces aspiration; the other ambition, which is the way in which a vulgar man aspires.”

Captain Johnson ought to have painted that on the wall of his team room. The mountain facing the U.S. on Sunday is practically insurmountable, made no easier by the perception that not everyone in the line-up shares an equal passion for the challenge. You know who does? You know who isn’t apathetic? Keegan Bradley. But he’s not in the boys club, so he’s watching from his couch in Florida.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/T9gUbhs

Ryder Cup 2023 LIVE: Day 2 scores, updates and more...

 As the Saturday afternoon fourballs began at Marco Simone Golf Club, Europe maintained its lead over the United States in the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Earlier, Viktor Hovland of Norway and Ludvig Aberg of Sweden crushed American combo Scottie Scheffler and Brooke Koepka by the largest margin in modern Ryder Cup history, as Europe's annihilation of the US continued on Saturday morning.

Ryder Cup 2023 Live: Scores, Video highlights, Commentary & Updates from

Viktor Hovland of Norway and The European Team plays his tee shot on the 12th hole in his match with Ludwig Aberg againjst Brooks Koepka and Scottie...

2023 Ryder Cup - Morning Foursomes Matches

ROME, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 30: Viktor Hovland of Norway and The European Team plays his tee shot on the 12th hole in his match with Ludwig Aberg againjst Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler during the Saturday morning foursomes matches of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club on September 30, 2023 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
Showing no mercy, they trampled the bewildered Americans into the earth of the Marco Simone course to claim an astonishing 9&7 win in the second foursomes of the morning. It surpassed the 7&6 record victory for a foursomes match in the biennial contest that had been achieved three times. Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood beat Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas 2&1 in an almighty battle, before Max Homa and Brian Harman got USA’s first win on the board against Sepp Straka and Shane Lowry. But Jon Rahm’s almost-hole-in-one on the 17th ensured Europe earned another point to lead 9½ - 2½ going into the afternoon fourballs. Follow all the action from day two at the 2023 Ryder Cup below. Get all the latest golf betting sites offers here. 

Live at the Ryder Cup | Day 2 Mid-Session | 2023:

 

 
 
Sources: gettyimages.com; independent.co.uk & Ryder Cup



 

 

Best affordable golf balls for 2023

Best affordable golf balls for 2023 


For many amateur golfers, it’s tough to justify spending $40, $50, $60 on a box of golf balls. Odds are you’re losing one of the first tee if you had no time to warm up anyway.

It’s important to buy a golf ball that performs well and isn’t going to break the bank.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of some of the best affordable golf balls on the market from brands like Titleist, TaylorMade, Srixon, Callaway and more.

The best balls on the market — Titleist ProV1, TaylorMade TP5, etc. — go for $50-plus a box. So, every deal we found for you is $35 and under.

Plus, check out some of our other recently released lists for those wanting to improve their score without breaking the bank: Best affordable putters for 2023, best affordable wedges for 2023 and best affordable drivers for 2023.

Related: 

 As the Saturday afternoon fourballs...

 

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/T9gUbhs

Europe expands Ryder Cup lead over United States after Saturday foursomes thanks to historic match win

Europe expands Ryder Cup lead over United States after Saturday foursomes thanks to historic match win

ROME – There was more blue on the board on Saturday morning.

Team Europe extended its lead in the 44th Ryder Cup to 9½- 2½ after Saturday morning’s foursomes session, winning three of the four matches. That included Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg trouncing the American team of Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka, 9 and 7, the worst loss in Ryder Cup history in any 18-hole match, regardless of format.

There was no let up in the European side after opening a five-point lead after the first day. They won three of four matches and seven of eight in the foursomes format. It ties the largest lead after three sessions since the Ryder Cup switched to the five-session format in 1963. (The U.S. led by seven in both 1967 and 1975.)

“Last night we talked about enjoying what we did yesterday but coming out and showing no mercy today,” McIlroy said. “Obviously the way Ludvig and Viktor started off and the way we started off, you know, that set the tone for the day again.”

It was a bloodbath for the Americans and for those fans who woke up early in hopes of seeing a valiant comeback, they were better off hitting the snooze as the Americans were thrown to the lions in Rome.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/Z3vQsK6

Scottie Scheffler brought to tears after historic loss alongside Brooks Koepka at 2023 Ryder Cup

Scottie Scheffler brought to tears after historic loss alongside Brooks Koepka at 2023 Ryder Cup

ROME —Playing not far from the Colosseum in Rome, Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg could’ve screamed to the faithful fans at the 11th green at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, “Are you not entertained?”

They completed a beatdown for the ages at the 44th Ryder Cup. Hovland of Norway and Aberg of Sweden waxed the American duo of Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka, 9 and 7. It’s the worst loss in Ryder Cup history in any format.

“I don’t think we could have done a whole lot better,” Hovland said. “It’s nice to kind of speak our own language and we understand each other. Obviously same humour, same culture. (Ludvig’s) a stud. He doesn’t miss a shot, so it’s easy when I’m playing well and he’s playing well and we are just feeding off of each other.”

This was a combination of Euro brilliance and American ineptitude. The world No. 1 and reigning PGA Championship winner started double-bogey-double to fall 3 down after three holes. Then the Euros turned it up a notch, making four birdies in the first 10 holes to build an 8-up lead. They missed only one green and hit every fairway on the front nine. The Americans, by contrast, combined to shoot 7 over. Their misery lasted just 2 hours and 19 minutes and 11 holes at 4:10 a.m. ET. It brought Scheffler to tears afterward.

“Horrible situation for the Americans, quite embarrassing for them,” a World feed announcer said in a funereal tone.

For Team Europe, this was a walk in the park with the added bonus that they may have found a pairing to be reckoned with for the next decade and beyond.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/Z3vQsK6

Samantha Wagner odds to win the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Samantha Wagner odds to win the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Samantha Wagner will be among the golfers teeing off from September 29-30 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Arkansas.

With Wagner teeing off this week, there are a bevy of different betting markets available for you to wager on her.

Walmart NW Arkansas Championship details and info

  • Date: September 29-30, 2023
  • Course: Pinnacle Country Club
  • Location: Rogers, Arkansas
  • Previous Winner: Atthaya Thitikul

How to watch the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

  • Friday: Golf Channel
  • Saturday: Golf Channel
  • Sunday: Golf Channel

Catch all the action with Fubo! Get live sports and shows without cable. Click here for a free trial and start streaming today.

Wagner odds to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Odds for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship are available, and Wagner is listed at +40000. That means wagering $10 on Wagner would give you $4010.00.

PGA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Thursday at 8:59 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Other betting markets for Wagner at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Other common golf bets include choosing who will lead at the end of the first round, or whether a player makes the cut. More common golf bets include 3-ball matchups (when three players are grouped together and teeing off at the same time) and one-on-one matchups. It’s easy — just pick who will end up with the best score in that round.

Wagner recent performances

Wagner, who took part in 13 tournaments over the last 12 months, failed to finish in the top 10 in every event. In her past four tournaments, Wagner has an average finish of 49th.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/LTNhHMu

She's 'running low' but Stacy Lewis is keeping her streak alive at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

She's 'running low' but Stacy Lewis is keeping her streak alive at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

When Stacy Lewis gives her word, it means something.

Despite dedicating a massive chunk of time over the last two years to her job as captain of the American side in the Solheim Cup, Lewis has boasted in the past that she’s proud that Northwest Arkansas — where she honed her craft in college as a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks golf team — is home to an LPGA event.

So even though she’s dragging quite a bit after her team drew last weekend in Spain — meaning Team Europe got to retain the coveted trophy — Lewis is back at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship this week, keeping alive a streak that dates back to the inaugural event in 2007. It was during that magical week in this plush part of the state that she secured her first LPGA victory, pulling off the feat as an amateur as she edged out Katherine Hull, Teresa Lu and Kristy McPherson.

And while Lewis might be still licking her wounds, at least she’s doing so at a place that’s long felt like a second home. She grew up in The Woodlands, Texas, just outside Houston, and still lives there, but maintaining a strong presence in this corner of Arkansas still means plenty to the two-time major champion.

“That’s part of why I’m here. I want to keep the streak alive and support the event. Yeah, I mean, I’m running low on energy, haven’t played a whole lot of golf, so who knows what this week will be like,” Lewis said. “Just to be back and see all the people that you know, in a familiar place, and try to get my body and brain back into normal routine and what I normally do.

“That’s really what this week is about.”

Since she was leading the American side at the Solheim, Lewis’ preparation for this week’s event has been minimal. She hadn’t played a full round of golf for four weeks before taking part in the pro-am this week, and she admits she might be rusty when the action starts at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, on Friday.

Lewis is still close with Arkansas women’s golf coach Shauna Taylor, who was an assistant with the Razorbacks in 2007 when the former captured the NCAA individual title, marking the first time it had been done in school history.

But while she’s eager to relive some distant memories this week, she’s still working through the recent pain of tying the European side after holding a large early lead at the Solheim. Even with the results, Lewis is still pleased with the way she and her team prepared for the event.

2023 Solheim Cup

Captain Stacy Lewis of Team USA holds her daughter on the first tee on Day One of The Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club on September 22, 2023, in Casares, Spain. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

“I guess I was proud of myself of how much I trusted the process and what we had in place. It’s very easy to second-guess yourself or you kind of get under the gun and you have to make a decision in the moment,” Lewis said. “I really trusted our process of our stats and the facts and what we held as true. Really stuck to the plan. I guess I was most proud of myself. There are some moments where you’re kind of like do I go a different direction? No. This is what we talked about, what we’ve worked on. This works. You need to stick to it.”

One thing Lewis has been mulling over is the lack of a tiebreaker, something that’s been in the rules since the event began in 1990, even though this year marked the first tie. Originally, Lewis sided with history and tradition, but she’s since changed her mind.

“They asked me about that on Sunday when we finished. At the time I was kind of torn on it, of what should you do. The more I thought about it, it’s just we put so much work into this, so much time and so much energy, to end in a tie it’s like a terrible finish. Just a blah finish,” Lewis said. “I do think there needs to be a playoff. I would do a team format. Like one of the first two days where you got to send your best two players and let them go duke it out.

“I think the event deserves that. It would be a cool way to finish on Sunday other than just a team retaining the Cup.”

Lewis will tee it up in the first round Friday alongside one of her Solheim Cup captain’s picks, Cheyenne Knight, as well as a member of the victorious European squad, Georgia Hall.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/LTNhHMu

Walmart NW Arkansas Championship TV coverage: How to stream or watch Riley Rennell | September 29-30

Walmart NW Arkansas Championship TV coverage: How to stream or watch Riley Rennell | September 29-30

The 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship , a par-71, 6,438-yard tournament at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, will feature a plethora of entrants, including Riley Rennell. The tournament will take place September 29-30.

In her 11 events during the past year, Rennell has a best finish of 53rd and an average finish of 63rd, with three made cuts.

Keep reading for all the information you need to know about Rennell before the the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship , including how to catch the action live on TV or via live stream.

Walmart NW Arkansas Championship TV channel and live stream info

Walmart NW Arkansas Championship coverage on Fubo and Peacock

Want to catch LPGA Tour events all season long without cable? Sign up for Peacock Premium to access select LPGA events, plus tons of other live sports and shows! You can also sign up for a free trial of Fubo and catch all the nationally televised Tour action, plus plenty of other live sports, shows and news from your favorite cable channels.

Riley Rennell stats and recent trends

  • In her last five tournaments, Rennell finished outside the top 20.
  • In the last five times she’s played a tournament, she has made the cut once.
  • Rennell has not finished within five strokes of the winner or recorded a better-than-average score in any of her last five appearances.
  • She finished -7 relative to par the only time she made the cut.

Riley Rennell at the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

  • Measuring 6,438 yards, Pinnacle Country Club is set up as a par-71 for this week. Over the past year, tournaments on Tour have averaged a longer distance of 7,024 yards .
  • Pinnacle Country Club has seen an average tournament score of -8 recently, which is lower than the Tour scoring average of -4 across all courses over the past year.
  • The courses Rennell has played over the past year have an average distance of 6,476 yards, while Pinnacle Country Club will play at 6,438 yards this week.
  • Over the past year, the events she’s played have a scoring average of -5 among finishers, which is higher than the -8 average at this course.

Want to make sure you don’t miss Rennell in action at the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship ? Sign up for Fubo and get live sports and shows, without cable!

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/NaPQ3HZ

Tyrrell Hatton has hilarious back and forth with the media at the 2023 Ryder Cup over his swearing

Tyrrell Hatton has hilarious back and forth with the media at the 2023 Ryder Cup over his swearing

Tyrrell Hatton has always been known for, let’s say his fiery behavior on the golf course. He’s not one to hold back language or gestures when he’s out playing on Tour, sometimes to his detriment, but this week at the Ryder Cup is an opportunity where that emotion can be an ally.

While meeting with the media ahead of the 44th playing of the biennial bash between the United States and Europe, Hatton was asked who would win a swear-off, him or Jon Rahm.

“I think I would probably win in a swear-off. I’ve got everyone covered when it comes to that,” he said.

More: Ryder Cup teams, schedule, course preview

When asked about his extensive repertoire and carefree attitude toward expletives, Hatton said, “Yeah. Just any time of day, anywhere. No holding back. Doesn’t matter what we’re doing. I’m swearing.”

And after a brief moment, “F*** off.”

The media center erupted in laughter as the European team member left the microphone.

In two previous appearances at the Ryder Cup — 2018 and 2021 — Hatton holds an overall record of 2-4-1 and is 0-2-0 in Sunday singles.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/NaPQ3HZ

Who's the favorite at the Ryder Cup? Depends who you ask

Who's the favorite at the Ryder Cup? Depends who you ask

ROME — Who is the favorite at the 44th Ryder Cup between Europe and USA? It depends who you ask.

During Team USA Captain Zach Johnson’s press conference on Tuesday, an Italian journalist asked him why the media has tabbed the Americans the favorite to retain the Cup and win on European soil for the first time in 30 years.

“The media is saying we are the favorites? Well, the media knows everything, so that makes sense,” he said with a wry smile.

Despite the U.S. having won the biennial bash two years ago at home at Whistling Straits by the largest margin in the modern era, Johnson has been adamant his team is the underdog. He argued playing on the road places the U.S. at a disadvantage and singled out the role of the 13th man for Team Europe.

“It’s hard to win outside of your comfort zone,” Johnson said. “The way I see it when it comes to favorites or this, that or the other, we are not the favorites when we step onto the first tee because of the crowd. We are not the favorites because of what’s happened and transpired over the last so-many-odd years, and they have got a really, really good team playing well. So, hey, I love that. Our backs are against the wall, and that’s the way we are going to approach it.”

NBC lead analyst Paul Azinger, who was the winning U.S. captain at home in 2008, said he couldn’t believe the U.S. is being judged as the favorite.

“The Euros are the favorite by a mile,” Azinger said. “They have the home course advantage, and that’s becoming a huge thing.

“This is an emotional event for the players,” he continued. “It means the world to them. I think for Europe it’s immeasurable what it means for them to win the Ryder Cup. I think it’s more measurable for the Americans. I always feel that Europe should be the favorite in these events.”

Max Homa is a Ryder Cup rookie, but he didn’t hesitate in naming the Euros the favorite based on history alone.

“It’s almost impossible to think we’re the favorite just considering we haven’t won (on European soil) in 30 years,” Homa said. “I would imagine it is very even. It would be impossible to say we are some glaring favorites considering how great their team is and our lack of success over there.”

But European Team Captain Luke Donald has staked claim to being the underdog too and pushed back that the U.S. are the favorites. Donald cited the bookies as naming the Americans the favorites.

“If you look at betting forecasts, we would be the underdogs, and we’re fine with that. Americans are very strong,” he said. “Obviously they are coming off an amazing win two years ago, but I have full faith in our team.”

Speaking with Golfweek recently in Napa, Johnson compared the talk of who is the favorite to mattering about as much as college football’s preseason polls.

“This is one tournament, this is like one game, the first game of the year and in preseason polls who gets all the love? Well, it’s Alabama, Georgia, USCs and Texas, the big schools because they win. And Europe has won a lot over there,” Johnson said. “Plus their best players are playing really good. The guys that qualified for the team are playing great. So I think there’s a lot of truth in the matter that it’s hard to win over there. They usually rise to the occasion and on paper, they’re really good.”

Perhaps the most interesting part of this debate over who is the favorite is how each captain is seeking that mental edge. Has traditionally being labeled the favorite been a burden to Team USA that Johnson is attempting to minimize. Homa mused, “I guess both sides are doing it (touting themselves as the underdog) to take some pressure off.”

Padraig Harrington, who was captain at Whistling Straits, has his own theory that touches on the mental aspect of the competition and the pressure of expectations.

“We go to try to win the Ryder Cup, whereas the U.S. tries not to lose it,” he said. “Because they’re favorites, because they should win, they’re afraid, whereas we’re the country cousins. We have a point to prove. Even if we did find oil in our backyard, we’d still have a point to prove.”

And to Azinger it all adds up to a 1 percent advantage to the Europeans.

“I always looked at the Ryder Cup, in my generation, my era, as being razor thin. I would compare it to being in Vegas. There’s only a 1 percent advantage in blackjack, but they’re building some pretty nice hotels on it.”

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/NaPQ3HZ

The U.S. Senior Open is heading to Ohio in 2026. Could Tiger Woods be participating?

The U.S. Senior Open is heading to Ohio in 2026. Could Tiger Woods be participating?

As the United States Golf Association continues to roll out future tournament venues, the distinct possibility of a huge star in the field for an upcoming U.S. Senior Open is being brought to light.

Officials for the USGA announced that Scioto Country Club, in Columbus, Ohio; Oak Tree National, in Edmond, Okla., and Crooked Stick Golf Club, in Carmel, Indiana, will be the host sites for the U.S. Senior Open Championship in 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively. Each club has previously hosted the championship. Scioto also will host the 2036 U.S. Amateur Championship.

“The USGA is pleased to be returning to Scioto Country Club, Oak Tree National and Crooked Stick Golf Club as host sites for the U.S. Senior Open,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer. “Each club has a distinguished history of hosting national championships and promoting professional and amateur competition. We know each course will challenge the world’s best players and the communities will be welcoming and supportive.”

Although the dates have yet to be announced, this introduces the possibility of Tiger Woods playing in his first senior major in Ohio.

According to this story from our network partner, the Columbus Dispatch, the course might present a natural fit for Woods to debut in the event.

The Donald Ross-designed course in Upper Arlington also is scheduled to host the 2036 U.S. Amateur, last played at Scioto in 1968, when Bruce Fleischer won by a stroke. Scioto, where Jack Nicklaus learned to play the game, has hosted other significant national tournaments, including the 1926 U.S. Open, won by Bobby Jones, the 1931 Ryder Cup, won by the United States, and the 1950 PGA Championship, won by Chandler Harper.

Woods turns 50 on Dec. 30, 2025, enabling him to narrowly meet the minimum age requirement for entry into the U.S. Senior Open. The 15-time major championship winner has enjoyed great success in central Ohio, having won the Memorial Tournament five times. He has eight victories in events played at Firestone Country Club in Akron. Ohio has been good to him.

Scioto last hosted the Senior Open in 2016, when Gene Sauers defeated Miquel Angel Jimenez and Billy Mayfair by one stroke. Sauers finished the final round with three straight pars to finish 3-under for the tournament. It also hosted the event in 1986, when Dale Douglass defeated Gary Player by one shot.

Sauers’ victory in 2016, his first on the Champions Tour, marked a sentimental comeback story for the then 53-year-old from Georgia. Nearly a decade earlier, he battled Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare illness in which the skin on the extremities burns from the inside out. The medical condition nearly killed him, and kept him off the golf course for seven years.

The 2024 U.S. Senior Open will be held at Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island, with the 2025 event to be held at The Broadmoor (East Course) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/f3vPwSG

Photos: Best fan outfits from the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone

Photos: Best fan outfits from the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone

The Ryder Cup is back, which means crazy fans and their outfits are returning, too.

The 2023 Ryder Cup begins Friday at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy. The biennial competition pits the best golfers from the United States against their counterparts from Europe. And undoubtedly, one of the best parts of the week is the fans.

Fans from across Europe and the United States will pack Marco Simone all week, clad in red, white and blue for the Americans and blue and yellow for the Europeans. Some fans take it to the next level, dressing up in ways that only pictures can describe.

The fans going all out for the event is part of the reason why the Ryder Cup is the grand event it is.

Here’s a look at some of the best fan outfits and photos from the 2023 Ryder Cup, and we’ll add more photos as the week progresses.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/f3vPwSG

How to watch the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome

How to watch the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome

The 2023 Ryder Cup is here. The three-day biennial competition between 12 of the best Americans against 12 of the best from Europe starts on Friday, although the on-course activities have already begun.

The Americans lead the all-time standings at 27-14-2 but since 1979, Europe holds an 11-9 edge.

The U.S. won the last Ryder Cup, 19-9, at Whistling Straits. The last U.S. win away from home, however, came 30 years ago.

If you’re interested in watching, you can do so starting Wednesday.

The NBC Sports family of networks has all the viewing plans mapped out for the week, with NBC, USA and Golf Channel providing the TV coverage and Peacock layering in the live streaming.

Watch the Ryder Cup for free on Fubo

The NBC Sports on-air team is play-by-play commentator Dan Hicks, analysts Paul Azinger, Jim Gallagher Jr., Curt Byrum, Justin Leonard, Terry Gannon and on-course reporter John Wood.

The coverage will be live from the first tee shot Friday to the final putt drop Sunday. In all, NBC will have more than 100 hours of live coverage.

All times listed are ET. Rome, Italy, is six hours ahead of ET.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Live From the Ryder Cup, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ET, Golf Channel, Peacock

Wednesday, Sept. 27

Ryder Cup All-Star Match, 6:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. ET, Peacock

Live From the Ryder Cup, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ET, Golf Channel, Peacock

Stream the Ryder Cup on Peacock

Thursday Sept. 28

Junior Ryder Cup, 4:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m. ET, Golf Channel, Peacock

Live From the Ryder Cup, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. ET, Golf Channel, Peacock

Opening Ceremony, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET, Golf Channel, Peacock

Friday, Sept. 29

Foursomes and fourball sessions, 1:30 a.m.-Noon ET, USA, Peacock

Featured foursomes match, 1:30 a.m.-conclusion, Peacock

Featured fourball match, 6:20 a.m.-conclusion, Peacock

Live From the Ryder Cup, noon-2 p.m. ET, Golf Channel, Peacock

Saturday, Sept. 30

Foursomes and fourball sessions, 1:30 a.m.-3 a.m. ET, USA

Foursomes and fourball sessions, 3 a.m.-noon ET, NBC (replayed noon-6 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock)

Featured foursomes match, 1:30 a.m.-conclusion, Peacock

Featured four-ball match, 7 a.m.-conclusion, Peacock

Live From the Ryder Cup, noon-2 p.m. ET, Golf Channel, Peacock

Sunday, Oct. 1

Singles session, 5:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock

Live From the Ryder Cup, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. ET, Golf Channel, Peacock

Watch the Ryder Cup for free on Fubo Stream the Ryder Cup on Peacock Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/f3vPwSG

Lynch: At European Ryder Cups, the cash rolls in as design nerds roll their eyes

Lynch: At European Ryder Cups, the cash rolls in as design nerds roll their eyes

Short of news that Rees Jones is gassing up his bulldozer, nothing makes golf course architecture aficionados reach for the Pepto Bismol quite like a Ryder Cup, or more specifically, a Ryder Cup in Europe. While editions held in America still occasionally visit sublime course designs — The Country Club, Oakland Hills, Bethpage Black in two years — those staged in the old world offer a quadrennial reminder to purists that the Ryder Cup, like a presidential election, is now essentially a commercial enterprise.

As the economic importance and global stature of the event has grown, there’s been a commensurate dilution in the caliber of host courses on the eastern shore of the Atlantic. You have to scroll back more than 40 years to find one that earns near-unanimous praise for its design merit: Walton Heath, in 1981. In the years prior, the biennial battle visited Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Muirfield and Royal Birkdale, all Open Championship hosts of indisputable stature. Then, starting in the late ‘80s, Europe began to dominate, fans began to pay attention, broadcasters began to pay significant rights fees, and corporations began requesting ever-more extensive hospitality suites.

So for 30 years, Ryder Cups in Europe have illustrated the difference between a great golf course and a great venue. They’ve had plenty of the latter, none of the former. Marco Simone Golf and Country Club continues that tradition.

Early morning preparations are made prior to the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on September 27, 2018, in Paris, France. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

The DP World Tour owns a sizable chunk of the Ryder Cup, and proven loyalty to the circuit is a factor when it comes time to award its most prized asset. The Belfry (’85, ’89’ ’93) held its first European tour event in 1979. Valderrama (’97) had been a regular tour stop for almost a decade. So too for the K Club (’06), Celtic Manor (’10) and Gleneagles (’14). Le Golf National (’18) paid its dues even longer.

An alert, ambitious developer will spot a sure-fire, if long-term strategy for securing golf’s premier team event: build a course with ample room for infrastructure, offer terms favorable to the suits at HQ in Wentworth, then wait a decade. The Ryder Cup is a prize earned, not an honor bestowed.

Talk to enough people who play golf for a living and you’ll learn that most see the course merely as a stage upon which great actors perform. For idealistic design nerds, however, courses are a central character in the drama, of such nuance and intricacy that they make even great actors forget their lines. Marco Simone may discombobulate the cast of 24 actors this week, but not with nuance or intricacy.

The Ryder Cup is match play, and an ideal match play course encourages short-term risk-taking. There are enough holes here to encourage that, or sufficient flexibility with the set-up to manufacture it. Sure, the design is uninspiring and the aesthetics limited — save for a few ruins scattered around the property and a distant view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica — but functionally Marco Simone is up to the ask. It’s not a great course, but it might be declared a great venue when the circus pulls out of town.

This being Italy, logistics could prove troublesome, though perhaps not as dire as at the Solheim Cup last week in Spain. Rush hours and the national nonchalance about timekeeping could see travel to the course take long enough for a couple of governments to form and collapse. And players will not be immune if such issues arise.

Most European venues in the last four decades have been resorts with accommodations on-site, meaning that teams, administrators and hangers-on didn’t need to leave the grounds for the entire week. Whatever happened beyond the wall was not their concern. In Rome, both teams are staying at the Cavalieri hotel, 10 miles from Marco Simone. That journey might take 30 minutes, or it might be a multiple of that. Since their hotel is within earshot of the Vatican, they might have to whisper the lord’s name in vain during delays. That began on Tuesday. One coach griped that his ride took well over an hour. His driver had no idea where the venue is located.

That’s a gentle reminder that golf doesn’t rank among the dozen most popular sports in Italy, but also emphasizes a reality unsettling to design devotees: if the Ryder Cup is to be used as a platform to grow golf in new territories, then the odds of there existing a must-play course is almost zero.

The boxes that purists most want to see checked are wholly optional for Ryder Cup organizers here. A great course is a bonus, not a baseline. If you want elite team competition on elite designs, the Walker Cup has you covered.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/f3vPwSG

Scott Masingill, Jerry Gunthorpe go low at Golfweek Pacific Northwest Senior Championship

Scott Masingill, Jerry Gunthorpe go low at Golfweek Pacific Northwest Senior Championship

The Golfweek senior amateur circuit has made its annual stop in Wine Country.

Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Washington is a stunning Dan Hixson design that perfectly uses the natural features of southeastern Washington in the shadow of the Blue Mountains. With open fairways and rarely a tree in sight, the course plays tough thanks to wild grasses, undulating greens and strategic bunkering, Wine Valley is one of the best tests of golf in the Pacific Northwest.

Two men were able to use those features to their advantage to take leads in their respective age divisions. 

Super Seniors (65-69)

72-year-old Scott Masingill had the round of the day, posting a bogey-free 7-under 65 to take an eight-stroke lead in the Super Senior age bracket.

“I’ve played this golf course quite a bit,” Masingell said. “And it’s really one of my favorite courses of anywhere that I’ve played. In about the past two months, my game has come around, and it’s really just about confidence now.”

The Idaho native has plenty to be confident about. Starting his scoring early, Masingell carded four birdies through his first seven holes. Keeping it on cruise control, he parred the next seven holes before adding three consecutive birdies on hole Nos. 15-17. Needing to knock home a 4-footer on 18 for par to keep his bogey-free round in check, Masingell found the bottom of the cup.

“I got a little nervous and sweaty on the last hole,” he said. “I was proud of the fact that feeling some stress on that last putt, I just knocked it in the middle of the hole. I’m real pleased with the way I played, I’ve been working on my fitness and my game, and I got a result.”

Masingill is not a stranger to playing with the best. With a U.S. Open, two Senior Opens, a U.S. Am and two U.S. Mid-Ams under his belt, he’s no stranger to being in the mix with elite golfers.

As for how he’ll take on the next 36 holes?

“With a big lead like this, I’m really just competing with myself at the moment. So, just not getting distracted by that and [focus] on the cliche of all time, playing one shot at a time. That’s the only way to do it.”

George Walker (No. 1 in the Golfweek Super Senior rankings) and Frank Maxwell are in a two-way tie for second at 1 over.

Seniors (55-64)

In the senior division, Michigan’s Jerry Gunthrope leads the way thanks to his opening round of 5-under 65.  His week began on the wrong foot, as his driver shaft was snapped on his flight out to the West Coast.

Finding a similar shaft at a store 45 minutes from the course, Gunthorpe was able to put the driver in play Monday but still didn’t feel 100 percent comfortable with it throughout the day. Relying on a driving iron and his woods for the most part, Gunthorpe’s wedges made up for the rest.

“I had a lot of wedges,” Gunthorpe said. “I hit a lot of really good wedges so that’s where I made a lot of birdies.”

Not completely satisfied with his game, Gunthorpe looks to improve on his par 5 scoring as well as his tee and approach shots. If the Michigander can get those facets of his game to lock in, it could be a long week for the rest of the field.

He takes a one-shot lead into Tuesday’s round, as Bradley Karns and Jon Lindstrom look to keep their play rolling with matching 68s. Seven more golfers are at par or better.

Legends (70-74)

Kerry Booth (+4) holds a two-stroke lead over Greg Tatham.

Super Legends (75+)

Bill Engel posted an even par round and commands a two-shot lead over Greg Mokler.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/f3vPwSG

Support the U.S. at the 2023 Ryder Cup with Team USA themed gear

Support the U.S. at the 2023 Ryder Cup with Team USA themed gear

The 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome is nearly here as matches between the Zach Johnson-led Team USA and the Luke Donald-led Team Europe get underway Friday morning.

To make sure Americans across the globe are supporting their team, we’ve put together a list of some of the best U.S. Ryder Cup gear we could find from brands like NOBULL, Ralph Lauren, TaylorMade, FootJoy and more.

If you’re interested in checking out some of our other apparel/equipment lists, here’s best affordable putters for 2023, best affordable drivers for 2023, and a write-up on the adidas MC87 4D golf shoes.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/f3vPwSG

Photos: Best (and worst) of the 2023 Ryder Cup merchandise shop

Photos: Best (and worst) of the 2023 Ryder Cup merchandise shop

ROME – The Ryder Cup shop was bustling on Tuesday morning.

Not quite to the extent that there was a line out the door that necessitated using the stanchions on hand as if readying for a TSA rush at the airport or the new hot ride at Disney but it was just a practice round day and you can sense that those may come in handy later this week because fans are going home with souvenirs despite the hefty prices of gear. (How do you feel about 88 euro t-shirts and 139 euro polos?)

Overall, I’d say the selection is a little disappointing in that it’s essentially the usual suspects – polos, hats, quarter zips and hoodies and headcovers and the accessories you see at just about any tournament. I do like the soccer jersey look that is prevalent and best displayed by G/Fore, which also scores with its CIAO hat and scarf. The most unusual item for sale? The Ryder Cup logoed bathrobe takes the prize in my book. Who knew we needed one of those? Most of the big brands are there – Nike, Peter Millar – but also local favorite Chervo and Euro standbys such as Sunderland, Glenmuir and Abacus.

The Ryder Cup Shop has learned a thing from the experts in the merch biz at Augusta National and offering UPS shipping at the exit for those who don’t want to lug their purchases either around or back home. That’s a winner.

Here’s a look at the best of the Ryder Cup gear being sold this week at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/f3vPwSG

See how Mizuno's ST-G driver provides control and distance for better players

See how Mizuno's ST-G driver provides control and distance for better players

Gear: Mizuno ST-G driver
Price: $599.95 with Project X RDX Smoke Green or Mitsubishi Kai’ Lu Blue shaft and Lamkin Crossline Genesis grip.
Specs: 440-cubic-centimeter titanium body with carbon fiber crown, two moveable 7-gram weights and adjustable hosel. 9.5 and 10.5-degree versions. (9.5 only in left-handed model.)
Available: October 5

Who It’s For: Accomplished golfers and fast-swinging players who want to shape shots off the tee with a low-spin, adjustable club with a classic look in the address position.

The Skinny: Combining plenty of carbon fiber with a smaller head and two moveable weight tracks, Mizuno’s newest driver for better players aims to decrease spin and produce a piercing, controlled flight. 

The Deep Dive: At the start of this season, Mizuno continued its work to gain more traction in the driver market by releasing the 230 ST-Z and 230 ST-X, clubs designed to bring more ball speed and forgiveness to a wide variety of players. Those clubs will be back in 2024, but Mizuno is now releasing a driver for better players to join them, the ST-G.

The Mizuno Pro line of irons is the Japanese company’s highest expression of quality for high-level players, and some people within the brand think of the ST-G woods in the same way. 

At 440 cubic centimeters in volume, the club is smaller than most clubs on the market, with a carbon fiber crown that extends over the edge on the toe side and wraps into the side and sole. That large carbon fiber crown weighs just 16 grams, but the glossy black finish helps it retain a classic look in the address position. 

Mizuno G230 driver

The Mizuno G230 driver has a compact, clean look in the address position. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Golfers may recall that the 2021 version of the ST-G driver had three moveable weight tracks, with two running from front to back, controlling the draw and fade bias, while a third track in the rear of the sole allowed players to control shot height. In the new model, there are two tracks, but they do the job of three. Golfers and fitters can slide the 7-gram weights forward to reduce spin and produce a lower ball flight or back to add spin, raise stability and encourage higher-flying drives. The weights can also be positioned on the same track to create strong draw or fade biases that boost MOI and stability.

The face of the ST-G driver is made from a unique titanium alloy that Mizuno calls Beta Rich Ti-LFS. The LFS stands for lighter, faster, stronger, and the material has been heat treated to make it stronger without making it thicker or heavier. 

The ST-G has also been designed with a Cortech Chamber, a feature that debuted in last season’s 230 ST-Z and 230 ST-X drivers. It’s a slot in the sole, behind the leading edge, filled with a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to keep water and debris out of the head. Inside the TPU piece, Mizuno adds a stainless steel piece that runs from the heel to toe. The Cortech Chamber allows the face to flex more efficiently on low-struck shots.

Finally, the ST-G driver has an adjustable hosel that allows players and fitters to increase or decrease the loft by up to 2 degrees.

Below are several close-up images of the new Mizuno ST-G.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/f3vPwSG

U.S. hasn't won Ryder Cup on foreign soil since 1993. Does this year's squad have what it takes?

U.S. hasn't won Ryder Cup on foreign soil since 1993. Does this year's squad have what it takes?

Call it the Whipping at Whistling Straits.

At the 43rd Ryder Cup in 2021, Team USA routed Europe like it was 1979, winning 19-9. America’s youth won out over Europe’s experience. The six U.S. Ryder Cup rookies combined to go 14-4-3.

“It seems like the younger they are, the better they play,” said U.S. assistant captain Davis Love III.

It was the first time in 44 years that the U.S. didn’t lose any of the five sessions. By any measure, this was a statement win for Team USA. Not to diminish its achievement, but winning at home wasn’t the U.S. team’s problem, other than a fluky European comeback 2012. The hosting U.S. won in 2016, but its loss in Paris two years later meant the pressure was on America to hold serve. Otherwise, it might’ve been back to the drawing board, given the Euros had won four of the previous five meetings and nine of the last 12 in the biennial match. Which brings us to the question that won’t be fully answered until this week: Did the U.S. beatdown in 2021 represent a sea change in Ryder Cup fortunes?

The real validation of America’s new formula for success is to win on the road for the first time since 1993 when the 44th Cup is held in Rome at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club on Sept. 24-26. Asked for a quick rush to judgment during the U.S. team’s closing press conference at Whistling Straits two years ago, one of America’s impressive rookies, Xander Schauffele, refused to take the bait and balked at looking ahead.

“I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but we are just going to enjoy now,” he said. “You’re thinking way too far ahead of us, for me, personally, so we’re going to enjoy this one for now and collect ourselves shortly after.”

But Jordan Spieth, twice on losing teams overseas in 2014 and 2018, has experienced the pain of playing on foreign soil and stepped up to answer the question. He compared the U.S. romp to a Presidents Cup and already, to borrow a phrase from New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was on to Italy.

“I think that this is unfinished business,” he said. “It’s one thing to win it over here and it is a lot easier to do so, and it is harder to win over there. If we play like we did this week, the score will look the same over there in a couple years, and that’s what we’re here for.”

Spieth, who turned 30 in July, was in diapers the last time Team USA beat Europe on the road. Why has the U.S. side – despite consistently having the deeper, more talented team on paper – lost the last six matchups on the road? There is no simple answer.

“That’s a great question,” Hal Sutton, the captain of the U.S. side that lost at home in 2004 at Oakland Hills, said. “If we had the answer, I’m sure we would have already solved it.”

While Sutton’s answer may have a ring of truth to it, it speaks to why the U.S. failed to learn from past mistakes. The U.S. dominance of the event from its humble beginnings in 1927 until Europe’s breakthrough home win in 1985 is ancient history. The captaincy was passed on to the next former major champion – all the better if he was a past PGA Championship winner – for his turn at the helm. In contrast, Englishman Tony Jacklin took charge of Europe from 1983 to 1989 and established a template that could be passed down through the years. Team USA, meanwhile, had its head in the sand as to why it continued to struggle despite often being the favorite.

“They adhered to the mindset that a Ryder Cup among equal talents is essentially random, that sometimes they would play better, and sometimes the Europeans would, but all thoughts of strategy or team building were blown out of proportion. Call it arrogance, complacency, or lack of imagination, but they stuck to this belief even as the results showed a pattern that was anything but random,” wrote Shane Ryan in his book, “The Cup They Couldn’t Lose: America, the Ryder Cup and the Long Road to Whistling Straits,” which provides the definitive explanation for the European renaissance in the Ryder Cup and how America got its groove back.

“The Americans have been too successful for too long on the strength of talent alone to study the lesson,” Ryan wrote. “In that sense, they were victims of their own success, and it would be years before they could humble themselves enough to learn.”

Only Paul Azinger in 2008 built his team with an outside-the-box approach, conceiving the pod system and getting the most out a U.S. lineup that featured the likes of Chad Campbell, Boo Weekley, Ben Curtis and rookie Anthony Kim. They won big at home over a team led by Nick Faldo, who ignored Team Europe’s template. Azinger campaigned for the captaincy again in 2010 in Wales and should’ve been given it. Instead, the PGA of America chose Corey Pavin and a stretch in which each U.S. captain that followed approached the Ryder Cup in his own way, with little to no continuity.

“There were plenty of lessons to be learned,” Ryan writes. “They learned none.”

Ryan devotes a whole chapter of his Ryder Cup book, an interlude titled “Why does Europe win?”, to the seven most-common theories, including old standbys that the Americans just need to play better and Europeans just like each other more. (Ryan quotes an oldie but goodie from a Euro vet explaining their team chemistry: “We get together for a week, we get along, and when it’s over, we all go back to hating Monty.”)

Padraig Harrington, who was captain at Whistling Straits, has his own theory that touches on the mental aspect of the competition and the pressure of expectations.

“We go to try to win the Ryder Cup, whereas the U.S. tries not to lose it,” he said. “Because they’re favorites, because they should win, they’re afraid, whereas we’re the country cousins! We have a point to prove. Even if we did find oil in our backyard, we’d still have a point to prove.”

Sutton isn’t the only American captain at a loss for words as to why Team USA can’t win on the other side of the pond.

“You know, if I could put my finger on it, we would have changed this bleep a long time ago,” Jim Furyk said.

Golfweek talked to several past captains from both sides to try to understand what’s gone wrong and why this could be the year the Americans end their skid.

Hitting rock bottom

The recent uptick for Team USA’s fortunes was born in arguably the team’s lowest moment, when it was blown out in Scotland in 2014. Phil Mickelson publicly aired the team’s dirty laundry during its media session following the defeat and hung out U.S. captain Tom Watson to dry.

“When the mess was over, it was no longer possible to say with any credibility that the Ryder Cup was simply a test of which individuals played better. The effect of management was so obvious that even the most dyed-in-the-wool stubborn American couldn’t pretend everything was fine,” Ryan wrote. “It’s the Ryder Cup that broke the Americans.”

Something good came from that day: a new beginning and commitment to change the culture.

“The PGA realized they had to do something different,” Love said, noting that The Task Force, which was created in the aftermath of Mickelson’s tirade, was a necessary evil. “They said, ‘We’ll spend money on stats guys. We’ll spend money on NetJets to fly you guys in if you want to play practice rounds.’ . . . If we go in there and say we need this for (Italy), we’re gonna get it. The Phil thing was the boiling-over point. It had been simmering for a while. Phil was the only one with enough nerve to say it. Now, he could have said that in the debriefing but it would not have been as impactful.”

Home course rules

With the outliers being the European rout at Oakland Hills in 2004 and 2012’s Miracle at Medinah, during which the Euros rallied from a 10-6 deficit on the final day, 10 of the last 12 Ryder Cup have been won by the home team.

“It seems the way the Ryder Cup is going, the home team certainly has an advantage every time that we play this thing. That was apparent in Paris a couple years ago. I think it was pretty apparent this week, as well,” said Rory McIlroy at Whistling Straits in 2021. “You go back to Hazeltine, same sort of thing. This is the pattern that we are on.”

Is it the partisan crowd as the 13th man? Is it course knowledge or the way the captain of the home team sets up the course? Furyk, who was the losing captain the last time the U.S. played on the road in 2018, says the home-field advantage is worth at least a point. He joked that in Paris it was worth seven, the difference in the final score (17 ½ -10 ½).

Furyk recalled that Seve Ballesteros narrowed fairways and grew the rough at Valderrama in 1997 and forced American bombers such as Tiger Woods and Love III to hit fairway woods and 2-irons off the tee.

“It leveled the playing field,” Furyk said.

This was straight out of the Jacklin playbook. In 1985 at The Belfry, Jacklin had neutralized the so-called American advantage by requesting the greens not be cut too short – the Americans were more accustomed to putting on fast greens. Jacklin and the Euro captains who followed turned over every stone in search of the slightest edge. Jacklin was the first captain who devised his pairings based on player compatibility.

‘Big Guns’ must produce

Speaking of U.S. captain Lee Trevino, who was the first American captain to lose on foreign soil in 1985, Jacklin said, “Lee figured you could put two guys together, spank ‘em on the butt and say, ‘Go get ‘em.’ But I think there’s an emotional issue to winning.”

Trevino has plenty of company as a losing U.S. Ryder Cup captain since 1993, and he has a theory for what tends to be the difference between victory and defeat.

“I played six Ryder Cups, and it all comes down to one thing: It doesn’t make any difference who the players are, who the captains are, how you match them up,” Trevino said. “You’ve got to take your four guns, OK? Out of those 12 guys, you’ve got four guns. These boys are machine guns; they’ve got the big ones. When you leave that Ryder Cup – win, lose or draw – those four guns have got to give you a plus-5 (win five more points or matches than they lose). They’ve got to give you plus-something,” Trevino explained.
Love agrees and harkens back to 1997 when he, Woods and Justin Leonard all won major championships and were at the top of their game.

“None of us putt any good and we got zero points,” Love recalled. “Tom Kite (U.S. captain in 1997) got blamed for it, but you can put it right on Davis Love. I got zero points. I feel personally responsible, and I’ll never get over that.

“When we went to Paris in 2018, Tiger had just won days earlier (at the Tour Championship, but he went 0-4), Mickelson is supposed to be the veteran leader (0-2) and Patrick Reed is supposed to be ‘Captain America’ (1-2), and they didn’t play any good. (Add in Bryson DeChambeau, who was playing some of the best golf in the world in the lead up to the Cup but was winless in three matches, and that big four combined to go 1-11.) When your best players don’t produce, you’re not going to beat them.”

Love said that when The Task Force met, they set an ambitious goal of winning seven of the next nine Cups (including Presidents).

“It would be huge,” said Love, noting Team USA has won six of seven Cups dating to the 2015 Presidents Cup.

And when looking at the big guns, it’s fair to set the sights on Woods and Mickelson – the two stars of their generation. Woods’ overall record in the Ryder Cup was 13-21-3, and he went 9-12-2 in his five overseas appearances. Mickelson’s overall Ryder Cup record was slightly better at 18-22-7, but Lefty went 6-13-4 in six appearances on the road. They went a combined 0-6-0 in 2018 outside Paris. It would prove impossible for the U.S. to overcome such dud performances.

Lessons learned

The U.S. is trying to learn from its mistakes. Love points to his own blunders in 2012 at Medinah. In the pair matches, the home team has led by no less than two points and as many as four in the last six Ryder Cups. The home team holds a convincing 58-38 edge over that span, which is a 60-percent winning mark.

“We were so focused on Friday and Saturday, where we seemingly didn’t do as well, that we didn’t have a plan for Sunday and we lost the momentum,” Love said.

“Any time a team’s come back – now twice in this event, from four points – it’s been a fast start and a solid middle-to-late part of the lineup,” Furyk said.
He’s right. In 1999 the U.S. won the first six matches; in 2012 the Euros put blue on the board in the first five. Momentum can shift quickly in match play, said Spieth, adding that it’s critical to create a seed of doubt.

After Love’s 2012 team squandered its 10-6 lead on Sunday, he sat and talked that night with European vet Darren Clarke, who said, “You knew we were going to load the boat. Why weren’t you loading the boat? You did it to us in 1999.”

Love listed off a handful of reasons for why he didn’t front-load his lineup. Clarke, who would face Love as captain in 2016, shook his head and replied, “Rubbish, your lineup was terrible.”

In 2016 when Love’s team built a big lead heading into Sunday singles against Clarke’s side, he stacked his early lineup and the U.S. won five of the first seven matches and halved another. The U.S. rode the momentum to a commanding victory, then followed the same playbook at Whistling Straits in 2021.

In 2018, Love noted that Europe’s knowledge of Le Golf National in Paris, which had hosted the French Open for decades, created an edge for their side. Marco Simone has played host to the last three Italian Opens, so less of an edge, but the U.S. still plans to go over ahead of time to neutralize any potential advantage.

How will the Euros respond to the greatest U.S. blowout in the modern history of the Ryder Cup? Paul McGinley in the aftermath said, “I don’t agree that it’s just going to be fine, and that we can go on and do exactly the same thing in two years’ time and expect to win. I think our competitors got a lot stronger. Our competitor is a lot smarter off the golf course. Our competitor will be coming here with a different mentality than they had in France. I don’t think this should be brushed under the carpet. This was a serious defeat.”

When McGinley served as European captain in 2014, he had a slogan emblazoned on the team room that read, “Passion has determined our past; attitude will determine our future.” McGinley believes that motto holds true now more than ever for the European side.

“The Americans have matched us in the passion stakes,” he told Ryan. “So now it becomes about attitude, about being the Rottweiler, of being inside that siege mentality of playing away from home and knowing it’s going to be incredibly difficult. Even in an era when home-course advantage is massive, it’s clear that America is operating from a position of strength, and Europe from a position of hope.”

But the biggest challenge for Johnson and his Team USA vice captains may be to stay in the present and avoid trying to right the wrongs of 30 years of failure on the road.

“It gets to the point where it’s mental. We know we’re supposed to win and yet we haven’t won,” Love said. “The team that plays in Italy has no record. They are a new team. They should be able to put that beside them and go play, but it’s the talk. It’s going to be the theme of the build-up, and it’s our job to make it about now.”

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/f3vPwSG