The 43rd edition of the Ryder Cup is set to take place from Friday the 24th to Sunday the 26th of September. Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin is the venue for three days of thrilling golf action with the biggest prize in team golf on the line.
Both teams are currently in the process of being finalised but who will be teeing off and how, exactly, does the qualification process work?
Out for Revenge
The United States will be out to regain the trophy having lost by a heavy, 17.5 to 10.5 points when the tournament was last held. Europe reclaimed the Ryder Cup in Paris three years ago but the pundits are expecting a very different result this time.
Early Ryder Cup betting odds markets list the US as favourites with Europe several points behind. The competition also offers scope for a tie with the potential for teams to finish on 14 points apiece. This is an outside bet but we have seen ties in the past, most recently at the Belfry in 1989.
Team USA Qualification
The majority of places in both teams will be earned by the best performing golfers across the previous season. At the end of each tournament on the PGA Tour, points will be awarded based on results and, at the cut off point, the highest ranked golfers will earn automatic entry into the US Ryder Cup squad.
The top six ranked golfers at the cut off will make it through to the Ryder Cup team. There are 12 players on each side so the Captain, in this case Steve Stricker, will have six additional picks.
The likes of Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele are in the automatic places at the time of writing. There is one potential issue with DeChambeau facing possible travel restrictions due to an absence of vaccinations.
That would leave skipper Stricker to choose from a large bank of players that include Webb Simpson, Kevin Kisner, Scottie Scheffler, Gary Woodland, Tony Finau, Kevin Na and many others.
The Race for European Places
Many of the best European golfers play regularly on the PGA Tour in the US. This is where the best tournaments and the biggest prize money can be found so it’s natural that players want to be involved here when their game reaches a certain level.
For that reason, qualification for the Ryder Cup team is based on points earned on the European and PGA Tours. The first four players on the European list will be joined by the best five golfers on the ‘World Points List’. The Captain will then complete the team of 12 with three additional picks.
Former Open Champion Padraig Harrington will captain Team Europe in 2021 and his squad is set to include Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Paul Casey and Robert MacIntyre.
Harrington’s predecessor, Thomas Bjorn went for experience in 2018 with four picks that weren’t necessarily in the best of form. This year’s European skipper has the same option but he will also need to consider golfers in better touch right now. Viktor Hovland, Thomas Detry and Victor Perez are among those knocking on the door.
Ryder Cup Format
For the vast majority of the golfing year, the calendar features tournaments for individual players. Four rounds of eighteen holes are played and the golfer with the lowest score is declared the winner.
Team golf is rare by comparison and the Ryder Cup features a very different format. Competition begins on Friday with eight matches in rotating foursome and fourball formats.
Ahead of the day, the captains will pick two players to compete in each of the foursomes. As those games come to a conclusion, the two-man teams for the afternoon fourballs will be declared.
On Saturday, the order is reversed with four fourball matches followed by four foursomes. On the final day, all 12 players from both sides will be involved in 12 singles games. Teams and individuals win by shooting the lowest score on each of the 18 holes.
At the end of the match, if there is a clear winner they will win a point for their team. Matches can also finish all square, in which case each team receives half a point. There are 28 points up for grabs in total and all games will be played to a conclusion.
The first team to 14 and a half points will win the Ryder Cup. In the event of a tie at 14 points apiece, the defending champions – in this case, Europe – will retain the trophy.
The Verdict
Looking at the make up of the US side, it’s clear to see why they are the pre-tournament favourites. Contained within the squad are Major winners and the majority of the world’s top ten players.
We have, however, seen this before: The United States come into the Ryder Cup as favourites with a stronger set of golfers but, somehow, they just haven’t gelled as a unit. In the European camp, the team ethic has been much more evident and that’s partly why they have won nine out of the last 12 editions.
The US can certainly win the 2021 Ryder Cup but they’ll need to put aside any individual rivalry for the benefit of the group.
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