Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns to open Ryder Cup for Americans

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — Big winners two years ago in Wisconsin, the Americans know a Ryder Cup victory away from home has been out of reach for the last 30 years.

Among the challenges is a pro-European crowd ready to cheer and jeer every miss.

So it was no surprise Thursday on the eve of the Ryder Cup to hear U.S. captain Zach Johnson do all he could to curry favor with the host nation in the opening ceremony. He offered endless praise of Italy and immigrants who have added so much to American culture and character.

“And this week, in a small way, we hope America can give something back to Italy,” he said.

European captain Luke Donald thought of one thing America could offer.

“Yeah, a little gold trophy would be nice on Sunday evening,” he said.

The battle for the 17-inch Ryder Cup, in U.S. possession since that 19-9 beating at Whistling Straits in 2021, gets started Friday morning at Marco Simone. It’s a golf course built for big excitement at an event that really doesn’t need much help.

It’s not so much the reachable par-5s and short par-4s. Viktor Hovland charged up the crowd Thursday with his “mulligan albatross.” After an errant tee shot, he dropped a ball on the tee at the 302-yard fifth and knocked it in with a 3-wood.

This is as much about the hills and layout that allow for good views and lots of noise. Playing before a hostile crowd is never easy, and perhaps one reason Team USA has not left European soil with the Ryder Cup since 1993.

Johnson believes this year will be different, just like captains of the previous six visiting U.S. teams before him. He felt good enough to sit out Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas from the opening session of foursomes Friday morning, along with Brooks Koepka, a five-time major champion he said was built for big stages like this.

“Really at peace with where things are,” Johnson said. “Extremely confident in our 12 guys.”

Johnson is sending out world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and his close friend, Sam Burns, to face Masters champion Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton in the first of four matches in the opening session.

Four matches of fourballs follow in the afternoon, with the same schedule on Saturday and then 12 singles matches on Sunday to decide the cup. The Americans are defending champions and only need 14 out of the 28 points available to retain the Ryder Cup.

In other opening matches, Hovland and Swedish rookie Ludvig Aberg will face the Ryder Cup rookie duo of Max Homa and British Open champion Brian Harman; Collin Morikawa and Rickie Fowler face Sepp Straka and Shane Lowry; and the anchor match feels like heavyweight material – Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele against Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood.

McIlroy is the most experienced Ryder Cup player and ranked No. 2 in the world. Fleetwood went 4-0 in his partnership with Francesco Molinari in his memorable debut before a home European crowd outside Paris in 2018.

“It’s a really strong American team, and they have a lot of really tough partnerships. We’re going up against one of them tomorrow in Xander and Patrick. They’ve got an incredible record,” McIlroy said. “I just hope I can live up to Francesco is really all I’m trying to do here. If I can live up to Francesco, I think we’ll be OK.”

The four days of buildup to the opening session felt as long as the two years since the last Ryder Cup. Teams played 9-hole practice rounds in-between team photos, interviews, gala dinners and motivational moments within their respective team rooms.

Once the ball is in the air before an enormous arena around the first tee, the action becomes relentless all the way through to the end.

The captains and their assistants have analyzed the statistical data of their players and potential partnerships. They have watched them practice.

“There comes a point when you’ve just got to let your thoroughbreds run,” Johnson said. “And I think we’re at that point. But I’m confident in the approach we’ve had up to this point.”

The only surprise was sitting Spieth – in his fifth Ryder Cup – and Thomas for the opening session, though they likely will be playing fourballs in the afternoon. It’s the first time Spieth has not played in the opening session.

Johnson said it was a matter of numbers – four matches means he had to sit four players (U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark also is sitting). And it’s unlikely most players will go all five matches given the heat and terrain outside Rome.

“The eight guys I have down on paper are the ones that we feel best put us in the position to get off to a great start,” Johnson said. “I have the utmost confidence in these eight and the utmost confidence in Jordan and Justin. I know we’re talking about a great tandem, but it’s a situation where it’s not about their form. They’re playing great. So it’s really just a matter of trying to dissect all five sessions.”

No one keeps score outside the ropes, but it felt as though Donald went 1-up in the opening ceremony by speaking beautifully in Italian to welcome the crowd, and then including the 12 caddies as making them every bit of the team.

But it’s decided by keeping the ball in short grass, holing points, earning points.

“I have a lot of faith in my team, but at the same time, I certainly don’t underestimate the U.S. side. There’s some strong players,” Donald said. “There’s a lot of players that played two years ago in Whistling Straits. They have some pairings that have astronomical win percentages, that have had a lot of success.

“I’m very happy with the progress of my team,” he said. “The preparation the last few days has been fantastic. They’ve given a lot over the last three days. They’re very engaged, and they are ready to compete.”

KOEPKA REPRESENTING USA, NOT LIV

The three letters Brooks Koepka represents this week in the Ryder Cup are USA.

Not LIV.

Koepka stands out for many reasons on golf’s biggest stages, mainly because he wins at so many of them as a five-time major champion. The obvious reason at Marco Simone is being the only player from the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League who made it back to the ultimate team event.

“I didn’t notice,” Koepka said sardonically when this was brought to his attention.

It wasn’t a problem for U.S. captain Zach Johnson, who used one of his six wild-card selections on Koepka. “An easy pick,” Johnson said.

It’s not a problem for the rest of the American team. Koepka lives near four of them in Florida, shares an agent with Scottie Scheffler and has remained friendly with everyone.

Just don’t get the idea that Koepka is carrying the flag for LIV Golf.

“I feel like I’m representing the USA. That’s what I’ve got on the front of my hat this week, so that’s what I’m representing,” Koepka said. “It’s not a group of individuals in that locker room. We’re just all one team, and that’s the way we think. That’s what I believe, and I’m pretty sure everybody else there thinks that.”

Twelve members from the last Ryder Cup – that includes vice captains – wound up signing with LIV Golf. So why is Koepka the only one at Marco Simone? He can only speak for the Americans, and typical of Koepka, he didn’t need many words.

“Play better,” he said.

That was a subtle message to the rest of the Americans with LIV – notably Bryson DeChambeau – that everyone had a path back, no matter how difficult.

The PGA of America kept the door open for LIV players in the Ryder Cup. But the points are based on official money at the PGA Tour, which suspended all LIV players. The only access was through the majors. DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson were eligible for all the majors, just like Koepka was.

He was the runner-up at the Masters and won the PGA Championship. That was nearly enough to make the team on points. Koepka finished just outside the top six and became an obvious pick.

“He’s built in my mind for the biggest stages,” Johnson said when picking Koepka.

DeChambeau won his second LIV Golf event last week in the Chicago area and argued more players from the rival league should have been considered. DeChambeau won his first LIV event at the Greenbrier with a 58 in the final round.

Johnson said he didn’t look much farther down the Ryder Cup standings than about No. 25. The other LIV players were nowhere to be found. DeChambeau felt he at least should have been called by Johnson to say he was considered but not chosen.

“There’s numerous people that I think Zach should have called out here, and we didn’t get that,” DeChambeau said after he won. “I understand. I get it. But we’re nothing different. We’re still competing. We’re still working super hard to be the best we possibly can be. Brooks is obviously going to kill it for Team USA, and excited for the team. But yeah, it definitely does sting a little bit.”

Dustin Johnson last time became only the second player to go 5-0 in the modern format. He is still regarded as one of golf’s biggest talents and thinks he could have contributed to Team USA at Marco Simone.

“I would love to be a part of the team,” Johnson told the Palm Beach Post. “But to be honest, I haven’t really played that well, this year. … Especially not being on the tour, I needed to play really well.”

That’s what Koepka did, and he said others had the same chance.

“I don’t make the decisions,” Koepka said. “Everybody had an opportunity to get there. I had the same opportunity as every other LIV player, and I’m here. Play better. That’s always the answer.”

Koepka referred to this American team as one of the tightest units in his three Ryder Cups, most players having competed against each other since they were teenagers. He loves this atmosphere. He loves the hang.

He ostensibly gets that at LIV as captain of Team Smash. But then, he made headlines earlier this year by ripping into Matthew Wolff, one of his teammates. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Koepka suggested Wolff sometimes quits on his rounds and questioned his work ethic.

So maybe there’s not quite the level of team bonding found at a Ryder Cup.

Koepka was in no mood for comparisons. He plays for LIV Golf 14 weeks out of the year. He plays in the four majors. This week is all about the Ryder Cup and Team USA.

HATTON PARTNERS WITH FELLOW HOTHEAD RAHM

Tyrrell Hatton was preparing to hit the first shot of his practice round on Thursday when a chant came from the grandstand surrounding the first tee.

“Swear in a minute,” they sang, “you’re gonna swear in a minute.”

Hatton stood back off his ball and laughed with the spectators.

With his temper and tantrums, the 31-year-old Englishman has been known to turn the air as blue as Europe’s color on the boards at the Ryder Cup. He can often be seen throwing his arms out and admonishing himself after bad shots, even after some good ones.

Maybe he has met his match on the European team, though.

Jon Rahm, the big burly Spaniard, has quite the temper, too, even if it has mellowed somewhat in recent months since becoming a father and a major champion.

So, Hatton was asked in an exchange with a reporter this week, who would win in a “swear-off” between him and Rahm?

“I’ve got everyone covered when it comes to that,” Hatton said with a grin. “Just any time of day, anywhere.”

No holding back?

“No holding back,” Hatton replied. “Doesn’t matter what we’re doing, I’m swearing.”

Hatton blurted out an expletive just to hammer home the point.

Spectators might get to judge for themselves this week.

Rahm and Hatton will play together in the first match of the morning foursomes on Friday when they take on Americans Scheffler and Burns.

It’s the second time Rahm and Hatton have been put together at a Ryder Cup. They were in the Friday afternoon fourballs in 2021 when they claimed a half-point from their match against Bryson DeChambeau and Scheffler.

DECIDING MATCH

As intense as the Ryder Cup can get, it hasn’t been close since it was decided by the final two matches at Medinah in 2012, with Martin Kaymer making a 6-foot par putt to beat Steve Stricker and assure Europe would capture the cup.

It’s enormous pressure. Think of Hunter Mahan holding back tears when he lost the deciding match in Wales, or Bernhard Langer and that look of utter anguish when he missed a 6-foot putt at Kiawah Island.

Who wants that pressure?

These are among the best 24 players in the world. Of course, they want a chance to deliver in that moment.

How many of them really mean it?

“Very few,” Koepka said with his usual dose of blunt honesty. He attributed that to “false confidence.”

“Other than the Ryder Cup, I think the most pressure you can feel is in a major,” said Koepka, who has won five of those. “Yeah, guys should believe in themselves, but everybody else has got to be thinking that they don’t. That’s why I think that way.

“You’ve always got to believe you’re the best and want to beat the best and have that drive, and that’s what’s going to put you over the edge,” he said. “I think a lot of guys have it. But I don’t know how many guys would want an 8-footer with this on the line.”

ROOKIE MOVE

Nicolai Hojgaard, at age 22, is the youngest player at the Ryder Cup and it showed at times in the buildup.

Europe’s players came to the Marco Simone club at the start of September for a team bonding trip and Hojgaard left his putter at home.

On the way back, the entire European squad flew to London because they were playing the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth but the flight was delayed for an hour: Hojgaard had put his passport in his hold luggage.

“He was the last to walk on the plane, and to a standing ovation,” Europe player Justin Rose said. “No better way to feel like a rookie than that.”

Hojgaard, one of Luke Donald’s six captain’s picks, said he is playing alongside his “idols and heroes” this week and could never imagine being on this stage.

“You have to pinch yourself a little bit,” he said, “but it’s reality now.”

HOVLAND’S HOLE-IN-ONE

Viktor Hovland hit the shot of the week a day too early.

Hovland made a hole-in-one at the par-4 fifth hole in his final practice round. When he heard the cheers from the green, he tossed his driver to the ground and was mobbed by playing partner Matthew Fitzpatrick and vice captain Nicolas Colsaerts.

There’s a catch, though: It was the second ball he hit off the tee.

AP sports writer Steve Douglas contributed to this story.