KOHLER – What’s the run-up to the Ryder Cup without a little Team USA controversy? While Team Europe seems to groove into its own special chemistry for each Ryder Cup event, the U S of A always approaches the match play tournament with a combination of complaining, griping, and theatrics.
This year the controversy started with comments by Brooks Koepka and were magnified with Paul Azinger did a media-only call to promote NBC Sports coverage of the event.
Let the commentary speak for itself:
“It’s tough,” said Koepka to Golf Digest. “There are times where I’m like, I won my match. I did my job. What do you want from me? I know how to take responsibility for the shots I hit every week. Now, somebody else hit a bad shot and left me in a bad spot, and I know this hole is a loss. That’s new, and you have to change the way you think about things. You go from an individual sport all the time to a team sport one week a year,” he said to a question about the differences between the PGA Tour and Ryder Cup (team) format.
“Brooks, I just read that article, I’m not sure he loves the Ryder Cup that much,” Azinger said during an NBC Golf call with the media. “If he doesn’t love it, he should relinquish his spot and get people there who do love the Ryder Cup.
“Not everybody embraces it. But if you don’t love it, and you’re not sold out, then I think Brooks should, you know, especially being hurt, consider whether or not he really wants to be there,” added Azinger.
“And then if you add the Bryson dynamic to that, that might be an easier decision for him. But Brooks is one of the most candid, most honest guys there ever ism and if he’s blatantly honest with himself and he doesn’t want to be there, he should come out and say it. But, I don’t know, I’m a fan of both players, and I just feel like it’s gonna be one or the other. They’re gonna put the weight of the team on their shoulders or they’re gonna be a pain in the neck,” noted Azinger.
Team Rosters
Europe 🇪🇺
Team Europe Page (link)
Padraig Harrington Captain
Robert Karlsson Vice captain
Luke Donald Vice captain
Martin Kaymer Vice captain
Graeme McDonald Vice captain
Henrik Stenson Vice captain
Paul Casey Automatic qualifier
Matt Fitzpatrick Automatic qualifier
Tyrrell Hatton Automatic qualifier
Tommy Fleetwood Automatic qualifier
Rory McIlroy Automatic qualifier
Viktor Hovland Automatic qualifier
Jon Rahm Automatic qualifier
Lee Westwood Automatic qualifier
Bernd Wiesberger Automatic qualifier
Sergio Garcia Captain’s pick
Shane Lowry Captain’s pick
Ian Poulter Captain’s pick
USA 🇺🇸
USA Team Page (link)
Steve Stricker Captain
Phil Mickelson Vice captain
Fred Couples Vice captain
Collin Morikawa Automatic qualifier
Dustin Johnson Automatic qualifier
Bryson DeChambeau Automatic qualifier
Brooks Koepka Automatic qualifier
Justin Thomas Automatic qualifier
Patrick Cantlay Automatic qualifier
Daniel Berger Captain pick
Harris English Captain pick
Tony Finau Captain pick
Xander Schauffele Captain pick
Scottie Scheffler Captain pick
Jordan Spieth Captain pick
Ryder Cup Odds (by Fan Duel)
USA (-195)
Europe (+175)
Draw (+1200)
(As of 9/15)
Ryder Cup News & Notes
- The September 24th golf tournament marks the beginning of the much-awaited 2020ne Ryder Cup competition, delayed a year because of the restrictions in travel for the COVID-19 global pandemic. There will be a combination of celebrity matches, practice rounds, a pre-opening ceremony, then the official Opening Ceremony at Whistling Straits’ Dye Plaza.
- It is customary for the two team captains to reveal their planned line-ups for Friday morning’s foursome matches.
- Aside from the constant controversy with Bryson DeChambeau and now former great and current TV commentator Paul Azinger, Brooks Koepka says he’s “ready to go” after a hand injury while hacking through the root of a tree at the TOUR Championship two weeks ago. “I’ll be there. I’m good to go,” he said via text message to Golf Week on Wednesday. “I’m feeling good. Been doing my rehab, doing everything I need to do to be ready for the Cup. I’ll be there ready to play.”