Penpics of the 12 USA players for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome
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The United States are 4/5 favourites to secure a second straight Ryder Cup victory at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome.
Here, we look at the 12 players in captain Zach Johnson’s side for the biennial contest with Europe from September 29 to October 1.
“In-form players Lucas Glover and Keegan Bradley can count themselves very unlucky to have missed out, but Johnson has seemingly prioritised Ryder Cup pedigree over recent form, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out when it all kicks off in late September,” said Coral’s Lewis Knowles.
“There’s no doubt that the USA have the stronger team in terms of depth, but with Rahm, McIlroy and Hovland representing Europe, Luke Donald has some of the best golfers in the world on his team, and we could see plenty of support in the market for the Europeans before they tee off.”
AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
Scottie Scheffler
Age: 27
Caps: 1 (2021)
Record: Won 2 Lost 0 Halved 1
Two years after needing a wild card and being the lowest ranked player on the US team without a PGA Tour win to his name, Scheffler will travel to Rome as the world number one and former Masters champion. Won twice, including the Players Championship, in a remarkably-consistent season and was unbeaten in three matches at Whistling Straits.
Wyndham Clark
Age: 29
Caps: 0
Won his first PGA Tour title in May and followed up a month later by winning the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club, holding off Rory McIlroy to win by a single shot. Played in the 2014 Palmer Cup at Walton Heath, halving two matches and losing the other two, one of which was a singles defeat to Jon Rahm.
Brian Harman
Age: 36
Caps: 0
The left-hander had not tasted victory for six years before dominating the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool to land his first major title by six shots. Will make his Ryder Cup debut in Rome but was on the winning Walker Cup team in both 2005 and 2009.
Patrick Cantlay
Age: 31
Caps: 1 (2021)
Record: Won 3 Lost 0 Halved 1
Earned three-and-a-half points from four matches on his debut in 2021, winning both matches alongside good friend Xander Schauffele and then beating Shane Lowry in the singles. Widely blamed for what Brooks Koepka labelled the “brutally slow” pace of play in the final round of the Masters.
Max Homa
Age: 32
Caps: 0
Won his sixth PGA Tour title at Torrey Pines in January and recorded a first major top-10 finish in the Open Championship in July. Went into the final qualifying event in the last automatic place and finished in a tie for fifth to make sure of his place.
Xander Schauffele
Age: 29
Caps: 1 (2021)
Won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics – his grandparents live in the city – after getting up and down for par on the 72nd hole to win by one. Last win came in the 2022 Scottish Open, but was eighth in the last qualifying event to move from seventh to sixth in the standings.
WILD CARDS
Collin Morikawa
Age: 26
Caps: 1
Record: Won 3 Lost 0 Halved 1
Became the first player to capture two different majors on the first attempt with his victories in the 2020 US PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship. Unbeaten on his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits, winning three matches alongside Dustin Johnson and halving his singles with Viktor Hovland.
Brooks Koepka
Age: 33
Caps: 3 (2016, 2018, 2021)
Record: Won 6 Lost 5 Halved 1
Second in the Masters and won his fifth major title in the US PGA Championship to seemingly seal his place on the team, but fell from fifth to seventh on the standings in the final qualifying event. Earned two points from four matches at Whistling Straits two years ago.
Justin Thomas
Age: 30
Caps: 2 (2018, 2021)
Record: Won 6 Lost 2 Halved 1
Won four points from five matches on his debut, with only the star European pairing of Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari able to get the better of Thomas and Jordan Spieth. Thomas also beat McIlroy in the opening singles. Won his second US PGA title last year but failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs this season.
Jordan Spieth
Age: 30
Caps: 4 (2014, 2016, 2018, 2021)
Record: Won 8 Lost 7 Halved 3
Won two-and-a-half points from three matches with Patrick Reed in 2014 and the same from their four together in 2016, but partnered Thomas – much to Reed’s unhappiness – in Paris and claimed three wins from four matches before losing 5&4 to Thorbjorn Olesen in the singles.
Sam Burns
Age: 27
Caps: 0
Halved two and lost his other three matches in the 2022 Presidents Cup, but won his fifth PGA Tour title in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March, beating world number one Scheffler in the semi-finals and Cameron Young 6&5 in the final.
Rickie Fowler
Age: 34
Caps: 4 (2010, 2014, 2016, 2018)
Record: Won 3 Lost 7 Halved 5
Failed to win a match on either of his first two appearances and managed just one win from four matches in Paris in 2018. Ended more than four years without a victory in the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July and started the US Open with a record-equalling 62, but finished fifth after a closing 75.
All odds and market correct at date of publication
