Two years after the American Ryder Cup team was dominated by Europe in Rome, the American team changed its preparation as the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Nears.
The field for next week’s Procore Championship in Silverado Resort in Napa, California, was confirmed on Friday and 10 of the 12 players in the US Ryder Cup team are finished. The only two who are not in the field are Xander Schauffele and Bryson Deschambeau, the latter a LIV golf member who is not allowed to enter the field. (Schauffele and Deschambeau could still be in a certain capacity with the team, despite the fact that they did not play.)
Two years ago, in the run-up to Europe’s 16.5-11.5 victory over the US, nine of the 12 Ryder Cup players from the Americans took five weeks off from tournament box. This is partly a problem with the PGA Tour schedule and lack of events between the Tour Championship and the Ryder Cup, but only two of the American players (Justin Thomas and Max Homa) participated in the same tournament in 2023, which when the Fortinet Championship was called. Both ended top 10 in Napa and combined for five points in Rome.
The lack of competitive start of the American team was an important topic of discussion after the loss of the road, especially because all 12 European Ryder Cup challenges two weeks before the Ryder Cup in the BMW PGA championship and seven finish had in the top 10 (almost the entire European team also plays the BMW PGA of next week.)
While nine of the 12 members of the American team of 2023 made a scouting trip to organize Marco Simone a few weeks before the event, the lack of competitive representatives still came after their loss. Although the American captain Zach Johnson said he didn’t think the long break was a factor.
“There is also something to say about peace and recovery and getting your game in a position where you can compete,” he said in 2023 in his Sunday evening press conference. “I mean, these guys have won many golf tournaments with weeks off. I did that. So I don’t think so. We had the preparation time here. Again, two and a half weeks ago. Reps his reps. The schedule is the schedule. You can’t control that.
“But I am not going to belittle the preparation of these boys. Whether it was at home or here or anywhere, I know they were eliminating their tail to keep and bring the cup home.”
It is clear that the American captain Keegan Bradley has made a priority in NAPA this year. The NAPA stop, the first event of the autumn schedule, has difficulty drawing some of the top names in the game, because many players continue to the Tour Championship take a long -term break, while others still fight for Fedex Cup priority with an important autumn slate.
Now World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in the field (and becomes the runaway gambling favorite) and will be accompanied by Ryder Cup teammates JJ Spaun, Russell Henley, Harris Engels, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns.
Bradley will of course be on site, and three of his five vice captains (Gary Woodland, Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson) are also in the field.
The Ryder Cup 2025 is 26-28 September in Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, NY
#years #loss #Ryder #Cup #brings #big #change #preparation