USA's Ryder Cup Picks Are In!
Captain Johnson adds Thomas, Morikawa, Koepka, Spieth, Fowler and Burns to join team qualifiers in Rome where "algorithms" have detected possible American horses for the host course.
The numbers are finally in. And that’s just the vote totals from all five Vice Captains and analytics teams who were given a say in the 2023 Ryder Cup decision. Oh there are team room bonds and experience to lean on as well, but in learning Captain Zach Johnson’s six picks for next month’s matches, the revelation of Marco Simone Golf Club matchmaking proved to be the most surprising Captain’s revelation.
Brooks Koepka grabbed headlines based solely on his LIV defector status even as he makes the team on merit by winning the PGA Championship. A respectable 6-5-1 Ryder Cup record helps as does his tendency to rise to big occasions.
“He's very versatile,” Johnson said. “Guys want to play with him. That's evident.”
Tough bro Koepka admitted he’s excited and ready despite nervousness that come with the team event.
“You don't want to let the other guys on the team down, and it's a fun event,” he said. “It's the most nervous I've ever been in a golf tournament was teeing it up at the Ryder Cup. I've enjoyed it, and every time I've played, I've just tried to go get a point for the team.”
The others joining already-qualified Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele:
Colin Morikawa - A 61 and T6 at East Lake combined with his fantastic 3-0-1 debut at Whistling Straits and 4-0 record in the 2017 Walker Cup made this an easy selection despite a year below the lofty standards he’s established at a young age.
Jordan Spieth - Not a great season but still enough signs out there the four-time Ryder Cupper will be a good match play partner on Saturday and Sunday. He’ll be paired again with Justin Thomas—according to published reports they are reportedly friends—who was picked and is not to blame for Spieth’s surprising 0-3-1 mark in singles.
Sam Burns - Went 0-3-2 in his Presidents Cup debut but seemed comfortable enough and looks like a fit with Scottie Scheffler, who might not be the easiest Team USA member to pair up. Burns would have been a tough player to leave off after winning the final WGC Match Play this year. Yet the 27-year-old scored his second top 10 last week since that win, meaning the form was acceptable enough to rationalize a pick also looking like an investment in USA’s future matches over two older once-elite major winners like Keegan Bradley or Lucas Glover.
Rickie Fowler - Big Rick is back despite a 3-7-5 Ryder Cup record. His 2023 U.S. Open performance helped, as did a win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and signs all year that he’s a steady approach player and formidable putter in big moments. Drove it beautifully in big moments until the final round at LACC where he played the weekend with Clark. It’s not hard to envision those two making a formidable foursomes and four-ball duo in Rome.
Justin Thomas - Perhaps a “controversial” pick in others years given that three players accrued more points and Thomas did not make the Tour Championship, but America’s once vaunted depth looks pretty thin right now and none of the alternatives seem nearly as reliable as Thomas to bring the Ryder Cup passion, drive and record (6-2-1). “He has, without question, been the heart and soul of Team USA Ryder Cups,” said Johnson. “Our emotional leader I would say, and I don't think he would argue with that. He just leads by example.”
The final rankings show how Johnson worked around Cameron Young, Bradley and Denny McCarthy despite accruing more points than others:
Captain Johnson noted factors such as form, experience and the “energizing” role “new blood” brings to the team room. And while no one on Team USA has played the host venue, he was able to see a fit.
“But when it came down to making these decisions, personalities, team room, camaraderie, and make no mistake, the golf course and the fit for Marco Simone was a big part of it, as well,” Johnson said.
He assured reporters and onlookers that he’s excited about the squad he’s shaped with his six selections.
“To say I'm excited about these gents would be an understatement,” Johnson said from PGA headquarters in Frisco. “They check all the boxes. Fierce competitors, great versatility, great flexibility when it comes to pairings, when it comes to the fit for Marco Simone, a great fit for each other, which is massive.”
As for the fit, Johnson tried to explain how his advisors work when it comes to labeling players horses for courses they have not played.
“I don't know if I can understand the algorithms and all that that these guys kind of go through,” he said. “I'm not saying stats are the only thing. But my point in saying that is we have the ability -- it's not just saying we have these one or two stats that fit this golf course. It's basically putting -- we have the ability to put these guys on that golf course and essentially the way their games are and see if they fit. That's a whole lot of technology right there and whatnot.