It’s time. The 2023 Ryder Cup from Marco Simone Golf and Country Club is here. The groupthink behind Team USA having no shot in Rome has gotten extremely out of control. I had a friend text me in shock when he saw Team Europe as underdogs because of the narrative social media has built up around this year’s Ryder Cup.
the groupthink behind this ryder cup has gotten out of hand pic.twitter.com/Dlh8kobdfX
— Matt Gannon (@matt_gannon_) September 20, 2023
I will say right now. This will be an extremely competitive Ryder Cup from start to finish, very different from what we saw in Wisconsin. I am confident to say that Team USA will get their first win across the pond in three decades. “Why Matt? What is different? We suck on their turf. What reasons could you possibly have.” A passionate topic of mine that I am happy to share. Here are…
Three Reasons Team USA Will Win The 2023 Ryder Cup
1. The Bottom Half of Team Europe Would Not Sniff Making Our Squad
The names Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland are terrorizing for American golf fans, and rightfully so. The three all sit inside the top five of the OWGR and give the European side a great 1-2-3 punch and probably a clear advantage at the top.
From there, the drop-off is pretty significant. Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrell Hatton both had great seasons and would surely be on our teams if they were Americans. Matt Fitzpatrick had a bit of a lackluster season and carries an 0-5 Ryder Cup record, but he would surely be one of the last men on our roster. Major champion in 2022, elevated event winner in 2023, and showed some form late in the season.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the squad.
Justin Rose: A 43-year-old European legend with a win this season. Sadly for Rosey, he would not even be in the conversation to make our team.
justin rose is thinning shots out of bunkers into the grandstands, see what happens when u play the DP WT
— Matt Gannon (@matt_gannon_) July 1, 2023
Ludvig Aberg: A prolific young talent who would be on our team for years on end, but this Ryder Cup, no chance, not yet. Ludvig has a win in his short career, which is extremely impressive.
Outside of that, he has gotten himself into high-pressure weekend rounds nearly every start and has shit the bed all but one time. As recently as last week, Ludvig was the 54 hole leader at the BMW PGA Championship. After a flawless three days landed him a two-shot lead heading into the final round, he fired a Sunday 76 to finish in tenth.
Nicolai Hojgaard: Younger than Ludvig and a winner at Marco Simone! Nicolai is a prolific young talent as well. He lacks experience in big moments and will be a team Euro staple for years to come. But would have zero chance to sniff making Team USA for this Ryder Cup.
Shane Lowry: A fan favorite and a great guy. Shane had a season on par with a guy by the name of Justin Thomas, aka a very poor year of golf. What JT has that Shane does not is amazing Ryder Cup history and plenty of reps. Shane is 1-2 in his Ryder Cup career and in horrible form, missing his recent cut in a jabroni DP World Tour event as well. Shane would not be a part of Team USA if he became an American Citizen this past year.
Sepp Straka: An absolute microwave of a golfer who gives you all or nothing. Sepp goes on three-week mini runs where he looks like scorched earth and falls off quicker than ever. He was really hot in July and has not looked great since. He has all the tools to be a great Ryder Cup player but is not there yet.
Sepp would not be a consideration for Team USA if he was American. However, Sepp has got to be the most American, Austrian-born man ever. Going to college in Athens, Georgia will wipe the Austria out of a man quicker than ever. Everyone knows that.
Bobby mac literally isn’t good at golf
— Brian Kirschner (@BrianKirschner_) August 21, 2023
Finally, good ole Robert MacIntyre: Bobby Mac is another fan favorite with that big frame and infectious smile. Sadly, he is an unserious golfer. Bobby Mac ranks 131st in DataGolf’s player rankings, which is 67 places behind the next lowest player, Nicolai Hojgaard.
Mac would not have been a captain’s pick on this team if he did not qualify on “European Points.” This point system allocates points based on the purse size of the events. Basically, MacIntyre played well in those minimal events across the calendar year. Outside of those few events, he missed plenty of cuts and did not sniff contention. Robert MacIntyre would have a negative chance of being considered for Team USA.
2. The Golf Course no Longer suits the “European Style of Play”
For years, Team Europe had a distinct “home course” advantage, and that really has shown in the record books. The narrow fairways and thick rough are a European Ryder Cup staple, and that is what we will see in Rome. With that being said, this no longer gives a massive edge to the European side.
All of their top players play on the PGA Tour, which is “modernized American golf.” Bomb and gauge is the new recipe for success on this side of the pond, and that is not what we will see in Europe. This style of golf was a true, clear-cut advantage for Europe, but this is not the way anymore. Their top players will struggle just as much as our top players with this long, wispy rough. The competitive home course advantage is dead.
3. The Numbers
24 golfers, eight first-timers, 156 matches played. Both of these teams have a great combination of veteran presence, blossoming superstars, and hungry rookies. Let’s take a look at every single individual record of both teams.
2023 Team USA boasts a combined record of 34-22-13, which is a 61% win rate, excluding ties. On the other hand, 2023 Team Europe has a combined record of 36-39-12, which gives them a combined win rate of 48%, excluding tied matches. I get it; these are extremely subjective stats and do not tell the entire story, but the one thing about the numbers is that they are, in fact, the numbers.
i better not see any of my american friends who are shitting on team usa, saying saying euro this euro that… back pedal and victory lap a modern day american war victory when we take it home from rome in a few weeks. have some pride smh
— Matt Gannon (@matt_gannon_) August 22, 2023
Set your alarms for 3 a.m. EST, grab a coffee, and take the morning off work. This Ryder Cup is going to be an extremely fun viewing experience, and the better team will, in fact, win. Whether you are backing Team USA or not, show some pride and cheer for our country, and most importantly, remember these three words. ROCK, FLAG, and EAGLE! GO USA!!!
