Players U.S. Ryder Cup Team Members will Play Against in the 43rd Ryder Cup
The United States Ryder Cup team has an average of ninth place in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) among its 12 players that will take on Europe from September 24 – 26 at Whistling Straits on Wisconsin’s shores of Lake Michigan. While the entire U.S. squad is ranked in the top 21 spots in the OWGR, Europe only has one player in the top ten, and eight of its 12 members ranked between 24th and 63rd.
…there isn’t as big a difference between number one and 63 on the OWGR…
Who is On the European Team?
Europe brings a mix of youth and experience to Whistling Straits on a team that has won nine of the last 12 biennial events against a team from the United States. Even though the United States appears to have a big advantage on paper, there isn’t as big a difference between number one and 63 on the OWGR, with the results of the WGC-Match Play Championships and past Ryder Cups as evidence.
Jon Rahm: OWGR – 1, Ryder Cups – 1, Ryder Cup Record: 1-2
Rahm is making his second start in the Ryder Cup and has won six PGA Tour titles as well as seven on the European Tour. He is coming off a terrific season where he won the U.S. Open and finished second in the FedEx Cup.
Viktor Hovland: OWGR – 14, Ryder Cup Rookie
The 24-year-old from Norway has all the makings of the next big thing in golf, with a pair of wins on the PGA Tour as well as another on the European Tour.
Rory McIlroy: OWGR – 15, Ryder Cups – 4, Ryder Cup Record: 11-9-4
With four major championships and a pair of FedEx Cup championships, the 32-year-old Irishman is perhaps the most accomplished member of Europe’s team. He broke out of a minor slump in May with a victory in the Well Fargo Championship.
Tyrell Hatton: OWGR – 19, Ryder Cups – 1, Ryder Cup Record: 1-2
Hatton has one PGA Tour victory and six European Tour wins, with the most recent coming in January for the 29-year-old Englishman at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Paul Casey: OWGR – 24, Ryder Cups – 4, Ryder Cup Record: 4-3-5
Casey has knocked on the door of his first major championship win lately and the 44 from England has three wins on the PGA Tour and 15 career victories on the European Tour.
Matt Fitzpatrick: OWGR – 27, Ryder Cups – 1, Ryder Cup Record: 0-2
The 27-year-old Englishman made his Ryder Cup debut in 2016, but hasn’t lived up to his potential, failing to get a PGA Tour victory despite six wins on the European Tour, including this year’s Scottish Open.
Tommy Fleetwood: OWGR – 37, Ryder Cups – 1, Ryder Cup Record: 4-1
In the last Ryder Cup in 2018, Fleetwood was one of the reasons Europe was able to dust the U.S. 17 ½ to 10 ½, winning all four of his team matches paired with Francesco Molinari, who isn’t on this year’s squad.
Lee Westwood: OWGR – 35, Ryder Cups – 10, Ryder Cup Record: 20-18-6
Westwood had a resurgent season at the age of 48 and his 10 Ryder Cups are just one less than the cumulative experience of the entire U.S. team
Shane Lowry: OWGR – 42, Ryder Cup Rookie
While the 2019 Open Championship winner doesn’t bring Ryder Cup experience, he adds plenty of steady play to the European team.
Sergio Garcia: OWGR – 43, Ryder Cups – 10, Ryder Cup Record: 22-12-7
The 41-year-old veteran was a captain’s pick by Padraig Harrington and leads Europe in all-time Ryder Cup points with 25.5. He provides Harrington with a player he can pair with virtually anyone on the team.
Ian Poulter: OWGR – 50, Ryder Cups – 6, Ryder Cup Record: 14-6-2
Poulter is the emotional leader of the team and generally saves his best efforts for the Ryder Cup, consistently giving Europe wins in big matches.
Bernd Wiesberger: OWGR – 63, Ryder Cup Rookie
The Austrian is a mainstay on the European Tour, with eight wins on the circuit. At 35, he’ll bring some seasoning to the team despite his rookie status.
