We are exactly one month from out from the Opening Ceremony for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy.
The six U.S. automatic qualifiers have already been decided - U.S. Captain Zach Johnson will announce his six Captain’s Picks on Tuesday.
There is one more event left for Europe’s qualifying race on the DP World Tour, with European Captain Luke Donald making his six picks next Monday.
So much still to be decided, but with the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup fast approaching, here is a look at the top storylines at the moment:
WILL JUSTIN THOMAS GET THE CALL?
Johnson is almost set to unveil his picks, and the biggest question is whether Justin Thomas, who failed to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs, has done enough to warrant a selection. There is no denying Thomas’ Ryder Cup experience, as he’s 6-2-1 in two Cup starts, 4-2 when partnered with Jordan Spieth. But Thomas also had just three top-10s this season on the PGA Tour. With a slew of deserving picks, including Spieth, Cameron Young and Brooks Koepka, Thomas is sure to be sweating it out until he gets official word.
LAST CHANCE FOR EURO HOPEFULS
Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland are already locked into the European squad, but who will join them? That will be decided after this week’s Omega European Masters, where Matt Fitzpatrick, Robert MacIntyre, Yannick Paul, Adrian Meronk and Victor Perez are among the notables in the field. It’s likely that Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton will either qualify automatically or be tabbed as picks, leaving six spots up for grabs. MacIntyre is currently the third European Points qualifier at the moment, with Paul hot on his heels. Potential pick Shane Lowry isn’t in the field, but rookie sensation Ludvig Aberg is. As the reigning NCAA player of the year, who turned pro in June, Aberg is looking to impress Donald one final time.
THE VENUE
The last time the Americans played an away Ryder Cup, in 2018, they struggled on a tight Le Golf National setup and lost by seven points. This year’s host venue, Marco Simone, traditionally hasn’t been as tough when it’s hosted the Italian Open, but Johnson is planning a scouting trip to Rome in September so that his 12 players can get acclimated to the layout. As for the crowd, Italy’s first ever Ryder Cup should produce quite the atmosphere and give the host side a significant home-course advantage in that aspect.
HOT HOVLAND
Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm are the two front-runners for the PGA Tour Player of the Year, but no player has been on more of a heater in recent weeks than Viktor Hovland. Hovland claimed each of the last two FedExCup Playoff events, the BMW Championship and Tour Championship, the latter coming Sunday in dominating fashion as Hovland started the week five shots off the lead before winning by five over U.S. Team lock Xander Schauffele. Going back further, Hovland has failed to crack the top 25 just once since his T-2 at the PGA Championship, a 10-event run that also included a win at the Memorial Tournament. Two years ago at Whistling Straits, Hovland played all five sessions, going 0-3-2. No way he fails to record a win this time.
CAN U.S. BUCK THE TREND?
While the Americans likely won’t talk much about it, you can bet they know the history: they have lost each of the past six Ryder Cups on European soil, with their last victory coming in 1993 at The Belfry. Three of those defeats have come by seven or more points. But, coming off a 10-point rout two years ago in Wisconsin, there is a good deal of hope. Europe is having to replace four veterans with 33 total Ryder Cups under their belt, opening the door for the U.S. to take advantage of a mix of experience and form.
