The U.S. Ryder Cup Team is heading to Italy early but this trip is not a sightseeing tour.
Zach Johnson, the U.S. captain, and his 12-man team flew from New York to Rome, Italy, on Friday, to take a look at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, the site of the Ryder Cup which starts on Sept. 29. They also wanted to experiment with pairings to see if they could help the U.S. retain the Cup or win on foreign soil, for the first time since 30 years.
“I believe that trip will be crucial. Johnson, speaking at a press event during the PGA Championship held in May, said: “That’s a big word but I believe it is key for a variety of reasons.” “Certainly, chemistry and camaraderie in the locker room. We all know, those who have played, that Monday to Thursday can be pretty difficult. There is a lot going on. They’ve been through it before, so if there are any weather problems or things become really congested, difficult, and tight, then they won’t need to exert themselves as much.”
The U.S. Ryder Cup Team won’t repeat the same mistake. The Europeans had a distinct edge at the 2018 Ryder Cup, as Le Golf National was the home of the DP World Tour French Open. Jim Furyk, then U.S. captain, led a team of potential players to the French Open ahead of the British Open, in July. However, only Justin Thomas played in that event, and ended up with a record better than the Americans.
Davis Love III, a former vice-captain in 2018 and this year and two-time captain, told Golfweek 2021 that “they had us over the barrel in Paris” because we hadn’t practiced enough at Le Golf National. The other team knew the course much better.
It could happen again, but in a smaller scale: the last three Italian Opens were held at Marco Simone. Tiger Woods influenced Team USA in their approach to course preparation, Love said.
Love said: “He said ‘Lets talk to our head pro, best caddie and top players’.” We learned why he had beaten us for all those years.
Although it’s not uncommon for a U.S. Ryder Cup Captain to host a recce session, the practice has now become part of the U.S. Formula. Love remembered Dave Stockton telling him to play Kiawah, in 1991, in case he was picked – which he wasn’t. Lanny Wadkins organised a side trip in 1995 to play Oak Hill, the Ryder Cup venue during the B.C. Open. Open. Open.
Steve Stricker, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain in 2021, took things to the next level by getting nearly his entire team to Whistling Straits before their home game in Wisconsin. Padraig Harrington, the European Ryder Cup captain, noted that it gave the U.S. team an advantage. This was especially true on the final game when the wind changed directions in a way that his team had not practiced that week.
Johnson was able to plan the trip more easily this year because he had two weeks off before the PGA Tour fall season began and a whole month between the Tour Championships and Ryder Cup.
Johnson, who led the team on their Rome reconnaissance trip, said, “I think they will have a realistic expectation of what’s required when we return home in two weeks.”
Team Europe will arrive at Marco Simone right after the American team. The team is expected to arrive in Rome, play practice rounds and then travel to London to compete at the BMW PGA Championship next week.
Luke Donald, the European captain, said: “This is the first time that we have ever achieved this as a group.” It was something I wanted. I was adamant about the fact that everyone on that team would be there. I didn’t like it when people bailed out unless there were specific reasons. It’s an excellent opportunity for us all to get together. This is different from two years ago. It was only a week between the qualifying round and this event. We wanted to be able to visit Rome, so we had to qualify early. It’s important that there are a few players who haven’t played the course. “But any time you get the guys together, and start thinking about pairings you can create that unity in the room. I think it’s really, really important.”
Rory McIlroy, a team member, said after the Tour Championship final round: “It will be a wonderful experience.” “We are going to spend some nights in Rome to bring the team together.”
