On Friday the 43rd edition of the Ryder Cup will take place at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin USA. The USA will host the event with Team Europe the defending champions after their 17.5-10.5 victory in 2018.
Team USA will be captained by Steve Stricker with Padraig Harrington captain of Europe. Team USA will go into the contest as favourites with USA having ten players in the top 10. Europe currently have just one player in the top ten with four in the top twenty, compared to America’s eleven.
Current holders Team Europe looking for more glory
The current holders Team Europe, will have some experienced names playing for them. Lee Westwood has already appeared in ten Ryder Cup’s and will equal Sir Nick Faldo’s record of eleven.
Ryder Cup’s all-time leading point’s scorer Sergio Garcia has hit recent form and is named in the side. A golfer who is beginning to look like his old self Rory McIlroy will be taking part in his seventh Ryder Cup.
Three rookies making debuts for Europe
Three players will be making their Ryder Cup debuts. Shane Lowry, Bernd Wiesberger and Viktor Hovland. Irishman Lowry has earned his selection by virtue of consistency and will enjoy playing at Whistling Straits. Wiesberger is the first Austrian to earn a Ryder Cup call and is a big hitter which will suit his style of play. Hovland will be the first Norwegian to play in the Ryder Cup after only being a pro for three years.
Europe’s trump card may well be Tommy Fleetwood. The Englishman made an incredible debut in Paris three years ago with four points out of five. A man who is also coming into form at the right time.
Team USA are on a bad run at the moment having lost four of the last five events. However, last time the event was held on American soil at Hazeltine in 2016.
Four USA debutants at Ryder Cup
Four of Stricker’s picks have not played at the event before. Despite this, USA will have plenty of experience in the players announced as vice-captains. Zach Johnson, Phil Mickleson and Fred Couples are just three big names who will assist Stricker.
The American’s have also gone with a host of rookies. Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English, Colin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler will all tee off for the first time in the event.
America will look to the experience heads of Justin Thomas- four points in France 2018 along with Jordan Spieth who has a fine four ball record in previous Ryder Cup’s.
All the talk before the event gets under way on Friday will be how are Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau going to get on competing for Team USA. It is common knowledge that the pair still continue to not get on with each other. This spat has been an ongoing issue for a while and may prove to go against America.
Will home advantage tip the balance America’s way ?
The pair will need to put their differences to one side and concentrate on the next three days at Whistling Straits. One thing is certain it is doubtful that Stricker will be pairing DeChambeau and Kopeka together this weekend.
The home advantage that America have will be pivotal for them along with having a home crowd. This won’t faze Europe as they have won on American soil before against all odds.