The 44th edition of the Ryder Cup gets underway Friday morning, but the players are already hard at work with their preparation.
The biennial bash between the United States and Europe is sure to look a lot different this time around compared to the 19-9 beatdown we witnessed just two years ago at Whistling Straits.
Gone is the old European guard of Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, and in comes a flurry of young talent, including Ludvig Aberg, who won the European Masters earlier this month.
Captain Luke Donald is hoping seven-time veteran Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland can lead the way on home soil, while U.S. captain Zach Johnson is relying on world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and a slew of American stars to win Team USA’s first Cup in Europe since 1993.
Golf course
Marco Simone Golf and Country Club | Par 71 | 7,181 yards
Team rosters
Team USA
| Name | Position | World rank |
| Zach Johnson | Captain | – |
| Steve Stricker | Vice captain | – |
| Davis Love III | Vice captain | – |
| Jim Furyk | Vice captain | – |
| Fred Couples | Vice captain | – |
| Stewart Cink | Vice captain | – |
| Sam Burns | Player | 20 |
| Patrick Cantlay | Player | 5 |
| Wyndham Clark | Player | 10 |
| Rickie Fowler | Player | 25 |
| Brian Harman | Player | 9 |
| Max Homa | Player | 7 |
| Brooks Koepka | Player | 17 |
| Collin Morikawa | Player | 19 |
| Xander Schauffele | Player | 6 |
| Scottie Scheffler | Player | 1 |
| Jordan Spieth | Player | 12 |
| Justin Thomas | Player | 24 |
| OWGR average | 12.92 |
Team Europe
| Name | Position | World rank |
| Luke Donald | Captain | – |
| Thomas Bjorn | Vice captain | – |
| Nicolas Colsaerts | Vice captain | – |
| Edoardo Molinari | Vice captain | – |
| Francesco Molinari | Vice captain | – |
| Jose Maria Olazabal | Vice captain | – |
| Ludvig Aberg | Player | 80 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | Player | 8 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | Player | 13 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | Player | 11 |
| Nicolai Hojgaard | Player | 82 |
| Viktor Hovland | Player | 4 |
| Shane Lowry | Player | 34 |
| Robert MacIntyre | Player | 55 |
| Rory McIlroy | Player | 2 |
| Jon Rahm | Player | 3 |
| Justin Rose | Player | 37 |
| Sepp Straka | Player | 22 |
| OWGR average | 29.25 |
Betting preview
Odds
| Outcome | Odds |
| Team USA win | (-110) |
| Team Europe win | (+115) |
| Tie | (+1100) |
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Team USA to win by 1-3 points (+340)
Team Europe is loaded, there’s no denying that. They have much more talent on this year’s roster compared to the one we saw in 2021. However, Team USA has six of the top-10 players in the world and is ready to win on foreign soil for the first time in 30 years. It’s gonna be close, regardless of who wins, but Team USA should get the job done.
Plus, if you can’t decide who’s going to win but think it’ll be close, Team Europe is +400 to win by 1-3, meaning if you bet both and hit one, you win money.
Top Team USA rookie: Max Homa (+150)
Max Homa will be playing in the Ryder Cup for the first time, but he got his feet wet in these team competitions last year at the Presidents Cup.
Homa went an undefeated 4-0-0 at Quail Hollow and was one of the emotional leaders for Team USA all week.
He has finished inside the top 15 in his last six starts, including a T-7 performance at the Fortinet Championship just a few weeks ago.
Top Great Britain and Ireland scorer: Rory McIlroy (+300)
Starting off, this category eliminates Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, two players destined to play in all five matches.
In his last 12 worldwide starts, Rory McIlroy has finished outside the top 10 once — T-16 at the Irish Open — and is surely looking forward to the opportunity of putting the 2021 edition of the Ryder Cup behind him — he went 1-3-0 and was benched for the first time in his career.
Top Team USA captain's pick: Justin Thomas (+450)
Why not?
He played well at the Fortinet Championship in his last start — solo fifth — and has his sights set on proving a lot of people wrong. A LOT of people.
Thomas boasts a career 6-2-1 record in two appearances at the Ryder Cup — plus, +450 value for a player that performs his best on the game’s biggest stages is tough to pass up.
