The calls have been made.
The 12-man sides have been filled out.
Scouting trips are on both teams’ dockets.
Now, all that’s left is to get this 44th Ryder Cup started. The matches will take place Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, and the Americans are the current holders of the Cup, having won in convincing fashion, 19-9, two years ago at Whistling Straits. That said, Europe has won seven of the last 10 Ryder Cups – and hasn’t lost a home Ryder Cup in 30 years, since Captain Tom Watson, Captain’s pick Raymond Floyd and Payne Stewart led the U.S. to a 15-13 triumph at The Belfry in 1993.
This year’s U.S. Team is led by Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1 who put together a historic ball-striking season on the PGA Tour. Three rookies made U.S. Captain Zach Johnson’s side automatically – Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman and Max Homa – while Sam Burns was the only newcomer tabbed as a Captain’s Pick.
As for Europe, Viktor Hovland’s back-to-back FedExCup playoff victories have him as the Continent’s hottest player entering the matches in Rome. Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm also are standout veterans on a European roster that features four rookies – Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka, Nicolai Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg, the young Swede who was playing college golf less than four months ago and will become the first player in Ryder Cup history to compete in the biennial event before playing in a major championship.
As we await the actual golf, let’s take a closer look at the two 12-man teams:
UNITED STATES
Scottie Scheffler
Age: 27
Residence: Dallas
College (turned pro): Texas (2018)
World rank: 1
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 14 (2)
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 2-0-1 (1-0-1 in four-ball, 1-0 in singles)
Wyndham Clark
Age: 29
Residence: Scottsdale, Arizona
College (turned pro): Oklahoma State/Oregon (2017)
World rank: 10
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 6 (2)
Ryder Cup appearances: Making debut
Career Ryder Cup record: Making debut
Brian Harman
Age: 36
Residence: St. Simons Island, Georgia
College (turned pro): Georgia (2009)
World rank: 9
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 5 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: Making debut
Career Ryder Cup record: Making debut
Max Homa
Age: 32
Residence: Scottsdale, Arizona
College (turned pro): Cal (2013)
World rank: 7
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 10 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: Making debut
Career Ryder Cup record: Making debut
Patrick Cantlay
Age: 31
Residence: Jupiter, Florida
College (turned pro): UCLA (2012)
World rank: 5
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 10 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 3-0-1 (0-0-1 in four-ball, 2-0 in foursomes, 1-0 in singles)
Xander Schauffele
Age: 29
Residence: Jupiter, Florida
College (turned pro): San Diego State (2015)
World rank: 6
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 9 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 3-1 (1-0 in four-ball, 2-0 in foursomes, 0-1 in singles)
Brooks Koepka
Age: 33
Residence: Jupiter, Florida
College (turned pro): Florida State (2012)
World rank: 15
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 6 (2)
Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2016, 2018, 2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 6-5-1 (2-2 in foursomes, 2-3 in four-ball, 2-0-1 in singles)
Rickie Fowler
Age: 34
Residence: Jupiter, Florida
College (turned pro): Oklahoma State (2009)
World rank: 26
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 6 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: 4 (2010, 2014, 2016, 2018)
Career Ryder Cup record: 3-7-5 (1-3-2 in foursomes, 1-2-2 in four-ball, 1-2-1 in singles)
Jordan Spieth
Age: 30
Residence: Dallas
College (turned pro): Texas (2012)
World rank: 12
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 7 (0)
Ryder Cup appearances: 4 (2014, 2016, 2018, 2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 8-7-3 (3-2-2 in foursomes, 5-2 in four-ball, 0-3-1 in singles)
Collin Morikawa
Age: 26
Residence: Las Vegas
College (turned pro): Cal (2019)
World rank: 19
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 6 (0)
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 3-0-1 (2-0 in foursomes, 1-0 in four-ball, 0-0-1 in singles)
Sam Burns
Age: 27
Residence: Choudrant, Louisiana
College (turned pro): LSU (2017)
World rank: 20
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 5 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: Making debut
Career Ryder Cup record: Making debut
Justin Thomas
Age: 30
Residence: Jupiter, Florida
College (turned pro): Alabama (2013)
World rank: 25
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 3 (0)
Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2018, 2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 6-2-1 (2-2 in foursomes, 2-0-1 in four-ball, 2-0 in singles)
EUROPE
Rory McIlroy
Age: 34
Country: Northern Ireland
Residence: Jupiter, Florida
College (turned pro): None (2007)
World rank: 2
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 12 (2)
Ryder Cup appearances: 6 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 12-12-4 (5-5-1 in foursomes, 4-5-2 in four-ball, 3-2-1 in singles)
Jon Rahm
Age: 28
Country: Spain
Residence: Scottsdale, Arizona
College (turned pro): Arizona State (2016)
World rank: 3
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 9 (4)
Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2018, 2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 4-3-1 (2-0 in foursomes, 1-2-1 in four-ball, 1-1 in singles)
Viktor Hovland
Age: 25
Country: Norway
Residence: Stillwater, Oklahoma
College (turned pro): Oklahoma State (2019)
World rank: 4
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 7 (3)
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 0-3-2 (0-2 in foursomes, 0-1-1 in four-ball, 0-0-1 in singles)
Tyrrell Hatton
Age: 31
Country: England
Residence: Marlow, England
College (turned pro): None (2011)
World rank: 13
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 9 (0)
Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2018, 2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 2-4-1 (0-1 in foursomes, 2-1-1 in four-ball, 0-2 in singles)
Matt Fitzpatrick
Age: 29
Country: England
Residence: Sheffield, England
College (turned pro): Northwestern (2014)
World rank: 8
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 6 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2016, 2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 0-5 (0-3 in foursomes, 0-2 in singles)
Tommy Fleetwood
Age: 32
Country: England
Residence: Southport, England
College (turned pro): None (2010)
World rank: 14
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 8 (0)
Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2018, 2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 4-2-2 (2-0 in foursomes, 2-1-1 in four-ball, 0-1-1 in singles)
Justin Rose
Age: 43
Country: England
Residence: London
College (turned pro): None (1998)
World rank: 34
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 5 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: 5 (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)
Career Ryder Cup record: 13-8-2 (7-2-1 in foursomes, 4-4 in four-ball, 2-2-1 in singles)
Shane Lowry
Age: 36
Country: Ireland
Residence: Jupiter, Florida
College (turned pro): University College Dublin (2009)
World rank: 37
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 1 (0)
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2021)
Career Ryder Cup record: 1-2 (1-1 in four-ball, 0-1 in singles)
Sepp Straka
Age: 30
Country: Austria
Residence: Birmingham, Alabama
College (turned pro): Georgia (2016)
World rank: 23
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 5 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: Making debut
Career Ryder Cup record: Making debut
Nicolai Højgaard
Age: 22
Country: Denmark
Residence: Aarhus, Denmark
College (turned pro): None (2019)
World rank: 78
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 7 (0)
Ryder Cup appearances: Making debut
Career Ryder Cup record: Making debut
Robert MacIntyre
Age: 27
Country: Scotland
Residence: Oban, Scotland
College (turned pro): McNeese State (2017)
World rank: 54
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 6 (0)
Ryder Cup appearances: Making debut
Career Ryder Cup record: Making debut
Ludvig Åberg
Age: 23
Country: Sweden
Residence: Lubbock, Texas
College (turned pro): Texas Tech (2023)
World rank: 90
Worldwide top-10s in 2023 (wins): 3 (1)
Ryder Cup appearances: Making debut
Career Ryder Cup record: Making debut
