The Ryder Cup begins this week in Rome, Italy. Here are some quick hitters as we start our coverage from THIS side of the pond!
What is The Ryder Cup?
The Ryder Cup is a biennial event that pits the best American and European golfers against each other in a series of matches. The ultimate goal over the three days is to earn more points than your opponent.
Points are awarded by winning different competitions. If a player or team wins the event outright, your country earns one point. If the two groups happen to tie, then each team receives half of a point.
The US, since they are the defending champions, only have to earn 14 points of the possible 28 available.
Teams
US Team
Captain: Zach Johnson
Scottie Scheffler#
Wyndham Clark#
Brian Harman#
Patrick Cantlay#
Max Homa#
Xander Schauffele#
Brooks Koepka*
Jordan Spieth*
Rickie Fowler*
Collin Morikowa*
Justin Thomas*
Sam Burns*
🚨 PSA: It's officially Ryder Cup month 🚨 pic.twitter.com/3dOknJYiWO
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 1, 2023
Europe Team
Captain: Luke Donald
Jon Rahm#
Rory McIlroy#
Viktor Hovland#
Tyrell Hatton#
Matt Fitzpatrick#
Robert MacIntyre#
Tommy Fleetwood*
Sepp Straka*
Justin Rose*
Shane Lowry*
Nicolai Hojgaard*
Ludvig Aberg*
#Automatic qualifier
*Captain’s Pick
One more week until the Ryder Cup gets under way 😬#TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/KyVlXwLAsk
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 22, 2023
Course
Marco Simone Golf and Country Club
Tom Fazio II helped redesign this course for Europe with match play events like the Ryder Cup in mind. Over 7,000 yards and a par 71 of rolling hills that overlook Rome, this course will require straight drives. The greens are as undulating as the countryside.
Could be a venue that will see heartbreak and jaw-dropping shots!
Last Five Holes
Here’s hoping the fourteenth through eighteenth holes will determine the winner! Unbelievable look to the finishing holes!
14-Try to cut the dogleg left and you might be rewarded or you might lose the tourney!
15-Carry the bunkers on the right and you can be sitting pretty. Failure to do so? You’d be sitting sandy! This could be a hard hole to birdie!
16-352 yard par 4? Oh man! The drivers will be either in your bag on the tee or in your hand! I want to see Koepka fly one on!
17-Par three with a three tiered green? Brutal! Imagine you stay up and the flag is down low. You’d be hoping you were on a miniature golf course with bricks behind the hole!
18-652 yard par five! You’d be needing a 3-wood for this bad boy! Imagine hitting into the rough longer than a 13 year old child!! Then, if you mishit a drive or fairway wood…how do you approach the green? If you bomb a drive, do you go for it or lay up? Man, this will be awesome theater!
Rough
Check this out!
The Europeans play this course for the Italian Open. They have been seeing this course for some time. The US could really struggle if they don’t hit it straight.
Find yourself in the rough and you might need to take an unplayable lie! There HAS to be a betting line for that!
Pageantry
Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
From rydercup.com
How to watch
9/29 Friday: 3:00 AM to Noon USA Network
9/30 Saturday: 1:30 AM to 3:00 AM USA Network
9/30 Saturday: 3:00 AM to 6:00 PM NBC/Peacock
10/1 Sunday: 5:30 AM to 1:00 PM NBC/Peacock
Next Article
A look at the Europeans!
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