Rónán MacNamara in Rome
The grandstand surrounding the first tee at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club for this weekend’s Ryder Cup is built to resemble the famous colosseum in Rome. This amphitheatre provides views of the entire first hole, several holes on the golf course, the mountains in the distance and the Roman countryside.
There is little space to hide.
Two years ago it seemed inevitable that Europe would succumb to the US gladiators but the loss of some key American players to LIV Golf and the emergence of some young European talent has changed the landscape and ensured that this year’s battle will be a thunderous clash of the titans.
Earlier this month losing 2021 European captain Pádraig Harrington claimed that the emergence of LIV Golf had weakened the Americans but not the Europeans and it does seem that in 2023 the gap between the two sides has narrowed from that record breaking win for the Stars and Stripes.
Zach Johnson selected just one LIV golfer – Brooks Koepka – while stars of 2021 Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Kokrak and Dustin Johnson are missing this week. Mr ‘Captain America’ Patrick Reed misses his second straight Ryder Cup and one has to wonder had they not defected to LIV would they have been selected. Compelling cases are also there for DJ and Bryson.
Zach Johnson also felt unable to select Phil Mickelson or Talor Gooch. Two players who were playing very well two years ago.
Meanwhile the defection of Ryder Cup legends, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey to the Saudi backed tour has allowed Europe to remove the ‘deadwood’ as it were in football terms, coupled with a change in qualification process.
Europe has lost three future captains with a dream captaincy also for Graeme McDowell at Adare Manor in 2027 looking impossible. But LIV Golf seems to have hit the USA on the playing side.
Of the four LIV players on the USA team in Whistling Straits, Zach Johnson has elected to bring only Koepka and in total this apparently, young, exuberant, talented and potentially dominant USA side have touched down in Rome without six of their record-breaking team of two years ago.
In Chicago USA boasted an average age of 29.08 while an ageing Europe arrived past their peak following the year-long Covid delay and ageing badly with an average age of 34.58 including four players in their 40s – none of whom are here this year.
Now, the landscape has changed. Both teams have an average age of 30 with some much needed youth being injected into the Europeans.
The average world ranking of the European team in 2021 was 31 while the USA boasted an average ranking of 9. This time around the gap has narrowed to 29 for the Europeans and 13 for the US. However, Europe boast three of the top four golfers in the world behind Scottie Scheffler with Matthew Fitzpatrick (8) making it an even split in the top-8.
USA lead 7-6 in the top-13 players in the world.
A lot has changed for Europe this year. While the US have more depth in their twelve, even able to omit Lucas Glover, Tony Finau and Keegan Bradley among others, Europe have developed a strong core which is good enough to carry the bulk of the fight to the USA.
Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland will be expected to carry the fight to the USA while Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Sepp Straka and arguably Shane Lowry and Matt Fitzpatrick provide genuine world class depth. Europe have a very formidable 1-8 and a core that can play the majority of matches in Marco Simone, perhaps all five even. Add to that rookie hotshots in Nicolai Hojgaard and in particular, Ludvig Åberg, two potential aces in the pack who are both young and relatively unknown to the Americans that could stun the visitors.
In four foursomes and fourball sessions on Friday and Saturday, Team Europe Captain Luke Donald has pairings that pick themselves.
Home advantage will be crucial as will course set up with McIlroy stating the Europeans want to take wedge out of the Americans hands.
The fairways at Marco Simone are narrow, the rough is brutal and penal while the greens are going to be slower than the Americans would be used to.
Perhaps even most importantly, it’s windy here.
The US might boast three of the four major champions but Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark are both rookies and certainly not outstanding talents by any stretch and don’t provide the same guarantees that a Johnson or a DeChambeau would while all eyes will be on the performances of Justin Thomas who was a very controversial pick with ZJ playing a dangerous game picking previous form over current form.
Two years ago the USA seemed better placed than ever to end thirty years of hurt on the continent but when they step into Rome’s colosseum on Friday morning they will meet a European team (despite being in transition) that are a worthy match.
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