The United States won the last edition of the Ryder Cup, in 2021 at home, but world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and his compatriots are aiming for a rare feat starting Friday near Rome: beating Europe on home soil. It is around a castle dating from the 15th century, built by a nobleman named Marco Simone (no relation to the ex-PSG player) in the hilly countryside of Lazio, east of Rome, that the 44th edition of the American-European duel is being held.
The challenge of the event which brings together, every two years, alternately the United States and Europe, 24 of the best players on the planet, is simple: Europe wants to wash away the affront of 2021 (defeat 19- 9) and continue its historic recovery since the first edition in 1927 (27 American victories, 14 British/European and two draws), while the United States is aiming for a first success on European soil since 1993.
“I had already said it at Whistling Straits,” recalled former world No. 1 Jordan Spieth this week. “It’s good to have won (two years ago), but we can’t talk about change in the dynamics of the Ryder Cup only when we have won in Europe”. Since 1993 (15-13 victory for the United States), the Americans have in fact suffered the law of the Europeans on their soil six times in a row with routs in 2006 (18.5-9.5) and more recently in Saint- Quentin-en-Yvelines in 2018 (17.5-10.5) and cruel setbacks like in 1997 (14.5-13.5) for the first edition played outside Great Britain and Ireland on the Spanish course of Valderrama.
“It’s going to be a really great duel this year,” said Spieth, who will represent the United States for the 5th time. “They have players on the European side who have a fantastic level, especially in recent weeks. It’s going to be complicated, but our group is strong.”
Two Scandinavian phenomena to follow
Europeans and Americans are almost back to back in terms of the number of players ranked in the top ten in the world: six on the American side, Scottie Scheffler (1st), Patrick Cantlay (5th), Xander Schauffele (6th), Max Homa (7th) and Brian Harman (9th) against four on the European side with Rory McIlroy (2nd), Jon Rahm (3rd), Viktor Hovland (4th), Matt Fitzpatrick (8th).
Decisive during the American victory of 2021, the youth is this time evenly distributed with four “rookies” (or beginners) on each side, but two precocious phenomena stand out on the European side, the Swede Ludvig Aberg, 23 years old and turned pro in June, and the Dane Nicolai Hojgaard, 22 years old. See how Aberg, Hojgaard and all the others cope with the pressure of the public, very close to the players on the narrow fairways of Marco Simone.
Because after the 43rd edition postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and deprived of European supporters due to entry restrictions on American territory, the Ryder Cup will return to its tens of thousands of spectators and its atmosphere far from the most exclusive clubhouses with fans shouting their support with “USA” and sometimes calling the players names. “Playing at home is an advantage, it boosts the players’ energy,” assured European captain Luke Donald.
Since the previous edition, golf has also experienced a schism with the creation of a dissident circuit, called LIV, financed by Saudi funds, whose millions of dollars and three-day tournaments attracted several big names who marked the history of the Ryder Cup.
If the North American (PGA) and European (DP World Tour) circuits reached an agreement in the spring to merge with the LIV, Sergio Garcia (10 participations in the Ryder Cup, record for points scored), Dustin Johnson or Ian Poulter who responded to the Saudi sirens and put themselves out of the game, are not in Rome. “It’s actually strange that they’re not there,” noted Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, LIV slayer. “They’re going to miss not being there, more than we’re going to miss them.”
2023-09-28 22:52:00
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