Teams Getting Full…2023 Ryder Cup Italy

Teams are getting new faces…2023 Ryder Cup, Marco Simone Golf Club, Rome

The 151st Open Championship, Hoylake crowned the Champion Golfer of the Year – US’s Brian Harman. Another new team face appears , more potential ones are on the horizon too – fighting to make Europe and US’s teams at Marco Simone’s Ryder Cup this September.

Beaming US Captain Zach Johnson waited to congratulate Harman – who from 20th on US points list vaulted to third of top six automatic selections – before he even got to scoring Sunday. Johnson smiled, “He’s gritty. He drives well, and is a very, very, very good putter”. Another new face to team USA like 2023’s US Open winner Wyndham Clark. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler leads US, Brooks Koepka. Xander Schauffele, and Patrick Cantlay are the others following The Open.

The top 6 on the US points list automatically qualify; Captain has six additional picks immediately following August’s Tour Championship.

Europe’s Captain Luke Donald was smiling too with Austria’s Sepp Straka and Jon Rahm finishing tied runners-up. Straka plays mainly in the US having lived there many years, thus was only listed eight; surely he will join many of the young new European faces in Rome after his sensational Open play. Europe’s selection process is the top players from each of their two rankings; Captain Donald having also six selections to finalize his team on September 3rd. McIlroy, Rahm, Victor Hovland from the World list appear solid along with pre-RC players Tyrrell Hatton, Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Currently, Scotland’s lefty Robert McIntyre soared on the European list at 2023’s Scottish Open; top Blue contenders are Germany’s Yannick Paul, Poland’s Adrian Meronk (2023 Italian Open winner at Marco Simone), Dane Rasmus Hojgaard, France’s Victor Perez. Previous Ryder Cup “Blues” Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry would bring vital Cup experience to 2023 debutants. Rose’s five Matches of experience (13-8-2) with his scintillating 2023 W at Pebble Beach; Fleetwood’s good Cup record plus his recent form in the US is positive too; sadly no more Molliwood. Some other players bandied about include Seamus Power, Alex Noren.

America’s Vice-Captain Fred Couples confirmed July 28 in a press announcement (per Sky Sports) Jordan Spieth, Max Homa, and Cameron Young would be on the US’s Marco Simone. Fighting goes on for remaining spots on the US team. Member of both Ryder Cup and President’s Cup teams, Justin Thomas’ 2023 poor form puts him in question, whereas Ricky Fowler’s W and recent superb form moves him into the spotlight like former Cupper Keegan Bradley’s W and top play. Cupper Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, long hitting Tony Finau are on the bubble too; top putter Denny McCarthy could be a dark horse for Johnson’s team depending on the Fedex Cup Play-offs and Tour Championship.

August will be another long hot month on both sides of the Atlantic battling for the team and Rome…

Susanne Kemper, Golf-Trotter Reporter

Photo Getty Images Richard Heathcote, Charlie Crowhurst, Jan Kruger