Two numbers confer stature among elite golfers. The world ranking is the only thing that matters, despite what LIV fans may say. The European Ryder Cup team includes the world’s second, third, and fourth-ranked golfers. Captain Luke Donald chose to have them open the opening session on Friday at Marco Simone. Rory McIlroy returned one point, as did Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland. Top players are also separated by major championship wins. The starting lineup of U.S. Captain Zach Johnson has won four major championships. The players he benched won 11, including two in this year.
Johnson will probably be able to provide reams and reams worth of statistics to back up his decisions, but many dubious positions can also be defended with data that confirms the things we want to believe. Johnson’s decisions made on the first day of the Ryder Cup will be scrutinized if the U.S. loses for the 10th time in 14 Ryder Cups. To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld: It may be his fault, but it’s not his responsibility. Or, at least, not completely.
The American skipper is always transparent about the amount of influence he gives his players. During a press conference on Tuesday, he essentially admitted that U.S. Captaincy comes from a crowd. He said: “I can tell you this with full confidence about our six players that made this squad. They were adamant to have those six others guys complete their team.”
“Adamant.”
The locks of the team then decided who should get the picks.
Scottie Scheffler and Burns are good friends. Last year, they played together at the Presidents Cup three times and lost two matches and halved one. Captains should not be tolerant of those who want to pair up with a team that has such a poor record. It is not a good idea to send out the alternate shot first when the player who has the worst difficulty finding fairways, and the one with the best difficulties from close range.
It will be a big deal to find out who did not work the early shift.
Like Jordan Spieth or Justin Thomas. Although neither player has been particularly impressive in recent times, the former has a winning foursomes record, while the second is only.500, and is unlikely to be intimidated at the opening-day atmosphere. Or Brooks Koepka who is a major title winner and smashed Marco Simone during the final practice session of Thursday.
Team USA golfer Justin Thomas, (right), lines up his putt at the ninth hole while golfer Jordan Spieth watches during the first day of the fourball competition at the 44th Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports
Captains who adhere to an analytics-based approach must be able to adapt to changing situations. However, leaders who are hesitant may see a change of direction as a sign that they have abandoned all their planning and end up adrift in a life jacket that doesn’t inflate fully. Johnson’s players showed a flicker of life after he rejigged partnerships for the Friday afternoon fourballs. He knew he couldn’t afford to make a mistake that would have allowed Europe to sweep the first session.
Europe already had an excellent team. It’s now a confident team with a solid foundation. Rahm’s heavyweight swagger has become even more pronounced. His burly embrace helps to calm the young rookie Nicolai Hjgaard. Hovland’s emotion is more evident in this non-remunerated team event than when he won more than $30 million last season. McIlroy won more points by sunset than he did in the entire Ryder Cup of ’21, and T Hatton had barely enough reason to use cuss words . All of these facts are not good for Team USA.
Johnson must make decisions without fear of favoritism to stem the tide. However, this is contrary to the culture that the U.S. national team has developed over the past nine years.
The PGA of America created a task force that was widely mocked after the acrimony in Gleneagles, where the most powerful shot delivered by any Yank came during the post-mortem Sunday press conference and was directed towards his own captain. The goal of the organization was clear: to absolve themselves from criticism in the future by handing control (and any potential blame) over to the players.
The toxic, theatrics, and treachery was eventually eliminated. Phil Mickelson Bryson deChambeau Patrick Reed. Reed has a greater chance of winning his lawsuit than another Ryder Cup. Congeniality was not just an outcome of the taskforce, but the main goal. The logic went, players who are comfortable will perform better. While the Presidents Cup last year showcased an incredibly united and brilliant American team it is not always possible to ensure comfort and companionship among 12 players.
The players have enormous influence in the Ryder Cup. This is especially true for the U.S. team. They have a decisive influence on the selection of captains, teams and pairings. The team leader will give speeches and act as a sounding board. Johnson will defend the culture and process that have the U.S. facing an uncomfortable weekend in Rome, because he is loyal to his team and a firm believer in what the task force has produced. He’ll face harsh criticism over decisions that he probably didn’t have complete control.
It’s still early in the Ryder Cup but there will be plenty to blame if America loses. Don’t expect the blame to be evenly distributed. The captain of Team USA has lost his power but not his responsibility.
