Tag: 2023 Ryder Cup

U.S. Ryder Cup team back to four captain’s picks? Not a chance, says Seth Waugh, other PGA brass

A pandemic might have changed the way the U.S. Ryder Cup team chooses players, but success is keeping the new system intact.

ORLANDO — A pandemic might have changed the way the United States Ryder Cup team chooses players for its side, but success is keeping the new system intact.

PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh and current president John Lindert said definitively this week during the annual PGA Show that current U.S. captain Zach Johnson will have six captain’s picks as the Americans look to end a 30-year drought on foreign soil in the 44th edition of the biennial matches against Europe at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy. And it’s unlikely the system will ever revert to its pre-pandemic ways.

Prior to 2008, captains were only given two captain’s selections with the other 10 picks chosen by automatic qualification through a points system. That jumped to four captain’s picks under Paul Azinger in ’08, then was bumped to six for captain Steve Stricker in 2021 due to COVID concerns.

The results spoke volumes: Stricker led the Americans to a 19-9 win at Whistling Straits, the largest margin of victory since all of Europe joined the Ryder Cup in 1979. After two decades of being pummeled by Europe, the U.S. has now won two of the last three matches.

And Lindert and Waugh said there’s no talk about ever going back to fewer captain’s picks.

“The feedback from last time’s Ryder Cup, it was a very positive influence to have the captain be allowed to have six captain’s picks for a variety of reasons and some that I didn’t even think about,” said Lindert, who is a member of the Ryder Cup committee along with Waugh. “When there were only two, the two who got picked somewhat didn’t feel inclusive because they were the two, right?

“With six, it’s a 50-50 field so it becomes a more inclusive team and it allows the captain to actually build a team.”

Julius Mason of the PGA of America, president John Lindert and CEO Seth Waugh speak at the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)

Johnson, 46, was officially named the captain of the 2023 Ryder Cup for Team USA last February. He played in the Ryder Cup five times (8-7-2 record) and the Presidents Cup four times (10-6-1) and was an assistant captain the past two editions of the Ryder Cup. He will be the 30th captain for Team USA.

Waugh added that the addition of extra selections makes the job more enticing for future captains.

“Really, the six started because of COVID.  We don’t know how many people are going to play or how long the season would be. And so, to give the captain maximum flexibility of obviously putting the best team on the field. And they loved it,” he said. “If you talk to a lot of the captains, the hardest thing they have to do is tell the 13th person that they didn’t make the team. So by having six choices, you’re making six happy calls, when you might be making a bigger number of unhappy calls because you might have to call 13 through 15 or something.

“They absolutely are all competitors who want to win. And we think this gives them the best opportunity to do that — to put the best team out of field.”

As of Jan. 26, 2023, the six automatic qualifiers for the U.S. team are Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young and Chris Kirk. It’s unknown if Dustin Johnson, currently seventh on the list, would be eligible for the event due to his ties with LIV Golf.

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‘It would be incredible’: In search of making European Ryder Cup team, Francesco Molinari tied for lead at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Francesco Molinari wants to be a member of the European Ryder Cup team this fall.

There’s no sugar-coating it: Francesco Molinari wants to be a member of the European Ryder Cup team this fall.

For the Italian, to represent the European squad on home soil would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it would mean Molinari had found some form from 5 years ago when he won his only major championship at Carnoustie.

That’s why his start at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links in the United Arab Emirates is a confidence boost, though Molinari knows there’s plenty of golf left to be played. He’s tied for the lead with fellow countryman Guido Migliozzi at 10 under after the second round, searching for his first win in four years and a big boost to make it back on the Ryder Cup squad.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Molinari said. “It’s a couple of good rounds but I know, I’m aware of where I’m coming from. So like I said yesterday, the game feels different. I think it looks different, too. But yeah, it’s just two rounds, so a long way to go.”

The Ryder Cup is scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone in Rome.

Molinari’s game dipped following a three-win stretch in 2018-19. At one point, he was ranked as high as fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking. Now, he’s at 166. He didn’t make the European Ryder Cup team in 2021 after playing in three previous editions of the competition.

After consecutive 5-under 67s to begin in Abu Dhabi, he’s in position to get a big boost in making the team. His brother, Edoardo, will be an assistant captain for the Europeans, too.

“I think obviously you don’t need my answer; it would be incredible (to be on the team),” Molinari said. “Yeah, there’s many months to go. It’s obviously nice to start the season this way. I never needed a pick for my three Ryder Cups, so it would be nice not to need a pick again this year.”

Migliozzi shot 3-under 69 on Friday to follow up his stellar opening round of 7-under 65. The pair lead Jason Scrivener by a shot.

Luke Donald, the 2023 European Ryder Cup captain who led after a first-round 64, shot 3 over and is T-22.

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Davis Love III will serve as vice captain to Zach Johnson at 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome

Love played in six Ryder Cups and has served as captain twice.

U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Zach Johnson has selected Davis Love III to serve as a vice captain for the 2023 matches, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome.

“I’ve been involved in the Ryder Cup since 2006, and I can tell you, without a doubt, that Davis Love III’s passion for the event is unmatched,” Johnson said in a release. “As I thought about the 2023 U.S. Team and those who we’d ask to serve as a Vice Captain, there was no doubt that Davis would be one of those individuals. I will lean heavily on the experience and insight of DLIII in Italy as the U.S. Team works to retain the Ryder Cup.”

Love’s Ryder Cup resume includes two stints as captain (2012, 2016) and six appearances as a player.

“The Ryder Cup is one of the truly special events in all of sports, and I am so honored to be named a Vice Captain in Italy in 2023,” said Love in a release. “Zach has worked tirelessly since he was named Captain, and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to help Zach and the entire U.S. Team to win in September.”

In September 2022, Love led the U.S. side to victory at the Presidents Cup.

As of now, the six automatic qualifiers for the U.S. team are Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young and Dustin Johnson. It’s unknown if Johnson will be eligible for the event due to his ties with LIV Golf.

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Shane Lowry addresses transition period in European golf ahead of 2023 Ryder Cup

“It’s up to us, the rest of the lads to get our game to a level where we are good enough to win The Ryder Cup.”

Shane Lowry acknowledges that European golf is heading through a major transition.

With the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone in Rome quickly approaching, Lowry knows the European team is going to look vastly different than the one comprised at Whistling Straits in 2021, which fell 19-9 to the youngest American squad ever.

The Europeans are going to be much younger in Italy. With the departure of numerous European stalwarts to LIV Golf, deeming them ineligible for the Ryder Cup, players like Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey have perhaps played their last competition representing the Europeans.

Speaking ahead of the DP World Tour’s Hero Cup this week, Lowry doesn’t see a youth movement for Europe as a bad thing.

“I think it was always going to be that way, if you look at The Ryder Cups over the last 10 years, I think we have — the two best players in the world are European players at the minute I feel with Jon (Rahm) and Rory (McIlroy). It’s up to us, the rest of the lads to get our game to a level where we are good enough to win The Ryder Cup at the end of the year.

The Hero Cup is a new event for the DP World Tour that mimics the Ryder Cup. Ten teams of two are competing over three days against one another, and there are plenty of younger, hungry Europeans looking to earn their way onto the team fo/r the first time.

A week in this format could give them a glimpse of what to expect come September.

“It’s great for the younger lads that are here this week to be around the likes of Francesco (Molinari) and Tommy (Fleetwood) and myself and Tyrrell (Hatton) and lads like that. And to have Paul McGinley and José Maria Olazabal and Edoardo (Molinari) and Luke (Donald) here is pretty good. I feel like we have the bonds of a very strong team come September, and I hope that we all step up when it comes to it.

“And like I say, one of my main goals this year is to win The Ryder Cup and I hope to be a part of that team and hoping to be there and hopefully win it back.”

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‘I just want to win:’ Why Matt Fitzpatrick isn’t against LIV Golf players being on European Ryder Cup team

“I think there definitely are a few personal relationships that have been dented by this.”

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has some big decisions to make regarding his team for the 2023 event in Italy.

Rory McIlroy, a Ryder Cup veteran and leader for the European side, has been outspoken about LIV Golf players and his belief they should not be on the team bound for Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2023. Jon Rahm, however, has stated he’d be in favor of LIV players, such as Sergio Garcia, being on the team.

Add Matt Fitzpatrick to Rahm’s side of the debate. The 2022 U.S. Open champion told Sky Sports that he would support LIV players being in the mix for the biennial bash against the Americans next fall because he wants the Euros to field the strongest team possible by selecting the 12 best players.

“I think there definitely are a few personal relationships that have been dented by this. I’m not bothered, I just want to win, and I’m sure those boys do too,” said Fitzpatrick, who noted Garcia stands out in particular. “I’m happy to share a room with him, if that’s going to be the case, I can corner him off for everyone else.”

Garcia, Team Europe’s all-time leading scorer with 28 ½ points in 10 appearances, is one of a handful of European players who made the jump to LIV in 2022, including Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson, who was to be the captain of the 2023 European team before he  lost his position in July due to his move to the upstart, Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.

“It was a tough one because (Stenson) had started gearing up for Rome, making notes and putting plans together,” said Fitzpatrick, “And then it’s like, ‘sorry, lads, I’m off.'”

“As long as you go and don’t come back, I don’t have an issue,” Fitzpatrick said of players who made the move to LIV. “Go take the money, go play wherever you want, I could not care less, just don’t come back and then take spots from other guys that want to play.”

“I understand that there’s the likes of Westy, Poulter and Sergio that have played a lot in Europe over the years and have done their bit, and they have,” he continued. “I can’t ever knock them for that, they’ve done way more than I have for the European Tour.”

In two appearances for the Euros in 2016 and 2021 – both ended in lopsided losses to the United States on American soil – Fitzpatrick holds a dismal 0-5-0 record. The Europeans haven’t lost on their own turf since 1993 and will enter the 2023 competition severely outgunned. Twelve Americans are currently ranked inside the top 20 in the world, seven of which have Ryder Cup experience. Team Europe has just five: McIlroy, Rahm, Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry.

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Ryder Cup 2023: Luke Donald names Nicolas Colsaerts as European vice captain at Marco Simone

The Europeans have selected their third vice captain.

Luke Donald has added more experience to bolster his team room ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup.

He announced Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts as the European team’s third vice captain on Tuesday, joining Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari.

“My first reaction when Luke asked me was sheer joy,” Colsaerts said. “Every time I hear the words ‘Ryder Cup,’ it takes me back to the edition I played in, how proud I was to wear the European colors and be part of such an unbelievable event. Of course, Luke was in that team, too, and when we spoke he mentioned how much he has always loved what the Ryder Cup means to me.

“Being a vice captain is a different role to being a player but, nevertheless, my mission in 2023 will be exactly the same as it was in 2012, namely, to make a contribution to the team in any way I can.”

During that 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, Colsaerts went 1-3-0, his lone win coming in four-ball. He and partner Lee Westwood had eight birdies and an eagle throughout the round and beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker on the final hole.

Colsaerts has won three times on the DP World Tour, his latest being the 2019 Open de France. He has played in 436 DP World Tour events.

“Nico has been on my mind for a couple of months now, to be honest,” Donald said. “I played in the team with him in 2012, and you could just see how much it meant to him. He understands what it means to represent the European crest and what it means to be part of the Ryder Cup set-up. When I asked him, he literally had goosebumps – so I am very happy to have him as my third vice captain.”

The 2023 Ryder Cup will be contested at Marco Simone in Rome, Italy, from Sept. 26-Oct. 1, 2023.

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Sergio Garcia dishes on Ryder Cup future, not feeling ‘welcome’ on DP World Tour after LIV Golf move

Garcia is 25-13-7 in 10 appearances, and his 28.5 points is a Ryder Cup record.

The last time we saw Sergio Garcia at the Ryder Cup, the Spaniard earned three points for Team Europe at Whistling Straits in 2018.

Fans didn’t know it at the time, but that week in Wisconsin may end up as Garcia’s last time representing the Europeans in the biennial bash against the Americans. The 42-year-old would have most likely been a captain’s pick at best for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, but the event’s all-time points leader would have undoubtedly been a future captain — that is until he joined LIV Golf.

While his fellow countryman Jon Rahm has been supportive of LIV players still being on the European Ryder Cup team, the likes of Rory McIlroy have not. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated ahead of LIV’s regular-season finale at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Garcia admitted he heard players speak out against his involvement and said, “if the team is better without me, I’d rather be out of it.”

“There’s obviously several guys who feel strongly that way. The (DP World) Tour is on that same thought. So I don’t want to be something that might hurt the team. I love the Ryder Cup too much,” said Garcia, who joined the upstart series led by Greg Norman and backed by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund knowing his Ryder Cup future could be in doubt. “Obviously, it’s sad for me, how much I love the Ryder Cup and everything I’ve been able to do with Europe there. That’s the way they want it. I’m just helping out.”

An uncomfortable tension in the team room isn’t the only obstacle in Garcia’s way. The 16-time DP World Tour winner won’t retain his membership due to failed obligations. In order for players to remain members, they must play in four tournaments, including three Rolex Series events as well as one in their home country. So far, Garcia has played in the Dubai Desert Classic (T-12), BMW International Open (T-48) and BMW PGA Championship (WD), leaving him one shy of the Rolex and home country rules.

“It was a hard decision. But unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like I’m very welcome there, so I don’t want to be a bother to anyone,” Garcia said of his decision to not enter next week’s DP World Tour stop in his native Spain. As pointed out by SI, if Garcia had played well at the Mallorca Golf Open, he may have been able to qualify for the DP World Tour’s season-ending stop in Dubai and meet the Rolex requirement.

Garcia boasts a 25-13-7 Ryder Cup record in 10 appearances, one shy of all-time leader and fellow LIV player, Lee Westwood (11). His 28.5 points is a record and five clear of the all-time American mark, held by Billy Casper (23.5).

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Jon Rahm on LIV members and the Ryder Cup: ‘I wish they could play, but it doesn’t look good’

“I wish they could play, but it doesn’t look good.”

LIV Golf has torn the game apart at the seams.

A clear example came at last month’s Presidents Cup, where International Captain Trevor Immelman had to pick up the pieces after two of his stalwarts, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann, left for the Saudi Arabia-funded circuit.

Although they fought until the end, the International squad didn’t have nearly enough to compete with the Americans — a team that would have included Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka if they, too, didn’t sign with Greg Norman.

The next team event on the schedule is the 2023 Ryder Cup set to be staged at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy, from September 29 to October 1.

Several players from the 2021 European team that was dismantled at Whistling Straits — Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Bernd Wiesberger — are now banished from the PGA Tour.

Although beyond their prime, experience in team competitions can’t be overstated (although it didn’t seem to work in ’21).

With the apparent loss of these veterans, European Captain Luke Donald will need to find new blood to fill the open roster spots.

What could the ’23 Ryder Cup teams look like?: U.S. | Europe

“We’re still a little bit in limbo. We don’t know what’s going to happen with the lawsuit, so I’m trying to not really put too much energy into it. Once we get a clearer picture, I can give you better answers,” Donald said last month at the BMW PGA Championship.

On Saturday, Jon Rahm told The Telegraph how he feels about allowing LIV members to play in the biennial event.

“The Ryder Cup is not the PGA Tour and European Tour against LIV – it’s Europe versus the US, period,” Rahm said. “The best of each against the other, and for me the Ryder Cup is above all. I wish they could play, but it doesn’t look good.”

He’s not the only highly-ranked European star to feel this way. Matt Fitzpatrick, world No. 10, spoke freely last month at the DS Automobiles Italian Open, an event played at Marco Simone.

“I just want to win the Ryder Cup… I want the 11 best guys we can get. I’m not really too bothered about where they are going to come from,” he said.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, doesn’t want any part of it.

“I have said it once I’ve said it a hundred times, I don’t think any of those guys should be on the Ryder Cup team,” he said in Italy.

“I think the European Team has a core of six or seven guys that I think we all know are pretty much going to be on that team, and then it’s up to some of the younger guys to maybe step up.

“But I think we were in need of a rebuild, anyway,” McIlroy continued. “It was sort of, we did well with the same guys for a very long time but again as I just said, everything comes to an end at some point. I think Whistling Straits is a good sort of demarcation, I guess.”

Ryder Cup 2021
Team Europe players (clockwise from top left) Sergio Garcia, Shane Lowry, Ian Poulter, and Rory McIlroy laugh while posing for a team photo during a practice round for the 43rd Ryder Cup golf competition at Whistling Straits. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

All three — Rahm, McIlroy and Fitzpatrick — are expected to be in Rome next year.

In the end, if LIV players aren’t allowed to participate, Europe will have to turn to young names such as Robert MacIntyre and the Hojggard twins. MacIntyre is currently the third and last automatic qualifier for captain Donald.

The Europeans won the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris and haven’t lost on home soil since 1993 at The Belfry.

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Photos: Ryder Cup captains Luke Donald, Zach Johnson tour Rome one year out from matches in Italy

The American and European captains saw everything from the Vatican to the Colosseum.

The countdown to the 2023 Ryder Cup is officially underway.

The best golfers from the United States and Europe will venture to Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, September 29–October 1., where Italy will host the Ryder Cup for the first time in the event’s 96-year history.

Captains Luke Donald and Zach Johnson participated in a series of Ryder Cup Year To Go celebrations over three days in Rome that ended with the pair holding a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican. They also visited the Colosseum, hit shots from the Temple of Venus and Roma and attended a gala dinner at the exclusive Palazzo Colonna.

Captains Zach Johnson, Luke Donald meet Pope Francis at the Vatican, give him a replica Ryder Cup

“It was a very memorable experience and the honor wasn’t lost on us,” said Johnson.

Being a Ryder Cup captain has its perks and benefits, especially when Italy is the host nation of the biennial bash.

As the Americans and Europeans prepare to square off at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, September 29 – October 1, 2023, U.S. captain Zach Johnson and European captain Luke Donald took part in the Ryder Cup Year to Go Celebrations that included a visit to the Colosseum, hitting shots at the Temple of Venus and Roma, a gala dinner at the exclusive Palazzo Colonna, and oh yeah, they met the pope.

“It was a very memorable experience and the honor wasn’t lost on us,” said Johnson. “Clearly today was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Pope Francis was beyond gracious, warm and welcoming. (Wife Kim) and I will never forget our Vatican morning.”

Donald and Johnson held a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican and gifted him an inscribed replica Ryder Cup: “Presented to His Holiness The Pope By Ryder Cup Captains Luke Donald and Zach Johnson.” Among countless world-famous paintings and sculptures, the captains’ names will live on forever on the cup in the Vatican.

“As Ryder Cup Captain I am fortunate to be able to do many special things, but having a private audience with Pope Francis was certainly a memory that myself and (wife Diane) will always cherish,” added Donald.

The U.S. currently holds the Ryder Cup after its dominant 19-9 win at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin in 2021. Italy will host for the first time next fall when the Americans will look to win for the first time on foreign soil since 1993 at The Belfry.

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