Abounding questions. Answers awaited.
The 44th installment of the Ryder Cup matches commences Friday in Italy for the first time and will be played at Marco Simone Golf Club located just outside of Rome.
The memories of the 2021 matches in Wisconsin are now in the rear-view mirror and certain assumptions that followed that event have gone in entirely different directions. Most importantly, the emergence of LIV Golf fundamentally changed the order of professional golf. Long-time stalwarts on both squads, but particularly so for Team Europe, have turned what was a predictable line-up into a near complete overhaul.
Now on the eve of the matches four key questions remain to be answered with certainty.
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Can the USA finally win on the road for the first time since 1993?
The last time an American squad won in Europe came 30 years ago. After a dominating win two years ago, the consensus was Team USA looked to be in a superior position for the foreseeable future given the emergence of new talent on the scene.
With the lone exception of Scottie Scheffler, the bulk of the USA squad has played inconsistently through the year and the team will have no fewer than four rookies playing in their first matches. Playing a first Ryder Cup on foreign soil will be a major hurdle to overcome and USA skipper Zach Johnson will need to show a deft touch on how much action each sees.
The hurdle for the USA team to overcome is significant. In the last two matches played in Europe in Scotland (2014) and France (2018) — the USA has lost by margins of 5 and 7 points respectively. Getting off to a good start will be a crucial factor in keeping the demons from the past resurfacing.
Should the USA trail early the wherewithal to scale a such a deficit could prove to be a most difficult climb.
Can Europe rebound from the pounding inflicted at Whistling Straits and do so with a new core group of players?
The arrival of LIV only provided the final nail in the coffin for a number of long-time participants for Team Europe. Players such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson will not be participating and the probability of their future involvement even as potential Captains seems doubtful.
European Captain Luke Donald blended a team of experienced hands (Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry) along with four rookies that includes Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka, Nicolai Højgaard and Ludvig Aberg, who turned pro only in June,
How Donald mixes and matches the combinations needed in team play for the first two days of the competition could well prove to be a daunting task.
How will Marco Simone fare as a Ryder Cup site?
Host sites on European soil for Ryder Cup matches have been selected less for architectural quality and more so for the deep pockets of the host underwriting the event.
Marco Simone has served as the venue of other key European professional events but the Ryder Cup will provide the first global awareness. The original Jim and Tom Fazio II design has been considerably modified in recent years.
The site provides for plenty of terrain movement and, as customary, the host team can prepare the course as they see fit to benefit their effort.
What does that mean? A repeat episode of what was done with Le Golf National in Paris is likely. Narrow corridors for the fairways and rough strangling all but the most powerful of players in extricating one’s golf ball.
Team Europe was most successful in Paris following this same script. Can that happen again in Italy? Yes indeed. But no matter how Marco Simone plays the key rests on individuals executing when called upon. Making putts that matter at crucial moments and keeping one’s composure no matter the state of a given match.
Related: Luke Donald: Europe have work cut out to wrest Ryder Cup from ‘very strong’ USA
Justin time or a doubting Thomas?
When Johnson selected Justin Thomas as one of his Captain picks the central rationale was the cumulative record the two-time major winner has achieved in past Ryder and Presidents Cup matches. The figure of 16-5-2 is very strong but the counterweight to that has been a 2023 golf season that had Thomas miss cuts at three of the four majors along with failure to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
His last tune-up came at the Fortinet Championship played in mid-September where he finished fifth. Being a Captain’s pick will surely place him under the microscope in dealing with the ratcheting-up pressures that come with any Ryder Cup.
How Thomas performs could determine which team secures the Ryder Cup. His successful participation would validate the confidence Johnson has in him. Conversely, should Justin play poorly the resounding chorus of naysayers will be quick to pounce on the good ole boys club theme that prompted in their minds why Thomas was selected in the first place.
Abounding questions. Answers awaited.
The Eternal City is now front and center. Golf’s most consequential team match is set to start on Italian soil.
