2023 Ryder Cup: Americans Look to Take Europeans for a Ride in Enemy Territory, But How?

Decisions lie ahead for the United States ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup, including a major choice in who Captain Zach Johnson will choose for the team that looks to dethrone the Europeans and give the U.S. their second straight title.

In t-minus 60 days, the 44th Ryder Cup is set to be underway at continental Europe’s home venue, Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome.

After getting obliterated by Team Europe at Le Golf National in France, which measured an approximate distance of 6,700 yards at the 42nd annual Ryder Cup in 2018, the United States regained the cup on home turf when it pulverized the Europeans by ten points (19-9) in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

The U.S. Team has taken back the Ryder Cup. 🏆🇺🇸

A dominant showing at Whistling Straits. pic.twitter.com/GveZ5ZHx6w

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 26, 2021

During the course of the Ryder Cup’s bi-annual matches in recent history, the Europeans boast a 4-2 advantage over the Americans, including three-consecutive victories at the 2010 Ryder Cup, the 2012 Miracle at Medinah, and 2014 Gleneagles editions matches.

For the first time since Valhalla in 2008, the U.S. managed to defeat the Europeans at the 2016 matches and prevailed on its side of the Atlantic at Hazeltine.

Since 2016, the Americans, on some level, have successfully regained their footing by winning two out of the three Ryder Cups that were held in that time frame. In somewhat surprising fashion, the superior Americans, at least on paper or in the overall quality of its individual players compared to Europe, have not won the Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993’s matches at the Belfry Golf Resort in England.

If the two-time major champion and native Iowan Zach Johnson plans on bringing home the Cup for Team USA for the first time in 30 years, whilst serving as U.S.’s Ryder Cup Captain, he’s going to have to select the right players.

In other words, he shouldn’t make the mistake of electing to-pick players who merely “fit the mold.” Said another way, don’t feel the pressure to-pick players who somehow feel they “deserve” to be picked.

For instance, Justin Thomas wasn’t shy in admitting how badly he wants to compete at the 2023 Ryder Cup, and despite his miserable performance at the 2023 Open Championship, where he missed the cut with a score of +11, and the 2023 season’s other three majors.

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson and Justin Thomas weigh in on the state of JT’s game. pic.twitter.com/T1gMoPvNip

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) July 21, 2023

Regardless of what the media, the players, or whoever says/thinks or tries to convince him of, Johnson should embrace the mindset of “I’m the captain, and what we’ve done in the past whilst-overseas hasn’t worked”.

Instead, Captain Johnson should politely respond, “Sorry, Jim (Furyk), Tom (Watson), Corey (Pavin), Tom (Lehman), and Curtis (Strange), but I’ve got this under control.”

Here are the updated U.S. Ryder Cup standings following the Open.

Top six auto-qualify, and ZJ has six picks. There are four events left to earn points ($1,000 = 1 point at the 3M, Wyndham, Memphis and BMW). After that, the standings are locked.

What’s your biggest takeaway? pic.twitter.com/OLpkSDJGEU

— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) July 24, 2023

As difficult as that may sound, Zach must acknowledge the American’s incompetence in overseas Ryder Cups. Also, Johnson should make a point of selecting players who are playing their best golf. The Ryder Cup is not meant to be a get-your-game-back type of event for players like Justin Thomas, who is struggling immensely with their game.

While the existence of the Ryder Cup seeks to add value to the overall fan experience and hopes to put on a display as magnificent as the actual competition itself, the Europeans take so much pride in the Ryder Cup that it’s mildly irritating, and we, as Americans, should go-obliterate them on their home-turf in-front of their fans.

Everybody knows the Americans are better golfers than the Europeans, and with that undeniable fact being more apparent now than it’s ever been in the past, some golf fans and media experts feel the need to mention a player’s Ryder Cup record in support or criticism of that player’s Hall Of Fame case. There seems to be a disconnect between what the Ryder Cup is and what the Ryder Cup REALLY is.

In almost comical fashion, during the course of this fabricated war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, the PGA Tour felt it could scare players who already either left for LIV or were perhaps entertaining the idea of leaving for LIV, claiming LIV Golfers had no place to play in the 2023 Ryder Cup.

For those of you who don’t know or choose to ignore its significance, one must not overlook the fact that the Ryder Cup is an exhibition event. In other words, the Ryder Cup means less than every other LIV Golf or PGA Tour event.

With that being said, Zach Johnson needs to prove a point to Justin Thomas and those who are undeserving, aspiring Ryder Cuppers wanting to make the team that states that he’s going to pick the players who are playing the best golf in the weeks leading up to the event.

Clearly, that doesn’t include Thomas. But, if JT were to win the 3M Open or show fine form at another event prior to Johnson’s Captain’s Picks, then he’d deserve a nod.

Now, Team America cannot pick players who they hope are going to play well. Johnson knows he can’t make the same mistakes that Jim Furyk made in 2018, as he selected players like Phil Mickelson with veteran status or “legacy.” But now, more than ever, these players either have less game or the wrong fitting game.

In simplest terms, the Europeans have chosen its home venue because they have because it favors its players. To achieve that, Luke Donald wants to make the course play as penal as possible in the rough and make target golf the priority above all else.

At Le Golf National, you were screwed as a competitor for either team if you couldn’t hit the fairway. The rough was unbelievably thick, the hazards all came into play, and the Europeans made a point of beating the U.S. at target golf, not the bomb it and go find it strategy that’s more prevalent here in America.

Similar to the Philadelphia 76ers’ inability to overcome the Boston Celtics in the NBA Playoffs, Zach Johnson and Team USA need to mix it up or alter their strategy to win one Ryder Cup on the road in Europe.

In my opinion, Johnson needs to bring with him to Europe as many Brian Harmans as he can find, which includes the actual Brian Harman. To be exact, Johnson needs his full share of fairway finders who can roll the rock really well. If I’m Zach, I’m taking the shorter-hitting, fine-putting Americans in Russell Henley and Denny McCarthy before I’m even thinking about taking Justin Thomas at this point in time.

“WHAT HAPPENS NEXT ZACH?”

Brian Harman leaning into the Ryder Cup conversation while walking past Zach Johnson. #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/Gh7aXony3A

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) July 25, 2023

Even when Justin is playing well, he gets to play with the perfect Match Play player in Jordan Spieth, who is worthy of this title, due to the Dallas native’s ridiculously good putter and inspiring scrambling ability. Despite the fact that the real Kevin Kisner is playing very poorly, his past record in match play is notable, and I’m taking Kiz over JT if Kiz gave me a victory or two-Top 10s leading up to Italy and JT didn’t play inspiring golf in that same period.

On my team, I want the players who are playing the best golf in the few weeks leading up to the trip to Italy. I also want the guys who putt the best from short-and-mid-range, the guys who pound fairways, and the players who don’t have scar tissue from losing to Europe in the past.

Also, I’m throwing in my surprise pick of the 2023 Ryder Cup with 21-year-old Greyson-donning PGA Tour/DP World Tour winner Akshay Bhatia. Players who have a lot of pop and can make a lot of birdies or eagles thrive in a match-play setting.

Let’s be honest: no matter how much Brandel Chamblee insists the Ryder Cup is about the PGA Tour vs the European Tour dynamic, the event itself is not real golf and exists for fans by manufacturing excitement, which is grounded in its very own competitive framework in one country competing against one continent.

Let’s just say the non-Americans need as much help as they can get. Prior to 1979, the continental European side within the Ryder Cup matches existed as the Great Britain and Ireland team until those lads got smacked so regularly that they had to include the entire continent to compete with the U.S.

What else is new in the world?

Cover Image via Japan Times