1st October 2023. Marco Simone. Luke Donald lifts the Roman sky cup that credits Europe as champion of the Ryder Cup 2023 after defeating the American team by 16.5 to 11.5. Today marks six months since that epic victory in the capital of Italy. Six months and it seems like yesterday, six months and it seems like an eternity.
We were happy and we didn’t know it. The Ryder ends with an imperial Jon Rahm who leaves the Roman Coliseum undefeated with two victories and two draws. Especially notable was the draw against Scottie on hole 18 of the match that inaugurated the individual matches session. If on that 1st October they had told us that Jon Rahm would be playing LIV Golf today, we probably wouldn’t have believed it. Whoever bet on that would have made a lot of money. It was unthinkable and look at it now. Jon Rahm had already played his last tournament on the PGA Tour and none of us could imagine it. To this we must add the increase in division in golf, the framework agreement that is not reached and the fatigue on the part of a certain sector of fans. These are symptoms that we were not able to glimpse, or not in the intensity that we find today. Ironies of fate, the Hatton-Rahm pair that gave us so much joy in Rome, is part of the same team on the Saudi circuit today.
Scheffler’s tears. Like a Phoenix. He suffered in Rome the most overwhelming defeat in the history of the Ryder Cup, losing 9&7 alongside Brooks Koepka against Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland. He was seen crying in Italy, tears of pain for a shameful defeat. It cannot be said that Scottie played poorly in Rome, in fact on Sunday he starred against Jon in one of the best matches of the competition. However, on hole 18 he complicated himself excessively and ended up conceding a painful draw when victory was within his grasp. At that moment a victory of the World Number One could have caused a significant change of inertia.
Scottie left Rome without any victory under his arm (two draws and two defeats), anyone else might have faltered, his game and his confidence could have been undermined a bit. Not at all. If at home a victory changes nothing, defeats neither. Clean slate and new account. Scheffler has two victories this year and his worst result in the eight tournaments he has played in 2024 is a T17, the rest top top tens. Madness. The Texan arrives in Augusta as the favourite to win. Leader’s response.
On the opposite side we find Rickie Fowler. The American returned to a Ryder five years later. His return to the winners’ circle definitely opened the doors of the American team thanks to Zach Johnson’s choice. Fowler experienced a Ryder to forget, he was the only participant to play only two matches and could not contribute any point to the American team. Since then Rickie has not been able to recover his best level. In 2023 he only missed two cuts all year and was a regular in the top 10 with eight appearances. This year he has already missed as many cuts as last year and his best record is a top 34. His results are not a disaster either, but we have not recovered the best version of Fowler.
Where is Viktor Hovland? Perhaps the Norwegian is still on holiday in the transalpine country. Jokes aside, the Norwegian finished the year as the most in-form player winning the PGA Tour playoffs, playing a great Ryder playing all five matches and scoring 3.5 points for the European team, plus a few weeks later the Norwegian finished second in the DP World Tour Championship. No news of the Norwegian since then. This year Hovland has played five tournaments and, it is true that he has made the cut in all of them, but in none has he been in a position to fight for victory and he has not even made it into the top 10. His best result a T19 at Riviera Country Club. It is normal for some decompression after a period of great results, but golf waits for no one and the first major of the season is just around the corner. Mr Hovland, wake up, we need you.
The Aberg phenomenon. The young Swede arrived in Rome thanks to Molinari’s instinct, Donald’s bet and of course Ludvig’s quality, who knew how to earn his place by winning in Switzerland. Aberg had time in Rome to win his first two points in the competition and play four matches as if he were a veteran. He only missed the inaugural session.
Since he won in Rome, Aberg had time in 2023 to make his debut on the PGA Tour with his victory in the autumn at the RSM Classic. This year Ludvig faces his first full regular season, the one of his confirmation. He fought for victory in Pebble Beach, but the rain left him without a final round when he was second on the leaderboard. He has played seven tournaments this year and has made the cut in all of them, accumulating three top 10s. There is a lot of desire and expectation to see him debut in his first major… Yes, yes, Ludvig is top ten in the world and he doesn’t know what it’s like to play a major.
There are 543 days left until the start of the next edition of the Ryder Cup and only a few months until the selection process for the players who will participate in BethPage opens… Life is what happens between Ryder and Ryder and we are already looking forward to the next one.
