“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”, the famous phrase of Mike Tyson and maybe something Zach Johnson can reflect on. You see, from the very first hole as Viktor Hovland holed-out from off the green, Team USA struggled. Here is the story of the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Session One - The Friday Morning Blues
For the first time in event history, Team Europe left the morning foursomes session with a perfect 4-0 win. New pairings like HovBerg (Hovland and Aberg) and seasoned golfers like Rahm and Hatton won convincingly to get the event off to a flyer. The Americans didn’t look sharp.
Session Two - The Failed Comeback
On Friday afternoon we started to see more red on the scoreboard. The fightback was on and the Americans had woken up. However, for some reason things faltered again and some inspired golf from the Europeans led to three halves snatching a draw from the mouths of defeat.
The final pairing saw another strong victory from the home side to take the day one overnight score to 6.5 - 1.5, Europe were in command. With 8 points up for grabs on Saturday, there was even a very slim chance of it being wrapped up a day early!
Session Three - The Tip of the HovBerg
Surely this was the day that the Americans would come to the party. Until this point it seemed that they were stuttering. Rudderless, Captain Zach Johnson was looking sheepish and, arguably, only Max Homa was really dragging the team forward. This session saw a new record made.
In a frankly stunning display of dominance, HovBerg trounced a very lackluster Koepka and Scheffler pairing 9&7! This brought the world number one to tears after the round. Europe would win this session 3-1 taking the overall score to 9.5 - 2.5.
Session Four - The Red Mist Descends
Finally, after three lost sessions, the visitors came out swinging. A resurgent pairing of Burns and Morikawa exacted revenge on a visibly fatigued HovBerg. The 4&3 win sent a message that the counter-offensive had started. Homa and Harman took another US point to underline the change.
The incredible pairing of Rose and McIntyre took Europe’s only point in this session as Cantlay and Clark won the last two holes to take the session to 1-3 and the overall score to 10.5-5.5. Europe needed just 4 points, Team USA needed a miracle.
Team Session Conclusion
It was clear from the team sessions that European Captain Luke Donald had planned meticulously for this part of the match. His pairings had chemistry and they dovetailed perfectly. There was a rumour of a split in the US camp as well as an illness so things weren’t good in the away dressing room.
That being said, there appeared to be a lack of fight throughout the team. Not that any individual looked like they didn’t care, they clearly did, there was just a lack of passion in places. As things drew to a close, European fans were mocking Patrick Cantlay about not wearing a hat (the source of the rift in the camp), his caddy took exception.
Whilst counter-mocking the European fans after a beautiful and gutsy putt holed by Cantlay, LaCava annoyed Rory McIlroy. Later that evening this would result in some fisticuffs and handbags in the carpark as Rory continued to vent his anger at the situation.
There is little doubt that this incident right here brought this Ryder Cup to life. Seemingly rallied together by the incident, a new feel to the US team would be evident on Sunday morning in time for the singles matches.
Session Five - Singles
Needing only 4 points from 12, this should have been a bit of a damp squib, but the Americans came out fighting. There was a lot of red on the board from early on and you could see that the visitors fancied a Medinah-like comeback. The tension was thick in the air as the home support grew evermore worried about the amount of red on the board.
Rahm vs. Scheffler was one of the all-time great Ryder Cup singles matches as two titans of the game traded blows. Winning the last hole meant that Rahm snatched a half from being dormie down the last. This was a key moment in stemming the red tide and slowing their charge.
Hovland, arguably the star of the show, won 4&3. Further down there was a trading of points then the American mid-order won three in a row. Things were very tense at this point. Thankfully, the anchor men of the European team, Lowry, Fleetwood and McIntyre knew what needed to be done. On the 16th, Rickie Fowler leaked one to the right and into the water, this led to a concession to Fleetwood and the half-point was sealed. Europe had won!
Next Stop New York
Rumours are already starting to spread that Tiger Woods could be the next captain of Team USA. That potential, plus the hurt that America are feeling and the rowdy New York crowd mean that 2025 is already shaping up to be a classic.
New York next, Ireland in 2027, and we have your chance to play at the iconic 2027 Ryder Cup course – Adare Manor in 2024. Take a look at our exceptional experience here.
