Europe’s finest golfers will bid to regain the Ryder Cup when they host an all-star American team in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines at the end of September. Tempers flared when the US clinched a 17-11 victory in 2016 to recapture the cup for the first time since 2008. They currently hold the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, Presidents Cup, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup, so they will be full of confidence ahead of this eagerly anticipated showdown. But history is on the Europeans’ side and they have some magnificent players in fine form ahead of the big tournament, so it should prove to be another exhilarating contest.
An Englishman now stands atop the world rankings, and Justin Rose has been phenomenally consistent throughout the season. The second, third and fourth ranked golfers in the rankings are American, but then there are three more Europeans: Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari and Jon Rahm. British duo Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrell Hatton are in superb form, and Alex Noren and Thorbjorn Olesen have shot up the world rankings. Team Europe also have some intriguing wildcard picks, with Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson providing plenty of crucial experience.
Yet if you check out the betting markets at Sporting Index you will see that the USA are the favourites to win and deservedly so. They are blessed with a supremely talented young generation of superstars, and they have dominated the majors in recent years. They have claimed six of the last eight, and the US flag has been all over the Leader Boards like a rash. Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler are all superstars in the prime of their careers. Johnson has been the best player on the PGA tour for the past few years, Spieth is devastating on his day, Thomas is the reigning Golfer of the Year and Koepka has been particularly effective in pressured situations.
Their confidence is borne out of collective talent, a strong competitive streak and a powerful togetherness. It has led them to a long winning streak in these international showdowns, and they are further boosted by the return of the legendary Tiger Woods. The 42-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence this year and he is all the way up to 21st in the world, having climbed an astonishing 1,178 places in just nine months. “It’s remarkable that he is back to the levels he’s playing at and I think it’s fantastic, it’s great for the game of golf, it’s phenomenal for the Ryder Cup in France,” said European captain Thomas Bjorn.
All the world’s current top 10 players will be taking part, yet Woods will undoubtedly dominate the headlines. “I haven’t been part of the team playing-wise for six years,” he said. “To have the honour to play again is beyond special.” Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, and Webb Simpson provide heaps more experience, while Bryson DeChambeau is the form player in the world right now and Tony Finau is also on fire.
American captain, Jim Furyk, was looking for experience players that are in good form and that can handle the pressure of playing on foreign soil when making his wildcard selections. On Woods, he said: “We’re all excited to see him healthy again and his game playing well. It’s a feather in our cap to have him in our side.”
The action will unfold at Le Golf National in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, a rarity as the Ryder Cup is usually held in Britain when it heads to Europe. But Le Golf National is a real gem, replete with huge, undulating fairways, links-style bunkers, water hazards and slick greens. It is certainly a challenging course, requiring players to use every club in the bag. The bookmakers believe it will play into the hands of the big hitting Johnson and links specialist Koepka, as they are first and second in the betting to become the top points scorer at the Ryder Cup.
Next up is Rose, and he should be absolutely surging with confidence ahead of the tournament after a sensational year. He has come on leaps and bounds and his consistency has been marvellous. “Emotionally they go through a lot of things and when you get to world number one, you have got to look after yourself and keep pushing through the next few weeks,” said Bjorn. “And Justin’s a full-out professional and you can be very sure that he is capable of doing that. You’ve got to take all the positives from one of your players going to world number one.”
That could well give the Europeans a vital psychological boost, while Molinari will also be extremely dangerous after winning The Open. And let us not forget about McIlroy, who withstood a barrage of abuse from US fans in Hazeltine at the last Ryder Cup. He will be desperate to wipe the smug grin off Reed’s face, and that will be just one of many thrilling sub-plots to what promises to be another gripping contest. Europe may be the underdogs, but they look more than capable of springing an upset.
