The PGA Tour season has come to a conclusion, and the best golfers in the world will enjoy a few weeks off before the FedEx Cup Fall begins with the Fortinet Championship on September 14th.
With a break in action, it is a good time to preview the upcoming Ryder Cup that’ll take place at the end of September in Italy between the United States and Europe.
The 44th edition of the Ryder Cup starts on September 29th and concludes on October 1st. Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, just outside of Rome, Italy, will host the three-day international event.
The Americans won the 43rd Ryder Cup on U.S. soil in 2021, defeating the Europeans in convincing fashion, 19-9, at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin. Dustin Johnson led Team USA with a perfect 5-0 record, recording five of the 19 points for the Americans.
Leading into the event, the United States are currently favored (-125) over Europe (+140).
Check out the full Ryder Cup 2023 odds over on Bookmaker
Ryder Cup History
The first Ryder Cup took place in 1927 between the United States and Great Britain at Worcester Country Club in Worcester Country, Massachusetts. The Americans won the inaugural event, 9.5-2.5 under the leadership of captain Walter Hagen.
Since the first playing, the United States own a 27-14-2 record against Europe, but that lead is shrinking, with the Europeans victorious in nine of the last 13 events. More so, the Europeans haven’t lost in Europe since a 1993 defeat at The Belfry in England.
The last two events played on European soil were blowouts for The Europe team, including a 16.5-11.5 victory at Gleneagles in 2014.
Ryder Cup Format
The Ryder Cup is played over three days, all featuring match play events, each worth one point.
Day 1 of the Ryder Cup features four foursomes playing alternate shot and four fourball (better ball) matches. On Saturday, Day 2, four foursomes matches will take place along with four fourball matches. The final day of the Ryder Cup is where the drama unfolds with 12 singles matches going on, all worth one point apiece.
There are a total of 28 points available, with 14.5 points required to win the Cup or 14 points required for the defending champion to retain the Cup. No matches will go longer than 18 holes, resulting in a halve (tie) if all square at the conclusion of the round.
Previewing Team USA
Like years past, Team USA will be made of six automatic qualifiers and six captain’s picks. This year’s captain is Zach Johnson, who is no stranger to Ryder Cup action.
The six automatic qualifiers are Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, and Xander Schauffele. While not official, it has been reported that the remaining six captain’s picks will go to Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, and Sam Burns.
Previewing Team Europe
The European Team follows a different selection criteria with three qualifiers from each of the European and World points lists, and the number of captain’s picks bumped from three to six selections.
So far, four players have qualified for the event based on their spots on the European points list. Those players are Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, and Tyrrell Hatton. Expect Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, and Justin Rose as almost guarantees to make up four additional spots on the roster.
The final four selections are up in the air, with Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg, Adrian Meronk, Seamus Power, and Alex Noran all in contention for the remaining slots.
