2023-09-28 08:42:23
Few sporting events concentrate as much interest as the Ryder Cup, the tournament that pits the 12 best players in USA and Europe every two years. Maybe just the soccer world cup and Olympic Games. You just have to take a look at the figures that moved the last edition in Europe, the one that took place in 2018 in Paris: 620 million television audience households, 270,000 live viewers, 920 accredited international journalists. But no other sport brings together a team united around the idea of Europa achieve such a high level of identification.
The Spanish Jon Rahm and the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroythree and two in the world ranking respectively, will be the reference flags of the European who will compete in this 44th edition of the tournament that will be held from this Friday until Sunday at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, on the outskirts of Rome. For Rahm It will be the third Ryder of her career. She achieved the title in 2018 in Paris and it was the little that was saved in the defeat in 2021 by forming a pair with Sergio García. It will also be key McIlroy, who will compete in the Ryder for the seventh time, with four titles under his belt.
Rahm, who had a spectacular first part of the year (four titles and the green jacket in Augusta) seems to have regained his sensations, as he demonstrated 15 days ago with fourth place in the BMW PGA Championship at Wenworth, and admits that he feels no pressure to turn out as one of the team leaders. “I hope I can go 5-0, 4-0 or 3-0, no matter how many times I play. My intention is to go out and win every game. But I can finish 0-5 and if the team wins, I will be very happy. As long as we win “I don’t care,” explained the Basque player, who is confident of recovering the title. “It’s something very important for us. We want to extend the streak as long as possible. Hopefully we can reach 30 years of unbeaten in Europe here at home,” he said.
The new sensation
Some illustrious names will be missed in Europaa consequence of the conflict that the world of golf has experienced in the last year with the emergence of the LIV, the circuit sponsored by Saudi funds, and to which they joined Sergio García, Lee Westwood or Paul Casey. This has forced the team captain, Luke Donald (who came to office due to the dismissal of Henrik Stenson for his affiliation with the LIV) to bet on the experience of the British Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose y Tyrrell Hattonor the talent of the Norwegian Viktor Hovland, winner of the FedEx Cup, fourth in the world ranking.
In that list of 12 names for the appointment of RomaEurope has also had to resort to the new blood that is the Danish Nicolai Hojgaarda real spectacle with the ‘driver’, the Scotsman Robert MacIntyrethe Austrian Sepp Straka (second in the British open) and the new sensation of the circuit, the Swede Ludvig Aberg23 years old, who turned professional last June, who has three Top 10s in his last three appearances and a victory in the Omega European Masters and that he will play a Ryder before having played a single Grand Slam tournament.
“I feel like my team is ready. I have a lot of faith in them even though I know it’s going to be difficult. The USA is strong, we know it. We are coming off our worst defeat in a Ryder. And we have a lot of work ahead of us, but you have to believe in your team “, he pointed Donald at the press conference.
USA will not have the dream team of two years ago in Whistling Straits (Wisconsin), where they swept (19 points to 9), but they also come with a very powerful block to defend the title and end the 30-year drought that they have dragged on in enemy territory. Captain Zach Johnson will have the number one ranking Scottie Scheffler, already three Grand Slam winners this year: Brooks Koepka (PGA), Wyndham Clark (Open USA) and Brian Harman (British Open) in addition to the superduos that form Jordan Spieth y Justin Thomas y Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.
“In my opinion we are not favorites when we step on the first tee because of the crowd. We are not the favorites because of what happened and happened in recent years. And because they have a really good team that plays well,” he declared. Zach Johnson about the factor of playing away, although the challenge they set for themselves is to break the team’s streak as a visitor. “I know what history says, I am very aware of that. But these guys are ready and see this as a great opportunity.”
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