A year from now, there could be signs of separation between what the assumptions and the evidence tell us about the upcoming Ryder Cup.
It has become accepted wisdom that the US will go into the game in Rome as heavy favourites, regardless of how much weight recent history puts on home-court advantage.
For that proposition, consider what European captain Luke Donald told Sportsmail earlier this month: ‘They should be favourites. We’ve been the underdog many times over the last 30 years and found a way to get ahead, so there’s nothing wrong with being the underdog, because that mindset can be quite powerful.
Luke Donald has spoken about the challenges of facing the USA in Rome next September
However, the Presidents Cup between many US stars and 12 internationals over the last four days was a reminder that golf is not played on paper and that team events have a wonderful habit of inserting momentum changes where less are expected.
For Davis Love’s US team to win 17.5 to 12.5 would indicate a solid victory, but that was devilishly misleading for the purposes of broader conclusions. The truth is that the numbers were much closer than any forecast and at the same time flattered Americans.
Early in the game, after Friday’s fourballs, the odds were 8-2. But by the end of Saturday’s game, the gap had narrowed to 11-7, and halfway through Sunday’s singles, the projected score based on on-field scenarios was 16-14 for the US. he crawled back to five through a few hairy moments, but even that was much closer than most expected under the circumstances.
European stars, including Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, will always give them a shot at glory.
The United States triumphed in the Presidents Cup, but it was closer than many anticipated before the event.
At this moment, it is necessary to remember those circumstances: the internationals were playing away from home against a team with the numbers 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the world, and a minimum of 25. Even more significant, the internationals had also lost four of his team to LIV, including the last-minute exit of Cameron Smith, the Open champion. For internationals, with an average world ranking of 49, shaking up the US after such a build-up certainly bodes well for the Europe team.
Granted, a lot can change in a year, but after the recent turmoil in golf, it’s indisputable that while the US has lost its most likely starters, it also has a seemingly limitless talent pool. In Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa, were able to field most of the world’s top nine against internationals.
Donald will also not miss that in a format where partnerships are worth their weight in gold, the pairing of Thomas and Spieth was worth four wins out of four in fourballs and foursomes. Beyond his combined success, Spieth also won his singles by a perfect week, while Max Homa, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour since the start of 2021, hasn’t dropped a point in four assignments.
His team proved that even with the loss of some key stars on the LIV tour, they have the depth to compete.
The international team was able to compete admirably despite the loss of four stars on the LIV tour.
As a keen novice, Homa thrived in the heat of the competition in a way not unlike his predecessor Patrick Reed, but of course he brings no dirt.
Despite losing Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau from their winning 2021 team, the Americans remain in the best of health. Still, it’s tempting to ponder how close they could run when the opposition includes Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry. It allows for a marginally more optimistic view than a week ago.
Max Homa, a rookie, seemed fired up for the USA in his Presidents Cup debut in North Carolina
Kim was the revelation of the Presidents Cup
If there was a Presidents Cup revelation, it was South Korea’s Tom Kim. The 20-year-old, who is ranked 20th in the world, was the driving force behind the international recovery from a terrible cause on Saturday. In a flurry of chest-pounding, he was a classic example of a player who thrives in the heat of the game.
Migliozzi’s form needs to be fully explored ahead of Ryder Cup
It’s not a bad time to be an Italian with Ryder Cup aspirations, so it’s worth keeping an eye on Guido Migliozzi’s form. The 25-year-old Vincenzo shot 62 in the final round on Sunday to win the Open de France and his third DP World Tour title. His flag hunt on the water on the 18th led to his winning birdie and also showed that he is not a player easily lost by nerves.
