The Sunday Pin Golf

USA 19 – Europe 9. Whistling Straits. European team in tatters and it’s front man in tears. These are the notions that remain of Europe’s crushing defeat in the 2021 Ryder Cup. A team that was built on experience and guided youth, demolished in a matter of days.

The same Team Europe legends who built Europe’s winning history – Poulter, Casey, Westwood and Garcia, left to nothing but dust. However, that is often how it goes. Those who light the fuse, often get buried in its rubble.

From an American standpoint, it was a completely dominating performance from what at the time was a team of emerging talent. Koepka, Morikawa, Bryson and Dustin Johnson all in their primes ripping the Europeans to shreds. The fact now world number one, Scottie Scheffler, was the final captains pick further illustrates their strength.

American poet T.S Eliot’s The Hollow Men perfectly describes the win.

“This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but with a whimper”

Perfectly depicting the lack of fight in Europe’s legs in the Sunday singles as they lost 8-4.

However, from that dying whimper we saw in 2021, the 2023 team in Rome evolved a loud roar. A commanding 16.5 to 11.5 points win for the European’s was just what was needed after Whistling Straits. The American team poised in 2023 was sure to win, especially with the amount of new blood in the European team, but sure enough, seeds grow.

The spark that the new broods injected to the team was obvious. Dante’s Inferno puts it best.

 “From a little spark may burst a flame”

Burst a flame they did, an inferno even. A poem that describes a man’s journey through Dante’s nine realms of hell, somehow aptly fits, as team Europe put Zach Johnson’s team through the very same thing. Storming the opening session 4-0. A statement that gave them the cushion they needed to settle into the tournament.

The gap allowed captain Luke Donald to breathe and allow some of the newer faces to get in on the fun. Rookies like Ludvig Aberg and Bob MacIntyre shining in that light. Ultimately, with the wave of support from the roman crowd, and the spirit of the romans themselves within the players, they cruised to a statement making win over what should have been a strong American team. Donald’s Inferno complete.

Next month, at Bethpage Black, the sides get ready for battle once again. And finally, the teams are picked.

America – Burns, Cantlay, DeChambeau, English, Griffin, Henley, Morikawa, Schauffele, Spaun, Scheffler, Thomas and Young.

Europe – McIlroy, Fleetwood, Hovland, Lowry, MacIntyre, Rose, Hojgaard, Aberg, Hatton, Rahm, Fitzpatrick and Straka.

A home American team that is imbued with new faces such as – Spaun, Griffin, Henley and Young. A mix of old guard and rookies that I think plays perfectly into the hands of the European team. As a fan of golf, I do not get the sense these four players have the bottle and bravery required to step up to the plate in the Ryder Cup and perform. I think this section of the team will have two or three players that will underperform.

Looking elsewhere on the USA team, there is sure fire strength, the obvious two being Scheffler and DeChambeau. However, along with this power duo, there is a lot of in my opinion, Dead weight. Colin Morikawa a prime example of such. A young man who cruised to two major wins early in his career but recently hasn’t done much since. A player who has had a carousel of a caddie position this past year and no good results to back it up. This does not spark confidence in his performance.

Another laggard on this team is Justin Thomas, who undoubtedly has a positive effect on the locker room of the team, but whom I doubt can have a positive effect on the team’s performance. Especially, without his preferred partner Jordan Spieth on the team. His win at the RBC Heritage earlier in the year floats notion of readiness on his behalf but my gut questions his ability to perform.

The European team on the other hand remains rather untouched, apart from the bizarre Hojaard brother swap. Fuelled with confidence from Rome it’s hard not to think they won’t go into the heart of Bethpage daggers at the ready.

Rory off the back of a career grand slam. Fleetwood winning the FedEx Cup. Rahm and Hatton tearing it up on LIV. Not to mention the upward trending form of certain fringe players including Rasmus and Hovland. However, that doesn’t mean that the team doesn’t have its flaws.

Although Matt Fitzpatrick’s form has been trending in the right direction, I think he lacks a certain bite needed in the Ryder Cup. His current record of one win and seven losses is hardly something to be proud of. His singular win coming while paired with Rory of course… He is a kink in the armour.

At the end of the day, in the Ryder Cup, stats don’t matter, history doesn’t listen, and form is simply just a word. We have seen players transform themselves on the world stage into something they simply aren’t on tour. I have no doubt, this phenomenon will present itself once again.

This year’s edition is poised to be a great one. The New York crowd sure to create a hostile environment, an inferno of their own, and the sight of two players at the top of their game in Scottie and Rory, leading their respective sides into battle.

Finally, to quote Robert Frost’s Fire and Ice

“Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in Ice”

Will Europe’s flame continue or will USA freeze their chances.

By

E.J Ganaza

3/9/25

The Sunday Pin