The 43rd Ryder Cup matches will be held this weekend at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wis. Team Europe has won nine of the last 12 Ryder Cups and brings the trophy stateside as the defending champion. Team USA will field its youngest-ever team and arguably its most talented with 10 of its 12 members ranking in the top 13 in the OWGR and including six major champions. The event was supposed to take place last year but was canceled due to COVID-19. Team USA is a -175 favorite on market average to win the Ryder Cup while Team Europe is around 2-1.
THE EVENT
The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. The Ryder Cup is named after Samuel Ryder, the English businessman who donated the trophy. The event is jointly administered by the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe, the latter a joint venture of the PGA European Tour (60%), the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland (20%), and the PGAs of Europe (20%).
THE FORMAT
The Ryder Cup is a match-play event, with each match worth one point. The competition format will be as follows:
Day 1 (Friday): Four foursome (alternate shot) matches and four fourball (better ball) matches
Day 2 (Saturday): Four foursome matches and four fourball matches
Day 3 (Sunday): 12 singles matches
On the first two days there are four foursome matches and four fourball matches with the home captain choosing which are played in the morning and which in the afternoon.
With 28 points available, 14½ points are required to win the Cup, and 14 points are required for the defending champion to retain the Cup. All matches are played to a maximum of 18 holes.
THE COURSE
Whistling Straits was opened in 1998 and designed by Pete and Alice Dye. The track will play as a par-71 of 7,390 yards for the Ryder Cup. Whistling Straits is no stranger to holding major events as it served as the venue for the PGA Championship in 2004, 2010 and 2015 and for the U.S. Senior Open in 2007. The track is owned by the Kohler Company.
The Straits Course replicates the ancient seaside links courses of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Nestled along a two-mile stretch of Lake Michigan, the course has eight holes hugging the lake, a flock of Scottish Blackface sheep, elevation changes of approximately 80 feet and three stone bridges. It has vast rolling greens, deep pot bunkers, grass-topped dunes and winds that sweep in off the lake. Whistling Straits is a coastal-style links course, so there are few large trees or woods on the course. The course is open and exposed to the wind and elements.
On the surface, this course fits the Americans much better than Le Golf National did in 2018, but the elements can be the great equalizer.
RECENT HISTORY
Team Europe has won three of the last six Ryder Cups held on American soil. Meanwhile, Team USA has failed to win on European soil since 1993.
THE TEAMS
Team USA
Steve Stricker, captain
Age: 54
Ryder Cup appearances: 3
Edgerton-born and Madison resident captain Steve Stricker gets a home game in his native Wisconsin. Stricker served as a vice captain for the last three Ryder Cup teams (2014, 2016 and 2018) in addition to being the winning Presidents Cup captain in 2017. He clearly made his captain's picks with the course in mind, and no one should have more knowledge of this layout. Stricker's vice captains include Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples.
Collin Morikawa
Age: 24
Points ranking: 1st
OWGR: 3rd
Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-0-0
The last time a Ryder Cup was held in 2018, Morikawa was playing collegiate golf at Cal. Three years later, he is already a two-time major champion (2020 PGA, 2021 British Open), so he is not your average Ryder Cup rookie. He is also no stranger to international team match play as he went 4-0-0 in the 2017 Walker Cup and 5-3-0 as part of two Palmer Cup teams in 2017 and 2018. While he is still shaky with the flat stick, Morikawa is the best iron player in the world and is one of the more accurate drivers off the tee. Dustin Johnson is likely to be his playing partner, at least for the fourballs and perhaps even the foursomes. Pairing one of the longest and accurate hitters with the best approach man in the world looks to be a powerful combination.
Dustin Johnson
Age: 37
Points Ranking: 2nd
OWGR: 2nd
Ryder Cup appearances: 4
Ryder Cup record: 7-9-0
Foursomes: 1-3-0
Fourballs: 3-5-0
Singles: 3-1-0
This is the first year that Dustin Johnson has not won on the PGA Tour since 2014. DJ did win an event in Saudi Arabia on the European Tour, but he has clearly been below his 2020, which was capped by a Masters victory. He also has yet to find a consistent partner in international match play as he has been paired with nine players in nine total Ryder and Presidents Cup appearances. Perhaps Morikawa will be the right match for him as DJ loves this course. He has finishes of T-5 (2010) and T-7 (2015) in the two PGA Championships held at Whistling Straits, and arguably would have won the former if not for a rules infraction. In Sunday singles, he has been defeated only once (Ian Poulter, 2018) in four appearances.
Bryson DeChambeau
Age: 28
Points ranking: 3rd
OWGR: 7th
Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 0-3-0
Foursomes: 0-2-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-1-0
DeChambeau went 0-fer in his debut Ryder Cup appearance in 2018. He was paired with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who were both far from their best form at the time and lost both foursomes matches. In the meantime, he has not done himself any favors in terms of developing a strong rapport with any of his teammates. Stricker is going to have to do some experimenting here with potential partners to find the right mix as DeChambeau is too talented to leave on the bench and can intimidate almost any opponent with his length off the tee. However, he has seemed to be more focused on preparing for the World Long Drive Championship than the Ryder Cup. Perhaps fellow Dallas resident Scottie Scheffler will be the one asked to get DeChambeau to play nicer in the sandbox.
Brooks Koepka
Age: 31
Points ranking: 4th
OWGR: 10th
Ryder Cup appearances: 2
Ryder Cup record: 4-3-1
Foursomes: 1-1-0
Fourballs: 2-2-0
Singles: 1-0-1
One player who we do not have to worry about being partnered with DeChambeau is Brooks Koepka. Their feud was one of the main stories over the summer and it has done neither player any favors. Koepka has seemed indifferent about the Ryder Cup in recent comments. In addition, he had to withdraw from the Tour Championship three weeks ago with a left wrist injury, so there is a question about his fitness. It looks likely that Brooks and Tony Finau could be sent out again as they split a pair of fourball matches in 2018.
Justin Thomas
Age: 28
Points ranking: 5th
OWGR: 6th
Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 4-1-0
Foursomes: 1-1-0
Fourballs: 2-0-0
Singles: 1-0-0
It is hard to dub a player as the leader of Team USA after just one Ryder Cup appearance, but Thomas was the clear standout of the 2018 American team that took a 17.5-10.5 drubbing in Paris. JT went 4-1 at Le Golf National, which included a Sunday singles win over Rory McIlroy and going 3-1 as a partnership with his longtime junior golf bestie Jordan Spieth. Expect that pairing to continue at Whistling Straits because "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Thomas also was the co-leading American scorer at the Presidents Cup in 2019 and of all the elite American players, he clearly seems to have the most passion for this event. The Players champion could cap the year on a high note and is going to be looked to by Stricker for leadership on a team that has lacked it more often than not in recent years.
Patrick Cantlay
Age: 29
Points ranking: 6th
OWGR: 4th
Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-0-0
Cantlay was named PGA Tour Player of the Year last week after winning the FedEx Cup. His impressive putting performance at the BMW Championship downed DeChambeau in a playoff several weeks ago. "Patty Ice" is making his first Ryder Cup appearance but did post a 3-2 record at the 2019 Presidents Cup, including two foursomes wins with his likely partner for this week and fellow Southern California native rookie Xander Schauffele. They did lose both fourball matches together in Melbourne but will likely be provided with another chance this week.
Tony Finau (C)
Age: 32
Points ranking: 7th
OWGR: 9th
Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 2-1-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 1-1-0
Singles: 1-0-0
Other than the Thomas/Spieth tandem, Finau was about the only other bright spot for Team USA in the last Ryder Cup. In 2018, Finau was sent out with Koepka in the first morning fourball match and they took down Jon Rahm and Justin Rose. After a Saturday defeat against Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia, Finau thumped an undefeated Tommy Fleetwood 6 and 4 in singles. He also comes in with some momentum as he broke his five-year winless drought with a victory at the Northern Trust last month. Furthermore, in a team room where there is much tension (DJ vs. Koepka, Koepka vs. Bryson, Bryson vs. seemingly everybody), Finau is one of the only players who is universally liked by his teammates, which could go a long way for team chemistry.
Xander Schauffele (C)
Age: 27
Points ranking: 8th
OWGR: 5th
Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-0-0
Yes, Schauffele needs to get home more often on Sundays and should be in the winner's circle on a more regular basis, but he has been permanently entrenched as a top-10 player in the world for the last four years. The X-Man is also now a proven commodity in international competition having won Olympic gold in Tokyo earlier this summer. Like his compatriot Cantlay, Schauffele went 3-2-0 at the Presidents Cup in 2019, which included a singles victory over Adam Scott on essentially one of Scotty's home courses in Australia. Team USA has lacked some quality play on the greens in recent Ryder Cups and Schauffele should be a part of the solution to that problem for the Americans.
Jordan Spieth (C)
Age: 28
Points ranking: 9th
OWGR: 13th
Ryder Cup appearances: 3
Ryder Cup record: 7-5-2
Foursomes: 2-1-2
Fourballs: 5-1-0
Singles: 0-3-0
Speaking of play on and around the greens, this is where Spieth can fill an important role for Team USA. He has had his best season in over three years and is nearing a return to the world's top 10, which is a monumental feat considering he nearly fell out of the top 100 to begin 2021. His Ryder Cup record is erratic to say the least. He formed a formidable partnership with Patrick Reed, going 4-1-2 combined at Gleneagles and Hazeltine before their partnership went sideways. Then he finished 3-1 with childhood friend Thomas in Paris. However, he has never won a singles match. In fact, he is 0-3 at both the Ryder and Presidents Cups for a combined 0-6 record. Nevertheless, he has played in 14 of the 15 sessions during his three Ryder Cups, and Stricker will be relying on him in a major way to continue his resurgent 2021.
Harris English (C)
Age: 32
Points ranking: 10th
OWGR: 11th
Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-0-0
English has always been a solid putter, as his two 2021 playoff wins at Kapalua and the Travelers indicate, but his game off the tee has come a long way over the past two years. Unlike most of his teammates, English does not succeed based mainly on his talent, instead he is more of a grinder and should relish this opportunity to have finally made a Ryder Cup team. Nevertheless, this grinder is just one spot out of being ranked in the world's top 10. Based on his lack of experience in this event and lack of major championship pedigree, many would consider him one of the weaker members of the team. If Harris English is your team's "weak link," then you have an excellent team.
Daniel Berger (C)
Age: 28
Points ranking: 12th
OWGR: 16th
Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-0-0
Berger is likely English's likely playing partner. Berger is Mr. Consistency as he has missed only two cuts in the last 18 months to go along with two victories at Colonial and Pebble Beach. He is Team USA's gritty guy, and that grit is what makes him so solid on approach shots and on and around the greens. While Berger has not won since the winter at Pebble, he has finished with top-10s in the last two majors and has proven that a big stage like this one is not too big for him.
Scottie Scheffler (C)
Age: 25
Points ranking: 14th
OWGR: 21st
Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-0-0
While Scheffler has yet to register his first PGA Tour win, he has shown well in big events with four top-10s in his last six majors and two top-5s in three WGC events this year. He is probably the most controversial selection to the team, considering Patrick Reed was left off, but this is a player whose game really has no tangible weaknesses and can get on massive runs of birdies with the best of them.
TEAM EUROPE
Padraig Harrington, captain
Age: 50
Ryder Cup appearances: 6
Harrington was part of four Ryder Cup winning teams as a player and a three-time major champion (2007 and 2008 British Open, 2008 PGA). While his counterpart Stricker has taken his play primarily to PGA Tour Champions (three majors, seven victories), Harrington has just turned 50 and remains in the OWGR Top 200 and still maintains a high level of competitiveness on both the PGA and European Tours as evidenced by his T-4 finish at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in May. That is difficult to do, and he has managed to do so while giving his Ryder Cup captaincy his full commitment. Harrington's vice captains include Robert Karlsson, Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson.
Jon Rahm
Age: 26
Country: Spain
Points ranking: 1st European; 1st World
OWGR: 1st
Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 1-2-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-2-0
Singles: 1-0-0
The world No. 1 played only three matches last time out in Paris, but he’ll likely have to go all five sessions for the Europeans this time around. His lone Ryder Cup point came in 2018 with a Sunday singles-match victory over Tiger Woods. He can partner with just about anyone as his game really has no weaknesses. One partner he will not have is Sergio Garcia as the two are not exactly close friends. Rahm was snubbed as the PGA Tour Player of the Year as he posted just one victory. However, that one victory was his first major championship victory at the U.S. Open, where he birdied the 71st and 72nd holes. He had an up-and-down year with his career triumph at Torrey Pines but also had to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament, where he led by six shots going into Sunday, due to a positive COVID-19 test and missed the Olympics for the same reason. A big week here could put a nice exclamation point on a topsy-turvy 2021.
Tommy Fleetwood
Age: 30
Country: England
Points ranking: 2nd European; 7th World
OWGR: 37th
Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 4-1-0
Foursomes: 2-0-0
Fourballs: 2-0-0
Singles: 0-1-0
"Moliwood" is no more, at least for this Ryder Cup, as Francesco Molinari failed to qualify this time around. That pairing went 4-0 together in Paris, but now Fleetwood must find a new companion. Fleetwood seemed to be on the precipice of winning a major championship as he was a top-10 player in the world in 2019. That breakthrough has not happened yet as he has struggled off the tee. He has not won anywhere worldwide in almost two years.
Tyrrell Hatton
Age: 29
Country: England
Points ranking: 3rd European; 5th World
OWGR: 19th
Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 1-2-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 1-1-0
Singles: 0-1-0
Hatton split two fourball matches with partner Paul Casey in Paris in 2018. While he did not feature in foursomes last time out, it should be expected that he will this time around. Since his inaugural Ryder Cup appearance, Hatton has won three more times on the European Tour and earned his first PGA Tour win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2020. The form has not been there of late as he ended 2020 with a No. 10 OWGR and reached as high as No. 5 in the world after his win in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. He can be a bit erratic off the tee but is a solid iron player who’s excellent around the greens.
Bernd Wiesberger
Age: 35
Country: Austria
Points ranking: 4th European; 11th World
OWGR: 63rd
Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-0-0
Wiesberger has always aspired to make this team but never could time it just right. He seemed to play well in off Ryder Cup years and not so much when it mattered most. Nevertheless, he is an eight-time European Tour winner and rebounded from potentially blowing his shot in Switzerland a couple weeks before selection. The first player to represent Austria in the Ryder Cup, Wiesberger could get sent out in an early Friday session, which will determine how much he plays on the weekend before Sunday singles.
Rory McIlroy
Age: 32
Country: Northern Ireland
Points ranking: 6th European; 2nd World
OWGR: 15th
Ryder Cup appearances: 5
Ryder Cup record: 11-9-4
Foursomes: 5-4-1
Fourballs: 4-3-2
Singles: 2-2-1
Having participated in five Ryder Cups, McIlroy has played in 24 of 25 sessions in his career. He has experience with both Lee Westwood and Garcia, but over the last couple of Ryder Cups, he has been asked to be paired with and mentor a more inexperienced partner. In 2016, he was defeated in the first session with Andy Sullivan before being matched with Thomas Pieters. They went 3-0 together in what was the rare shining light for a European team that was drubbed at Hazeltine. In Paris for the 2018 Ryder Cup, he was put out in the morning fourball with Thorbjorn Olesen and took a loss. Hovland could be the next new member of the team that he is paired with for a session, but if that does not work then Garcia and Westwood are the old reliables.
Viktor Hovland
Age: 24
Country: Norway
Points ranking: 12th European; 3rd World
OWGR: 14th
Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-0-0
Hovland is the first Norwegian to represent Team Europe in the Ryder Cup. In the last 12 months, he has two victories, including one each on the PGA and European tours. He is a strong driver of the golf ball and has the iron play to match. The greens have been a struggle, but he has been showing improvement. Hovland and McIlroy are both coached by Pete Cowen, so there is a good chance that we will see a Team Cowen pairing. A veteran like Westwood or Garcia could also be an option as well.
Paul Casey
Age: 44
Country: England
Points ranking: 7th European; 4th World
OWGR: 24th
Ryder Cup appearances: 4
Ryder Cup record: 4-3-5
Foursomes: 1-1-0
Fourballs: 2-1-3
Singles: 1-1-2
Casey missed several Ryder Cups over the years because he was not compliant with the European Tour, which is the sanctioning body for Team Europe, and its qualification requirements. He returned for the 2018 event in Paris and split two fourball matches with Hatton as his partner, and it is a good bet that they are together again for at least one session. Casey could also be paired with another similar top-notch ball striker like Matt Fitzpatrick or get an all-Arizona State pairing with fellow Sun Devil Rahm.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Age: 27
Country: England
Points ranking: 5th European; 6th World
OWGR: 27th
Ryder Cup appearances: 1
Ryder Cup record: 0-2-0
Foursomes: 0-1-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-1-0
Fitzpatrick made his lone Ryder Cup appearance in 2016 at Hazeltine as a 22-year-old and may have not been prepared for that stage. Five years later, he is now a six-time European Tour winner and is a more seasoned player. He is also the best putter on this European team. Nevertheless, he is not a big hitter off the tee, so he would need to be paired with a longer and more consistent driver like a Rahm or Casey.
Lee Westwood
Age: 48
Country: England
Points ranking: 17th European; 8th World
OWGR: 35th
Ryder Cup appearances: 10
Ryder Cup record: 20-18-6
Foursomes: 9-5-4
Fourballs: 8-6-2
Singles: 3-7-0
Westwood, 48, had his streak of 10 straight Ryder Cup appearances broken in 2018 but proved earlier this year that he still has good golf left in him with consecutive runner-up finishes in March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (DeChambeau) and The Players Championship (Thomas). Westwood is the most experienced player in the field and certainly will not be benched the first two days as his foursomes record is excellent. He and Garcia are unbeaten as a duo in the alternate-shot format and are 4-1-2 overall together, but they have not been paired together since 2008. McIlroy looks to also be a potential partner as well.
Shane Lowry (C)
Age: 34
Country: Ireland
Points ranking: 15th European; 9th World
OWGR: 41st
Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourballs: 0-0-0
Singles: 0-0-0
Lowry probably earned his spot in May when he posted a top-5 finish at the PGA Championship. His playing partner for that final round at Kiawah Island? Fellow Irishman and team captain Harrington. He earned his signature victory at the British Open at Royal Portrush in 2019 and would have been an easy points qualifier for the team had the event been held in 2020 as scheduled. A potential pairing with Fleetwood, the man who finished runner-up to Lowry at the British Open, would not surprise.
Sergio Garcia (C)
Age: 41
Country: Spain
Points ranking: 19th European; 10th World
OWGR: 43rd
Ryder Cup appearances: 9
Ryder Cup record: 22-12-7
Foursomes: 10-4-3
Fourballs: 8-4-3
Singles: 4-4-1
Garcia provided the victorious European side three points at the last Ryder Cup (2018) in Paris. That gave him 25.5 overall and made him the highest points scorer in the history of the competition. Sergio has added some length off the tee in his early 40s and is still one the game's better drivers. The putting will always be shaky, but he tends to come to life in this event like his idol Seve Ballesteros. Don’t expect an all-Spaniard partnership with Rahm like Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal back in the day. Either Garcia goes out with previous partners McIlroy and/or Westwood, or perhaps takes the mentor role with a younger player.
Ian Poulter (C)
Age: 45
Country: England
Points ranking: 23rd European; 14th World
OWGR: 50th
Ryder Cup appearances: 6
Ryder Cup record: 14-6-2
Foursomes: 5-2-0
Fourballs: 4-4-1
Singles: 5-0-1
"The Postman" has always seemed to deliver for Team Europe in the Ryder Cup, but he is only 2-3-2 in his last two Ryder Cup appearances since his 4-0 at Medinah in 2012 when he put the team on his back to turn the tide for victory. Both of those appearances were on home soil and Poulter tends to be better when he is the villain and on the road. Poulter was likely the last captain's pick over fellow Englishman Justin Rose.
(C) — Captain's pick
SELECTIONS
Team USA to lift the trophy -175
Team USA 15.5-12.5 correct score 9-1
Team USA 16-12 correct score 9-1
This may be the youngest American team ever assembled in the Ryder Cup, but it is also the most talented. Backers of the European side are completely justified and certainly have recent history on its side, but this looks like the time for Team USA's younger core to come together. The distance advantage across the board will come into play.
Viktor Hovland top European scorer 6-1
The key to backing any player in this market is finding a player who will go all five sessions. McIlroy is certainly likely to do so for the Europeans, but his form has been off this year. Rahm, as the World No. 1, is likely to be called upon as well, but he is recovering from illness.
Hovland has international match-play experience and looks to be a good fit for this course. The Norwegian Ryder Cup rookie ranks fifth on the PGA Tour for SG: Off-The-Tee and 15th for SG: Approach.
Paul Casey -110 over Collin Morikawa — most points scored
Morikawa says he is over his recent back issues, but he has been well out of form since winning the British Open in July.
He also may play only the two foursomes sessions with DJ and his Sunday singles. Casey is likely to play both fourball sessions and perhaps one alternate shot along with his singles match.