Questions to Be Answered After Europe’s Heavy Ryder Cup Defeat
The performance of this year’s European Ryder Cup team was probably best summed up in an interview with Rory McIlroy after he had won his singles match on the final day of play. A very emotional McIlroy held back the tears as he reflected on an extremely challenging and draining week.
Rory McIlroy (center) walks amongst other grim-faced European players during day one of the 2020 Ryder Cup. Things did not get better for the visiting team as the weekend progressed. ©GettyImages
“It’s the best event in golf, bar none,” said the Irishman despite his team having lost heavily. Full of adulation for the Ryder Cup itself and the competition it produces, a choked Rory McIlroy explained how taking part in the Ryder Cup was a privilege.
McIlroy, like many members of the European team, had form issues going into this year’s Ryder Cup. With just one victory and two top-five finishes on the PGA Tour during the 2021 season, McIlroy has had far better years than this one. However, no points for Europe’s talisman going into the Sunday of a Ryder Cup was still a shock and expert autopsies suggest it was one of the main reasons Europe ultimately lost so heavily.
In truth, Europe started slowly and never came close to challenging. A 6-2 score-line was a big day one lead for the Americans and the home team did not relent on Saturday either. This time they produced a solid 5-3 result.
By the time McIlroy finally got a point on the board for Europe on Sunday it was a case of consolation rather than comeback. Europe would go on to win just two more of their Sunday singles resulting in a 19-9 loss for the week, their biggest defeat in the history of the Ryder Cup.
Where Does Europe Go From Here?
With so many senior players in the 2020 European Ryder Cup team, it is likely to be a very different European squad that heads to the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club – 30 minutes from the center of Rome – for the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Europe needs to find and develop more talent from young players if they want to regain the Ryder Cup. With so many events on the European Tour each season whoever captains Europe next must keep a close eye on who is coming through the ranks. The USA proved that rookies can win Ryder Cup points and Europe must now look to the next wave of talent.
Players such as Robert McIntyre have been impressive on tough courses like Augusta National recently. The young Scotsman will be looking to build on his 12th place finish at the Masters this year and string together consistent performances.
Thomas Detry is another who can progress into a top player between now and Rome 2023. Following a stellar amateur career that saw him rise to fifth in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, the young Belgian has now enjoyed two runner-up finishes on the European Tour.
Can New Stars Shine in Time?
Naturally, there are a lot of other young European golfers coming through the ranks who could blossom into stars. Few could have foreseen Collin Morikawa becoming the key player he was for the USA’s 2020 Ryder Cup team two years ago. Stars are born all the time and Europe will need to quickly find some if they are to better challenge the American team next time around. Chris Poole, Director of Trading at BetVictor, told Online-Casinos.com his firm’s odds compilers cannot see those new stars shining or the tide turning quickly. They believe America’s young guns will be difficult to beat in 2023:
“On the back of the Whistling Straits massacre, and with an amazing young team, we have put the USA in as clear favorites to humble the Europeans once again in two years’ time. Although Italy will present a very different challenge, we expect them to be incredibly hard to beat in Ryder Cup 2023. As a consequence, we go 8/15 the USA and 15/8 Europe.”– Chris Poole, Director of Trading at BetVictor
Who Will Captain Europe Next?
At Ryder Cup 2020 there was plenty of talk about Sergio Garcia’s role as a mentor amongst the European players. Could he be politicking towards a captain’s role in the future? The all-time record holder for points at the Ryder Cup, he would be an obvious choice to lead the team.
Sergio Garcia: Could the Spaniard be politicking towards a future Ryder Cup captaincy? ©GettyImages
Another solid pick would be Lee Westwood. Having made a record tenth appearance as a player at the most recent Ryder Cup, Westwood is another strong contender to be the next captain should he not be selected to play in 2023.
Perhaps the most popular choice would be Ian Poulter. A golfer who will forever be synonymous with the Ryder Cup thanks to his boisterous and swashbuckling style at the event, Poulter has become a real fan favorite.
Many pundits believe this may have also been Ian Poulter’s last Ryder Cup so do not be surprised to see him selected to lead the team in Rome. Having been such a big presence in the European teams down through the years it would seem only natural Poulter would one day get to captain the team.
There is no fixed time frame for the appointment to be made. Padraig Harrington was given the 2020 captaincy – by a five-man selection panel consisting of the three most recent captains as well as representatives of Ryder Cup Europe and the European Tour’s tournament committee – four months after the 2018 Ryder Cup had concluded.
Will Stricker Captain the Capable USA Again?
Steve Stricker was quick to rule out the idea of re-captaining the US team in Italy in the aftermath of his team’s win at Whistling Straits:
“I don’t think it’s going to happen. It’s mapped out and there’s guys in positions to be the next captains. It was an unbelievable experience, don’t get me wrong. I’m glad it’s over,”
he said after lifting the Cup.
But nothing has been decided yet. It’s clear the players loved playing for him, such was their unanimous praise for Stricker’s performance as captain. With such a young team, many of them will likely play again in Rome and some may push for their captain to have the opportunity to defend the cup.
After such a historic win, it is difficult to see why he should not be given another chance to lead the team again. Only for his gracious nature, Stricker would be well entitled to ask for the captaincy once again.
Whoever does captain the USA side on the Ryder Cup’s first visit to Italy they will surely have a team capable of winning the competition without home advantage. If the 2020 Ryder Cup proved anything, it was that the USA has the best players in the world by a considerable margin right now.
Previous Ryder Cup Winners and Scores
- 2020 – USA 19 to Europe 9
- 2018 – Europe 17.5 to USA 10.5
- 2016 – USA 17 to Europe 11
- 2014 – Europe 16.5 to USA 11.5
- 2012 – Europe 14.5 to USA 13.5
- 2010 – Europe 14.5 to USA 13.5
