Ryder Cup talking points: Can Rory McIlroy improve poor recent record? Will Justin Thomas ‘stick it’ to critics? | Golf News

Rory McIlroy shall be competing in his seventh Ryder Cup

Forward of the Ryder Cup in Rome – dwell in full on Sky Sports activities from Friday – we take a look at the highest speaking factors as Workforce USA look to win abroad for the primary time in 30 years and Rory McIlroy goals to enhance on a poor latest file within the occasion…

Can underdogs Europe make house benefit depend?

In Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland, Europe captain Luke Donald has three of the highest 4 on the earth rankings at his disposal for the event. Matt Fitzpatrick is presently ranked eighth as effectively.

Nonetheless, Workforce USA are stacked with top-20 expertise, whereas six of Europe’s crew are outdoors these locations within the rankings and 4 of them have by no means performed within the Ryder Cup earlier than – together with Ludvig Åberg, who solely turned skilled in June.

Of those that have featured earlier than in Donald’s 12-strong squad, solely Fleetwood (65.5 per cent), Justin Rose (60.87 per cent) and Rahm (56.25 per cent) have successful information in Ryder Cup matches as effectively.

Even so, the bookies solely have the People as slight favourites for this yr’s matches in Rome, whereas Europe haven’t misplaced a house Ryder Cup because the 15-13 defeat at The Belfry in 1993. Donald accepts the USA have an edge however is assured the Europeans can keep their spectacular house file.

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As Workforce Europe put together to tackle Workforce USA within the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Nation Membership, check out Jon Rahm’s greatest photographs from his two appearances within the event.

“It will be a really robust problem,” Donald mentioned. “I totally count on us to be underdogs, regardless of that house proportion of wins during the last 30 years.

“We now have some vastly proficient and in-form gamers, and we even have the motivation of making an attempt to win again the Ryder Cup after what occurred in Wisconsin [losing 19-9 in 2021 Ryder Cup].

“Our successful file in Europe is one thing we’re clearly very happy with, and it’s one thing we actually need to prolong.”

Will USA finish 30 years of damage?

The USA head into this yr’s Ryder Cup as reigning champions, having wrestled again the trophy with a dominant win at Whistling Straits two years in the past.

Their squad incorporates three of this yr’s main winners too in Brian Harman (Open), Wyndham Clark (US Open) and Brooks Koepka (PGA Championship), together with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and 6 different members of the highest 20.

In whole, American captain Zach Johnson has seven of the 2021 crew again for this yr’s problem as effectively, as they purpose for a primary victory on European soil since 1993.

Brooks Koepka holds the Wanamaker Trophy after successful the PGA Championship

Johnson, who performed on the USA crew which received the Ryder Cup in 2016, is urging his crew to embrace what they’ll face in Rome as they bid to finish 30 years of damage.

“I do not know why we have not,” Johnson mentioned. “There’s loads of hypotheticals and theories that you could provide you with. What I do know is that 2023 shall be a possibility of a lifetime, and that shall be my message, fairly easy.

“Let’s embrace the issue. Let’s relish within the second of being in Rome, competing in a sport you’re keen on, and representing a rustic that you just’re from. I imply, that is a possibility of a lifetime. In order that’s how I’ll go about it.”

Will McIlroy finish poor latest Ryder Cup file?

With six Ryder Cup appearances already below his belt – 4 of which led to victory for Workforce Europe – McIlroy shall be appeared upon as a pacesetter for the boys in blue. Do not count on any Churchillian speeches, with the world No 2 vowing to “lead along with his golf equipment” as he seems to get “blue on the board”.

Getting blue on the board will not be one thing McIlroy has completed an excessive amount of within the final two Ryder Cups. Through the 2018 occasion in France he managed two factors out of 5, not that it mattered ultimately with Europe operating out convincing 17.5-10.15 winners at Le Golf Nationwide.

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As Workforce Europe put together to tackle Workforce USA within the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Nation Membership, check out Rory McIlroy’s greatest photographs from his six appearances within the competitors.

Three years later at Whistling Straits the Ulsterman picked up a solitary level from 4 matches, struggling heavy defeats in Friday’s foursomes and fourballs after which additionally in Saturday’s fourballs after sitting out the foursomes earlier that day.

McIlroy started Sunday’s singles with a 3&2 victory over Xander Schauffele however with Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood the one different Europeans to win their one-on-one matches, the guests slumped to a 19-9 defeat in Wisconsin, the largest loss for any facet in a Ryder Cup since 1967.

McIlroy minimize an emotional determine after overcoming Schauffele, speaking by tears as he insisted he “ought to have completed extra” for his team-mates earlier than saying “I can not wait to get one other shot at this.”

Rory McIlroy will compete in his seventh Ryder Cup

That shot is available in Rome and he comes into the occasion in glorious type, having solely completed outdoors the highest 10 as soon as – a Sixteenth-placed end on the Irish Open earlier this month – since he got here forty seventh on the Wells Fargo Championship in Could. That run consists of successful the Scottish Open.

McIlroy’s sport is in good condition, then, however he’s adamant he may also assist Workforce Europe in different methods. “If I can lead by instance and be the primary one to the crew room if there’s a assembly, first one on the bus on the way in which to the course. Something like that the place I am nonetheless doing all of the issues that it’s best to do and never getting complacent, that is the way in which I wish to lead.”

How a lot will LIV gamers be missed?

Westwood and Poulter is not going to compete in Rome after their defections to LIV Golf, whereas US captain Zach Johnson selected to miss LIV gamers together with Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, and Bryson DeChambeau. The only real LIV consultant shall be reigning PGA champion Brooks Koepka, who earned a wildcard after narrowly lacking computerized qualification.

Westwood and Poulter are Ryder Cup stalwarts – Poulter incomes the nickname ‘The Postman’ for almost all the time delivering on this occasion – however their solely factors two years in the past got here within the singles and at 50 and 47-years-old respectively, you could possibly argue that they might not have been as integral as they as soon as had been.

Lee Westwood (left) and Ian Poulter (proper) will not be taking part in within the 2023 Ryder Cup

For America, although, Johnson and DeChambeau could possibly be large misses – Johnson, particularly.

The previous world No 1 received 5 factors from 5 at Whistling Straits in 2021, finishing a flawless event by defeating Paul Casey within the Sunday singles having recorded three victories earlier within the week with Collin Morikawa and another with Schauffele. DeChambeau, in the meantime, collected 2.5 factors out of three.

The good Jack Nicklaus says Koepka was the one LIV participant that deserved a choose after a season through which he not solely received the PGA Championship for a 3rd time but in addition got here second at The Masters.

US skipper Johnson says Koepka is “constructed for the largest levels”, plus we all know from his experiences with LIV that he’s used to golf occasions that final three days!

Which rookies will impress for Workforce Europe?

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Ludvig Åberg says he’ll feed off the vitality on the Solheim Cup as he prepares to compete within the Ryder Cup

There shall be 4 Ryder Cup novices for Workforce Europe – however two of them have loved themselves at Marco Simone Golf Membership earlier than.

Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard received the Italian Open on the venue in 2021 after which got here seventh this yr, whereas Scotland’s Robert MacIntrye triumphed in 2022, beating Fitzpatrick in a play-off as McIlroy completed fourth and Tyrrell Hatton eighth.

MacIntyre heads into the Ryder Cup off the again of lacking the minimize on the Cazoo Open de France final week, along with his six-over-par second spherical that includes 5 bogeys and two double bogeys.

One other rookie, Aberg, may have his bouncebackability examined, too, after squandering a two-stroke lead on the latest BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, taking pictures a four-over 76 in his ultimate spherical to slide from first to tenth.

The Swede, who received his first title earlier this month on the Omega European Masters however has by no means performed in a serious, has all of the expertise on the earth however different components of his sport shall be examined this week.

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Workforce Europe rookie Sepp Straka hopes his facet are capable of replicate the end result within the Solheim Cup to do the double over Workforce USA

The fourth and ultimate European beginner is Austria’s Sepp Straka, who added a second PGA Tour title to his CV on the John Deere Basic in June, got here 14th on the season-ending Tour Championship, and recorded top-10 finishes at each the PGA Championship and Open Championship this season.

Chatting with Sky Sports activities Information forward of his debut Ryder Cup, Straka mentioned: “It’s loopy. Checking into the lodge yesterday and seeing all of the stuff we might be carrying… the entire expertise to date has been unimaginable.”

Will Thomas ‘stick it’ to his critics?

If Åberg’s choice for Workforce Europe was a bit of shocking, then maybe Thomas’ for Workforce USA was, too, with the two-time main champion having endured a reasonably horrid 2023.

He completed fifteenth within the US Ryder Cup standings after a season through which he did not qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs and shot scores within the 80s at each the US Open and Open Championship.

Thomas says he was “very, very lucky” to have been chosen for the Ryder Cup however his file within the event is stellar, successful 4 out of 5 factors in 2018, together with beating McIlroy within the singles, after which including 2.5 out of 4 in 2021. “You simply do not go away JT at house,” Johnson mentioned when asserting the choose.

Justin Thomas says he’ll ‘hate’ Workforce Europe’s gamers at some stage in the Ryder Cup

Thomas’ fellow PGA Tour participant Billy Horschel expects him to “stick it” to anybody questioning his choice in Rome, saying he wouldn’t be stunned if the 30-year-old went undefeated.

“I count on him to have an unbelievable Ryder Cup. It would not shock me if he performs all 5 classes and goes 5-0. Or 4 classes and goes 4-0. He is that kind of participant that loves that setting, loves that second. I believe he’ll stick it to the those that questioned his choose.”

Thomas being concerned will convey actual spice to proceedings, with the person himself saying: “It is a huge distinction the week of the Ryder Cup.

“I’ll hate each single one in all them [the European players]. I nonetheless respect their golf sport. I respect them [but] I need to win actually dangerous and I do not like them.”

Stay protection from the opening day of the Ryder Cup begins on Friday from 6am on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP Tour, Ryder Cup and more with NOW.

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