Zach Johnson has made it very clear that if the U.S. Ryder Cup was to be replayed in Rome, he would choose the same 12 players from the U.S. team and play the Europeans.
Johnson, who was speaking at the Constellation furyk & friends Champions Breakfast held at the Timuquana Country Club on Friday morning before the first round began the tournament, said: “I love that they didn’t give up.” I loved that they supported each other in a genuine way… They took ownership of their teams and became one. It’s the best you can hope for.
Johnson, who lives in St. Simons Island and is a two-time Major Champion, saw his team fall far behind the Europeans early at the Marco Simone Golf Club. His team trailed 4-0 after the opening session, 6 1/2-1 12 after the first day, and 9 1/2-2 12 after the third.
The U.S. won the singles and final session 9-7, but Europe had a much deeper hole. They won 16 1/2-11 1/4. The continent now has seven Ryder Cups on its soil dating back to 1993.
Johnson told the more than 100 people who attended the breakfast that “it’s tough, especially there.” There’s a good reason why we haven’t beaten them in a while, and it’s fine. We’ll work it out. We’ll be the best [in Europe] at some point. “I hope it happens sooner rather than later.”
Johnson has said that he does not regret his captain’s choices or pairings.
He said, “It is the journey” of the two-year preparation process for the Ryder Cup. “The journey is a memory I will cherish.”
Johnson praises Donald, Europeans
Johnson told the Times-Union that anyone who made excuses for the U.S. players’ performance was doing a disservice for European captain Luke Donald.
He said, “The European team performed that much better.” The number of shots that were holed or pitched in Friday morning and Saturday early was incredible — even Saturday afternoon. They played amazing. They played awesome. “They earned it.”
The trophy is presented to US captain Zach Johnson and Europe’s English captain Luke Donald at the conclusion of a media conference held ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup, which will be played at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome on 25 September 2023. (Photo by Paul Ellis / AFP).
Johnson said that the Europeans’ success was largely due to their ability to start matches quickly in the first three sessions. Europe’s doubles team won the opening hole five times, while halving seven others. The U.S. didn’t win a hole until Sam Burns & Collin Morikawa did it on Saturday.
Johnson stated that momentum was a key factor in any sporting event he has ever been involved with. “Our 12 players, especially on Friday and even on Saturday morning, the first hole did not go in our favor, whether it was chip-in or a putt. We seemed to lose that hole a lot, and you see the blue go on that board so quickly and it’s pretty intimidating.”
The U.S. team showed ‘character and comradeship’
Johnson also said that he prepared himself for inevitable second-guessing, but after he assembled his team and had made decisions he was “at peace” with the outcome and denied any notions that the team were not united.
He said, “It still hurts me that we did not win.” “But it’s the way in which these 12 guys competed and the character, and certainly the camaraderie they displayed that is important. Scoreboards don’t reflect team chemistry. “I’m not going regret anything.”
Johnson pointed out there was just one PGA Tour tournament scheduled in Napa during that time span. The Europeans, on the other hand, had their two biggest events in the DP World Tour, the BMW PGA Championship and the French Open, one week before.
Johnson said that the only thing that he would have done differently is to bring the U.S. squad to Rome the weekend prior to the event to get used to the time difference and to put behind them a day’s trans-Atlantic journey.
He said, “I believe the time change is an important issue.” “I find Monday to Thursday really difficult. It’s not an explanation. “My guys didn’t make excuses.”
Past captains praise Johnson
Furyk & Friends 2018 features three former U.S. Ryder Cup Captains. Two of them won (Steve Stricker, 2021; Davis Love III, 2016 in America); and one lost (Jim Furyk in Paris in 2018, the tournament host).
They all served as vice-captains for the U.S. national team in Rome.
Furyk told the guests at breakfast that “they played their hearts out, and Zach did a fantastic job.” “Those 12 children fought for one another and were excellent in the teamroom. The team room was a great place to be.
Stricker stated, “The captain is always to blame for our losses.” The players are rewarded when they win. Zach did an excellent job. “We got outplayed.”
Love, who has a 1-1 record as captain of the United States, said that the loss was not because the captain did not work hard enough.
Love replied, “I understand how Zach feels.” “Zach and [Johnson’s wife] Kim put in two years of work and to then walk away with a defeat… There was so much discussion about 30 years without winning on foreign land and all that stuff. We learned a lot, and we hope that New York (Bethpage State Park, in 2025) will work to our advantage. Then, Adare Manor, [in Ireland], after 2027, should be no problem.
