Peek into the Teams, Matchups, and Conditions for the Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is set to take place September 29th through October 1st at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club located outside Rome.
Who’s In the Ryder Cup?
The U.S. team began with automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark, Max Homa, Brian Harman, and Patrick Cantlay. These 6 players earned a bid based off their performance and big wins this season. U.S Captain Zach Johnson selected Ricky Fowler, Jordan Speith, Brooks Koepka, Sam Burns, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Thomas as his captain’s picks.
While most of these picks were clear cut, a few are a bit controversial. The selection of Brooks Koepka would have been a no-brainer with his PGA Championship victory and Masters runner-up. However, this was uncharted territory as it is the first Ryder Cup since the LIV league began, making Brooks the first selected from the Saudi-run league. Justin Thomas making the team also surprised many, as he notably struggled this season, failing to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Thomas boasts a 6-2-1 record in the Ryder Cup, so Johnson is betting on his experience paying off.
Outcome Prediction
Team USA has not won a Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993. To put this in perspective, 4 golfers on the team had not been born yet. This will also be the first Ryder Cup appearance for 4 members of the U.S. team. The young team will be hungry to break the streak and defend their Ryder Cup title.
We expect the European’s home streak to end this year, with an abundance of talent on the USA roster. There is a strong balance of experience and youth. Team Europe is loaded at the top with the likes of John Rahm, FedEx Cup Champ Victor Hovland, and Rory McIlroy. On the contrary, they don’t have the depth of team USA.
Expected Conditions
The Mediterranean climate of Rome may make for some rainy days during the historic competition. The wetter season in Rome starts on September 8th, leading to an estimated 20% of rain any given day after that date. In a battle of the best golfers on the planet, it will be crucial for players to keep their equipment clean and dry.
Wet days are a challenge for any golfer. Fall golf is a great time of the season, but the conditions are testing. Always keep your clubs pristine with the Frogger Amphibian Towel. The two-layered towel makes it easy to keep your clubs both clean and dry. Soggy courses mean mud will be getting everywhere. Keep your golf ball clean with the Amphibian golf ball towel.
Grooves on your clubs are filled with mud, and more divots are taken with wet grass. To ensure you hit flush iron shots and get spin with your wedges, use the Frogger BrushPro with latch-it technology. They are quick and effective at maintaining clean grooves, and are highly accessible due to the latch-it ecosystem.
