Author: Linus Goldemann

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Ryder Cup 2023 – Rory McIlroy: “At least I contributed twice”

Rory McIlroy und Matt Fitzpatrick at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy und Matt Fitzpatrick at the Ryder Cup 2023. (Photo: Getty)

Team Europe has made a strong showing at the Ryder Cup 2023 in Italy. After the Foursomes in the morning ended with 4:0 for the Europeans, the hosts defended the lead strongly in the Fourballs in the afternoon. Rory McIlroy, who did not start too well into the tournament, won both of his matches – in the morning together with Tommy Fleetwood, in the afternoon with Matt Fitzpatrick. The afternoon match in particular caused quite a stir, as the two Europeans literally overran the guests on the front nine. Read the interview with McIlroy and Fitzpatrick.

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Ryder Cup 2023: McIlroy and Fitzpatrick thrilled about Team Europe’s great start

Q. Mat, Rory, incredible performance, relief, elation, what does this mean for you personally and for Europe?

Matt Fitzpatrick: For me, it’s very, very special, and to play with this man, and to get out to the start that we did, yeah, just phenomenal.

Q. A hot start, Rory, as far as Ryder Cup Matches, where does that rank for you, and near the top, I’m sure?

Rory McIlroy: Yeah, absolutely amazing. You know, for the first nine holes I was trying to hang on to this man’s coattails. I said to him walking up 10, “At least I contributed twice.”

And then the boys made a few birdies, you know, on the back nine there and we had to just sort of hang in and hit some good, solid shots down the stretch.

But yeah, I mean, just a great day in front of some amazing home fans, and I said to Fitzy there, you know, for his first point for Europe, I’m happy that I was the one to get it with him. Proud of how him and I played, and we just have to go out and regroup for tomorrow.

Q. Going out in four-balls this afternoon gave you some freedom, didn’t it?

Matt Fitzpatrick: Yeah, absolutely, my first four-balls match. I was laughing to Rory, what do we do here. I’m just so excited to be out here, and it’s very different playing a home Ryder Cup than away to. Have the fans cheering you on makes a hell of a difference.

Q. First point in Ryder Cup competition, you got off to a hot start, what was working so well for you early on?

Matt Fitzpatrick: Six one-putts in a row is normally a big help. Yeah, felt really good with the putter on the front nine and just got off to a really hot start.

Q. Why did this pairing work so well for you today?

Rory McIlroy: Matt and I have known each other for a long time now. We have played, yeah, this is our third Ryder Cup Team together, and yeah, it’s a really comfortable pairing. I’ve been so lucky with the two partners that I’ve had with Tommy in the morning and this man, the start that he got off to, I was trying to hang on to his coattails. I contributed a couple of times there around the turn and thankfully we did enough to get it done.

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Ryder Cup 2023: Sepp Straka – An Austrian writes history

The 2023 Ryder Cup has one more Austrian in its history. After compatriot Bernd Wiesberger, who experienced European defeat up close in Whistling Straits in 2021, Sepp Straka is the next man from the Alpine nation on Team Europe. A strong year from Straka is made even better at the end by the Captain’s Pick of Luke Donald. The 30-year-old attracted attention with strong finishes at the majors and celebrated his second title on the PGA Tour. Despite his personal closeness to the USA, Straka will be looking to bring the title back to Europe against Zach Johnson’s men and claim his next success.

Sepp Straka at the Ryder Cup 2023

For the first time, Sepp Straka, one of four rookies in Luke Donald’s team, will tee it up at a Ryder Cup. For Donald, who raved about Straka several times, it was probably one of the easier Captain’s Picks. That’s because Straka played a terrific season and was able to put his name in the headlines, especially at the majors. A strong showing at the 2023 PGA Championship in May resulted in a shared 7th place finish at Oak Hill Country Club. Then followed an even bigger exclamation mark at the British Open 2023 in July.

Behind Brian Harman, Straka played a strong weekend and secured the shared second place. Despite the rain at Royal Liverpool on the English east coast, Straka was to become the first Austrian with a top-3 finish at a major. But the Viennese was not only able to convince at the majors this year. A second title on the PGA Tour is also on the Austrian’s shelf after winning the John Deere Classic in July. The tall 30-year-old secured the tournament in Illinois after a closing round of 62 to finish 21 strokes under par and two strokes clear of the runner-up. In the end, he should win 1.3 million US dollars in prize money.

Ryder Cup 2023: Sepp Straka commits to the European homeland

Team Europe will travel to Rome with no fewer than four players who will be competing in an edition of the Ryder Cup for the first time. Straka learned of the nomination while driving: “It was great, it was a big relief because if you don’t qualify, you just don’t know. It’s up to the captain’s choice and it’s an honor that he had confidence in me, and hopefully I can reward that with a good performance in Rome.”

The leaderboard of the Ryder Cup 2023

Sepp Straka was able to gain his first experience of team competitions at this year’s Hero Cup, which apparently also convinced Luke Donald. In the duel with the team from Great Britain and Ireland against the continental Europeans, Straka went to the United Arab Emirates. There, he was already able to do a lot of advertising for himself in January and, among other things, celebrated a success with his 5-and-4 win in the singles against Ewan Ferguson and secured the triumph in the duel with the island players around Tommy Fleetwood. But it is precisely the latter that Straka has nothing but fond memories of with a view to the Ryder Cup: “My favorite is simply the combination of Molinari and Fleetwood, those guys were incredible. I think that’s probably my favorite team in Ryder Cup history and probably my favorite moment.”

Sepp Straka has spent more than half of his life in the United States, but was born in the Austrian capital, the son of a native and an American. Straka therefore also holds U.S. citizenship and is known on the tour for his American accent. But whether the native of Vienna ever considered playing for Team USA may be doubted: “I have never played golf for America. Since my first start at the Lyoness Open in Austria, my first professional start, I have always played under the Austrian flag. I played all my junior golf for Austria in the European Boys Teams and the European Amateur Team, so yes, I always assumed I was playing for Europe, and I’ve always played for the Austrian flag and represented it proudly.”

The liveticker of the Ryder Cup 2023

Sepp Straka: First Austrian to win PGA Tour title

Sepp Straka has earned a total of more than $13 million since joining the PGA Tour in 2019. In addition to this year’s John Deere Classic, he also won the Honda Classic in 2022, making him the first Austrian winner on the PGA Tour. The Olympics are also on Straka’s CV. He already represented his colors at the 2020 (2021) Olympic Games in Tokyo and secured a shared tenth place. The sum of his good results is proof that the Viennese has established himself as an integral part of the European golfing elite. Thanks to his performance in the last two years, Straka has played himself more and more into the focus and into the Ryder Cup considerations. Luke Donald has not forgotten this either and is now hoping for the qualities of the big hitter from Austria at the 2023 Ryder Cup.

The WITB of Sepp Straka at the Ryder Cup 2023

The Austrian member of Team Europe uses the latest models from TaylorMade for his woods and driver. With the Stealth 2 Plus he chooses the adjustable model with a 15 gram weight behind the “Speed Pocket” of the club. For the irons, he then reaches for the Mk II ZX7 series. The forged Players irons from Srixon are the most sophisticated irons of the latest generation and are designed for plenty of spin and control. Together with the wedges from Cleveland, more precisely the RTX6 Zipcore wedges, Straka gets strong options for the shot on the green in his bag. For his putter, Straka continues to choose the Odyssey Stroke Lab Tuttle with a mid-mallet design. His game ball switched to the new Srixon Z-Star XV just this year. The XV is a bit firmer than Straka’s previous golf ball, but still retains plenty of feel around the greens.

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Ryder Cup 2023: Team Monty wins first All-Star Match

Team Monty around Gareth Bale and Novak Djokovic wins the Ryder Cup All-Star Match. (Photo: Getty)
Team Monty around Gareth Bale and Novak Djokovic wins the Ryder Cup All-Star Match. (Photo: Getty)

Team Monty took victory in today’s inaugural Ryder Cup 2023 All-Star Match, beating Team Pavin 7-4 in a closely fought match play contest played over seven holes at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

Novak Djokovic and Gareth Bale at the 2023 Ryder Cup

24-time tennis Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, paired with G4D Tour player Kipp Popert struck an excellent opening tee shot which set the scene for a 3-1 win against Scuderia Ferrari Formula One driver Carlos Sainz, and Italian G4D Tour player Tommaso Perrino – both of whom enjoyed strong local support. Djokovic even managed to drive the iconic short par 4 16th, a hole which promises to be the scene of some epic battles when the Ryder Cup gets under way on Friday.

Match Two, featuring the all-American pairing of actress Kathryn Newton and former NFL player Victor Cruz, ended in a 2-2 tie against the pairing of Italian professional surfer Leonardo Fioravanti and Garrett Hilbert from Dude Perfect. With it all still to play for, Captain Colin Montgomerie turned on the style in the closing holes to edge out a 2-1 victory with close support from his teammate Gareth Bale, in a match against another footballing legend in Ukraine’s Andriy Shevchenko, and opposing Captain Corey Pavin.

Ryder Cup 2023 Live Scoring

Ryder Cup 2023 All-Star Match a “real privilege” for Montgomerie

Speaking about the victory, winning captain Colin Montgomerie, said: “Playing in the Ryder Cup was such a big part of my life and my career and today has really taken me back there. I was actually getting a little bit emotional coming down the 18th and it was a real privilege to Captain such a talented team of all stars. It was also amazing to see the support from the crowds who were fantastic all the way round. This was the first time I’ve played this golf course and it’s a true risk and reward test, so the Ryder Cup is set up perfectly for a dramatic contest. Corey has always been an incredibly tough competitor to face, so it was nice to be able to get one up on him today.”

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Novak Djokovic, said: “My partner Kipp really delivered his A-game today and is such a talented player and so inspiring. Overall, I’m pleased with how I played. I haven’t had the chance to practice too much coming into today, but I hit a good opening tee shot which really settled the nerves and I managed to play some good holes. The crowds were amazing and it was a really fun experience.”

Gareth Bale about the rough at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Gareth Bale, added: “I thoroughly enjoyed that. With big crowds following us there were some nerves there, but I’ve played a few pro-ams before so knew what to expect and that helped. Monty was on top form today and really led from the front. The rough was pretty penal so I had a few tough shots when I missed the fairway, but I hit a good shot on 16 and got up and down for birdie, so that was a good memory to take away.”

Text: Ryder Cup Europe

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Ryder Cup 2023: Scottie Scheffler, the number one in the world

Ryder Cup 2023: Scottie Scheffler, the number one in the world (Photo: Getty)
Ryder Cup 2023: Scottie Scheffler, the number one in the world (Photo: Getty)

The 27-year-old American Scottie Scheffler has been at the top of the world rankings for several months. Two years ago, he won the Ryder Cup with the USA on his debut. In total, he has already been victorious six times on the PGA Tour. Currently the best player in the world, he is a mainstay in the American team.

Scottie Scheffler at the Ryder Cup 2023

Scottie Scheffler collected so many Ryder Cup points last season that he was determined early on as the first qualifier. By winning two events in 2023, including the Players Championship, he collected almost twice as many points as Wyndham Clark, who was the second qualifier.

In the 2022/23 season, he played a full 21 tournaments and did not miss a cut. He finished in the top-25 in 19 of the tournaments, won the Players Championship, finished tied for tenth at the Masters, second at the PGA Championship and third at the US Open. With almost $20 million in prize money this season, he is the most successful player of the year and will be a great challenge for the European team. Last year he also proved his match play skills when he won the Dell Matchplay, this year he was eliminated only in the semifinals.

Scottie Scheffler: A mainstay at the 2023 Ryder Cup

Scottie Scheffler made his debut in the historic victory for the USA in 2021. The USA won 19 to 9, setting a new record. Never before has a Ryder Cup team won by such a margin. Scheffler had his part in it.

Ryder Cup 2023 Live Scoring

On the first day, together with Bryson DeChambeau, he played to a draw in fourball against Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm. The following day, with the same playing partner, he picked up his first win in fourball against Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland. The highlight followed on the final day in his singles match against Jon Rahm. With a win of 4 & 3, he scored one of the highest victories of the day against a well-known opponent.

Scottie Scheffler’s greatest achievements and prize money

In Scottie Scheffler’s still young career, he has already achieved great success. The 27-year-old has won six tournaments on the PGA Tour and two more on the Korn Ferry Tour. He is only in his fourth season and further successes of the American are to be expected. With the Masters Tournament last year, he won his only Major title to date.

In 111 tournaments on the PGA Tour, Scheffler made the cut 92 times, finished in the top-10 43 times, finished third nine times and second seven times. In just three years of his career on the PGA Tour, he has collected more than $42 million in prize money.

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Scottie Scheffler WITB for the Ryder Cup 2023

Scottie Scheffler’s golf bag contains a colorful mix of different manufacturers. When it comes to woods, the top golfer relies on TaylorMade Stealth Plus models as drivers and 3-woods. For the long distances on narrow fairways or into the green, he relies on the Srixon Z U85 driving irons and takes the 3- and 4-iron series into his bag. With the P7TW irons from his sponsor TaylorMade, Scheffler reaches for the Players iron set specially designed by and for Tiger Woods. He complements the sporty, slim irons with three wedges from the Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 8 series and a Scotty Cameron putter from the Special Select series. He also relies on Titleist for the ball and tees it up with the Pro V1.

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Ryder Cup 2023: Max Homa – The newcomer on Team USA

Max Homa is heading to Rome for the 2023 Ryder Cup, the first participation for the 32-year-old. (Photo:Getty)
Max Homa is heading to Rome for the 2023 Ryder Cup, the first participation for the 32-year-old. (Photo:Getty)

The 2023 Ryder Cup awaits, when the famous trophy will be on the line at the Marco Simone Golf in Country Club in Rome at the end of September. Max Homa will be taking part for the first time. With a consistent season and a top-10 finish at the BMW Championship, he took the final step towards qualification.

Max Homa at the Ryder Cup 2023

The No. 7 in the World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is coming off a victory in the 2023 season and is one of three debutants on Team USA. The 32-year-old’s shared fifth-place finish at the BMW Championship secured him the No. 5 spot in the Ryder Cup Standings, making it into the Americans’ 12-man squad. Thanks to his strong finish, Homa does not have to rely on the favor of captain Zach Johnson. Max Homa was able to secure his place around Scheffler and Co. with strong finishes at the highlights on the PGA Tour.

To start the season, Max Homa posted a third-place split finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He followed that up with a win at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open in late January, then tied for second at the Genesis Invitational in February. A month later, the California native earned a sixth-place split at the Players Championship and followed that up with an eighth-place split at the Wells Fargo Championship in May. His strong showings in the former ‘Designated Events’, as well as T6 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and a shared fifth-place finish at the BMW Championship, allowed him to play his way up to seventh place in the OWGR. He then finished the season with his best career major finish at the 2023 British Open, tying for tenth.

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Max Homa without Ryder Cup experience yet

Although this is Max Homa’s first time at the Ryder Cup, it is not his first team competition on the international stage. After winning the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, the US American played in the Walkers Cup 2013. The duel between the best US amateurs and their colleagues from Great Britain and Ireland went 17:9 to the US boys. With strong successes on the PGA Tour, Homa recommended himself for the Presidents Cup in 2022. In the duel with the best players outside Europe, Homa showed his class and won each of his four matches in the victory of the USA.

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Max Homa takes off after a bumpy start

For the Californian, the professional career was to begin in 2013 with his entry onto the PGA Tour. He then had to fight for the tour card for many years and made a detour to the Korn Ferry Tour to qualify for the PGA Tour again. Then in 2019, Homa managed his first win on the PGA Tour. And what a success it was! Homa secured the Wells Fargo Championship and prize money of around US$1.4 million. Then came victory in 2021 at the Genesis Invitational in a playoff with Presidents Cup playing partner Tony Finau. In 2022, he would again take the crown at the Wells Fargo Championship. His CV now includes six victories on the PGA Tour and prize money of more than 10.5 million US dollars.

Max Homa WITB for the 2023 Ryder Cup

The Team USA rookie relies entirely on the Titleist brand for his equipment. From driver to wedge, he will also be using the latest models from the manufacturer at the 2023 Ryder Cup, where he usually prefers the sporty variants with length gain and particularly high flexibility. In addition to the TSR3 driver, Homa also plays the TSR fairway woods. However, here he relies on the 2 model with a focus on tee shots and more forgiveness. For the irons, he relies on the Titleist 620 irons. A demanding player’s iron with little room for error. In the short game, Homa, like many of his colleagues, relies on the Titleist Vokey SM9 with different sole grinds to flexibly master any situation on the course. The Scottie Cameron Mallet putter and the Pro V1 golf ball complete Homa’s golf bag.

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Ryder Cup 2023: Tyrrell Hatton with third appearance in a row

Ryder Cup 2023 will be the third time on Team Europe for Tyrrell Hatton. (Photo: Getty)
Ryder Cup 2023 will be the third time on Team Europe for Tyrrell Hatton. (Photo: Getty)

The Ryder Cup 2023 is just around the corner. Tyrrell Hatton will be part of the team again this year. Despite rather disappointing performances at the Major tournaments and a season without a title so far, the 31-year-old Englishman qualified for Team Europe for the third time in a row. Alongside Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, Hatton is thus the fourth player who was certain to be competing for the European team at the Ryder Cup. Known for his temperament, Hatton could be a valuable points contributor for Team Europe – as long as he can keep his emotions in check.

Tyrrell Hatton at the 2023 Ryder Cup

In a year that has so far lacked major success, Hatton qualified for the Ryder Cup through consistent performances and a strong finish on the world points list. With Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm qualifying via the European points list, Hatton’s fourth-best world points score among European players helped him jump into one of the contested spots for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

For Team Europe, the talented Englishman could be a key to success. With seven top-10 finishes in 21 tournaments played in 2023 and only one missed cut, the 31-year-old is proving once again this season that he is one of the best golfers in the world. While it wasn’t enough for Hatton to earn a top finish at the majors, his best finishes this year include a runner-up finish at The Players Championship and shared third-place finishes at the Wells Fargo Championship and Canadian Open.

Tyrrell Hatton’s third consecutive Ryder Cup appearance

For Hatton, participation in the 2023 Ryder Cup represents his third consecutive appearance in the tournament. The two previous competitions in 2018 and 2021 could not have been more different. While Team Europe claimed a convincing victory in France in 2018, Hatton and Co. suffered a historic defeat at the hands of Team USA in Wisconsin in 2021. Hatton himself turned in solid performances in both tournaments, contributing one point (1-2-0) in 2018 and 1.5 points (1-2-1) in 2021.

For the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, the European team will be looking for revenge for 2021 despite being perceived as the underdog. “I think Europe will have a strong team. The media will portray us as underdogs, but we will have a very strong team,” Hatton announced in an interview with talkSPORT. In any case, the fact that Team USA has not been able to win on European soil for 30 years speaks in favor of success for the Europeans.

Tyrrell Hatton: Dry spell and great successes

Tyrrell Hatton achieved the breakthrough in his career in 2016 when he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Particularly impressive in this first major success was his 62 strokes in round three. In the following years, Hatton collected five more successes on the European Tour and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour in 2020. He also won the 2018 Ryder Cup with Team Europe, but since his victory in 2021 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Tyrrell Hatton has been waiting for a trophy. A triumph at the 2023 Ryder Cup would certainly be a welcome sense of achievement for him in the context of this dry spell and will provide extra motivation.

A look inside Tyrrell Hatton’s bag for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Tyrrell Hatton is relying on the latest woods and irons from Ping for his Ryder Cup appearance as well. The Englishman seems satisfied with the driver and the woods of the G430 series and delivers first-class performances time and again. On the fairways and par 3s, Hatton then uses the Ping i230 irons, and starting with the 7-iron, Ping built him a prototype. The Blade is also visually different from the brand’s usual game improvement irons and provides targeting accuracy and more opportunities to “shape” the trajectory, but is also much more challenging to play. Around the greens, Hatton uses the latest variant of the popular Ping Glide wedges. On the green, the Englishman then also resorts to a “vintage model”. The Ping Vault Oslo putter was first launched in 2016 and, after some back and forth, still seems to be a favorite in Hatton’s bag. He also uses the Titleist Pro V1x as his playing ball.

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2023 Solheim Cup: Team USA ready for revenge

This is the trophy Team USA wants to hold in its hands at the 2023 Solheim Cup. (Photo: Getty)
This is the trophy Team USA wants to hold in its hands at the 2023 Solheim Cup. (Photo: Getty)

In just a few days, the 2023 Solheim Cup kicks off in Spain. After two losses in a row, Team USA will try to reclaim the coveted trophy at the Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Andalusia. Captain Stacy Lewis is relying on detailed data analysis to assemble the team for victory.

Team USA at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain

When taking a look at Team USA for the Solheim Cup 2023, one thing stands out immediately: Compared to Team Europe, the U.S. team is significantly younger and less experienced. An average age of 29 years and a total of 31 participations in the Solheim Cup by the Europeans contrasts with an average age of 25 years and a total of only 17 participations by Team USA. In addition, Stacy Lewis (38) is the youngest US captain ever. This makes the participation of an experienced player like Lexi Thompson, who plays a leadership role in the inexperienced team, all the more important.

There are five rookies competing for Team USA in this year’s Solheim Cup, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, Allisen Corpuz, Andrea Lee and Cheyenne Knight. But Vu and Zhang in particular have their work cut out for them: while Lilia Vu is ranked second in the Rolex Rankings after winning two majors, Rose Zhang qualified for the Solheim Cup just a few months after starting her professional career at the age of 20.

2023 Solheim Cup: Revenge thanks to statistical data?

The young rookies are joined by Team USA’s three most experienced golfers in Lexi Thompson (28), Danielle Kang (30) and Ally Ewing (30). Jennifer Kupcho, Megan Khang, Angel Yin and Nelly Korda – number three in the Rolex Rankings – complete the team. The deciding factor for potential success will certainly be which players captain Stacy Lewis pairs for the tournament. “As we get closer to the event, we’re starting to look into pairings, ’cause the data can, based on the course, simulate who’ll play well together,” Lewis said in an interview with Golf.com.

Statistical data in general plays a big role in the captain’s tournament preparation for the 2023 Solheim Cup, as she revealed in the interview, “When I was announced as captain, I started doing research and reading, including [Shane Ryan’s] book about the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. It talked a lot about analytics – what the guys do, the two different [analytics firms] the teams used.”

“Quirkly” golf course in beautiful Spain

The captain has an unusual opinion about the venue, the Finca Cortesin golf course in Andalusia: “Finca is beautiful. The resort is awesome. Five stars. So it’s gonna be great for players to stay on-site. The golf course itself is a little quirky. It’s got some funny holes, and you’re on the side of a mountain, so it’s hilly. It’s gonna be a tough walk for the players.” The question is whether the young star power around Lexi Thompson will be enough for Team USA to win the Solheim Cup on this course, or will the lack of experience prove to be a stumbling block?

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2023 Solheim Cup: Team Europe is ready for the title defense

Team Europe is ready for the 2023 Solheim Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Team Europe is ready for the 2023 Solheim Cup. (Photo: Getty)

The countdown to the 2023 Solheim Cup at the Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Andalusia, Spain, is on and preparations are in full swing. As far as Team Europe around captain Suzann Pettersen is concerned, there is at least already planning certainty. The mission to defend the title after the victories in 2019 and 2021 is apparently no longer in the way. A positive side note: Five of the seven European victories were celebrated on home soil.

Team Europe at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain

Team Europe has a versatile lineup for its third consecutive Solheim Cup victory. For eight of the twelve golfers, the 2023 Solheim Cup will be at least their third participation in the prestigious tournament. In addition to the experienced Anna Nordqvist, who has won the tournament four times in seven appearances, Charley Hull and Carlota Ciganda will be competing for Team Europe for the sixth time. Ciganda is the only Spaniard taking part in the tournament in Andalusia and thus has a special home match ahead of her.

The fact that the Solheim Cup is getting closer can also be felt by captain Suzann Pettersen: “I can definitely feel it’s getting closer because I’m having nightmares about it,” she jokes. “My head’s spinning at night. It’s been at a bit of an arm’s length distance until now but, yeah, with the clock ticking and the team starting to shape up, there are obviously a lot of challenges I have to rise to and questions I have to answer. They’re good problems to have but I’m starting to feel it, which is nice.”

Three debutants and a Swedish block at the 2023 Solheim Cup

As many as five players of the European team for the Solheim Cup 2023 come from Sweden, including the two debutants Maja Stark and Linn Grant. The experienced Anna Nordqvist and the two captain’s picks Madelene Sagström and Caroline Hedwall make up the rest of the Swedish block. Nordqvist, as the playing vice-captain, is also the oldest and most experienced player for Team Europe and certainly takes a leadership role for the young debutants.

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh completes the trio of debutants as a Captain’s Pick. Also joining Team Europe as a fourth Captain’s Pick is Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen, whose performance will again play a major role for the European team after her decisive putt at the 2021 Solheim Cup.

Team Europe: Versatile to success?

For captain Suzann Pettersen, the goal with her captain picks was to create as versatile a Team Europe as possible around the eight qualified golfers. In addition to the vast experience of Nordqvist, Ciganda and Hull and rookies Grant and Stark, the addition of Céline Boutier, Georgia Hall and rookie record holder Leona Maguire already resulted in a balanced team. Maintaining the balance was accordingly the focus.

Pettersen on her captain picks: “I’m very pleased with my team! Madelene [Sagström] was an obvious choice; she was right there in the pack with the rest of the eight qualifiers, has experience and is a great team player. It’s been great following Gemma [Dryburgh] and her performances over the past year, she has a very consistent game, is a great putter and has a great personality. Emily [Kristine Pedersen] is a fierce competitor especially in match play, she has the experience and I know what I’m going to get from her. I can’t think of a more competitive player than Caroline [Hedwall]. I’m very happy to have her on our team. She compliments the team perfectly with her game and records in the Solheim Cup.”

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Ryder Cup 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick searching for points

Matt Fitzpatrick will be part of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023 for the third time. (Photo: Getty)
Matt Fitzpatrick will be part of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2023 for the third time. (Photo: Getty)

The 2023 Ryder Cup is approaching fast. For Team Europe, Matt Fitzpatrick is taking part for the third time this year, after 2016 and 2021. The 29-year-old Englishman has impressed with strong performances so far this year, which he crowned with a victory at the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour. Fitzpatrick is currently eighth in the world rankings. However, after two pointless appearances at the Ryder Cup, the Englishman urgently needs to prove his ability for Team Europe this year.

Matt Fitzpatrick at the 2023 Ryder Cup

For a long time it was not clear whether Matt Fitzpatrick would qualify independently for the 2023 Ryder Cup despite a good season. However, with a strong shared third place at the Omega European Masters in Crans Montana and good performances in the FedExCup Playoffs, the Englishman managed to qualify via the world points list.

Fitzpatrick’s season performance in the run-up to the 2023 Ryder Cup reads quite impressively. In addition to winning the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour and a top finish in Crans Montana, the 29-year-old tied for second place at the BMW Championship. Added to this is a good performance at the Masters Tournament (T10).

No points for Matt Fitzpatrick at the Ryder Cup

Matt Fitzpatrick’s record at the Ryder Cup so far is sobering. Team Europe came away empty-handed in both of his previous participations in 2016 and 2021, and suffered a clear defeat in 2021 in particular. Not entirely innocent in both cases was Matt Fitzpatrick, who also has an atrocious record on a personal level. At the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, that should change.

Fitzpatrick played just two matches for Team Europe in 2016 as a rookie and conceded two defeats. In 2021, the Englishman lost all three of his duels at the Ryder Cup. The sobering result: 0-5-0. In Rome, it will therefore be time to score his first points for Team Europe.

Matt Fitzpatrick’s greatest successes

Matt Fitzpatrick achieved the first major success of his career in 2015 when he won the British Masters. Six more wins on the European Tour/DP World Tour followed, including defending his title at the Omega European Masters in 2018 after winning it the previous year. In 2022, Fitzpatrick won the US Open, claiming his first major triumph. This year, the 29-year-old Englishman also recorded his second title on the PGA Tour by winning the RBC Heritage. Fitzpatrick’s total prize money amounts to around 22.3 million dollars (approx. 20.8 million euros).

Matt Fitzpatrick’s golf bag for the Ryder Cup 2023

Matt Fitzpatrick is relying on Titleist, Cobra and Ping for his Ryder Cup appearance. With the TSi3 series driver from Titleist, Fitzpatrick is relying on the brand’s previous model. When it comes to hybrids, though, he had the latest models in the bag. A TSR1 and a TRS2 Hybrid make it into his current selection. With the Cobra Aerojet 3 wood he completes the long clubs. For the irons, the Englishman relies on the Driving Iron from the Ping i210 series, as well as the Ping S55 from the 5-iron to the pitching wedge. For wedges, Fitzpatrick also relies on the Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 9 clubs in 52-degree and 56-degree loft. Along with Titleist’s WedgeWorks lob wedge, he complements his irons. When it comes to the putter, he goes for an alternative to the big brands and picks up the Bettinardi BB1 Fitz Blade putter, which was even named after him. As a playing ball, Fitzpatrick also uses the Titleist Pro V1x.

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Ryder Cup 2023: Tyrrell Hatton with third participation in a row

Tyrrell Hatton will compete in the 2023 Ryder Cup for the third time. (Photo: Getty)
Tyrrell Hatton will compete in the 2023 Ryder Cup for the third time. (Photo: Getty)

The Ryder Cup 2023 is just around the corner. Tyrrell Hatton will be part of the team again this year. Despite rather disappointing performances at the Major tournaments and a season without a title so far, the 31-year-old Englishman qualified for Team Europe for the third time in a row. Alongside Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, Hatton is thus the fourth player who will certainly be competing for the European team at the Ryder Cup. Known for his temperament, Hatton could be a valuable points contributor for Team Europe – as long as he keeps his emotions in check.

Tyrrell Hatton at the Ryder Cup 2023

In a year that has so far lacked major success, Hatton qualified for the Ryder Cup through consistent performances and a strong finish on the world points list. With Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm qualifying via the European points list, Hatton, with the fourth-best world points score among European players, made the jump to one of the contested spots for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

For Team Europe, the talented Englishman could be a key to success. This season, for example, the 31-year-old is once again proving that he is one of the best golfers in the world, with seven top-10 finishes in 21 tournaments played in 2023 and only one missed cut. While Hatton did not manage a top finish at the majors, his best results this year include a runner-up finish at the Players Championship and a shared third place at the Wells Fargo Championship and the Canadian Open.

Tyrrell Hatton’s third consecutive Ryder Cup appearance

For Hatton, the participation in the 2023 Ryder Cup represents his third consecutive involvement in the tournament. The two previous competitions in 2018 and 2021 could not have been more contrasting. While Team Europe claimed a convincing victory in France in 2018, Hatton and Co. suffered a historic defeat at the hands of Team USA in Wisconsin in 2021. Hatton himself turned in solid performances in both tournaments, contributing one point (1-2-0) in 2018 and 1.5 points (1-2-1) in 2021.

For the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, the European team will be looking for revenge for 2021 despite being perceived underdogs. “I think Europe will have a strong team. The media will portray us as underdogs, but we will have a very strong team,” Hatton announced in an interview with talkSPORT. In any case, the fact that Team USA has not been able to win on European soil for 30 years speaks in favor of success for the Europeans.

Tyrrell Hatton: Dry spell and great successes

The breakthrough in his career came in 2016 when Tyrrell Hatton won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Particularly impressive in this first big success were the 62 strokes in round three. In the following years, Hatton collected five more successes on the European Tour and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour in 2020. He also won the 2018 Ryder Cup with Team Europe, but since his victory in 2021 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Tyrrell Hatton has been waiting for another trophy. A triumph at the 2023 Ryder Cup would certainly be a welcome sense of achievement for him in the context of this dry spell and will provide extra motivation.