Team U.S.A. faces off against Team Europe in the 2023 Ryder Cup from Rome September 29th-October 1st. And now the Team USA automatic qualifiers are set for the Ryder Cup. Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Wyndham Clark, and Brian Harman will make up half of the roster. The other 6 spots will be awarded by Captain Zack Johnson on August 29th. The dynamics of the 6 automatic qualifiers is an interesting one for Zach Johnson. Even though Team USA automatic qualifiers are set for the Ryder Cup, only 3 of the 6 have any Ryder Cup experience. And none of them have played in a Ryder Cup on European soil. I think it’s safe to assume Captain Zack will be looking for experience when building out the rest of his team.
Team USA Automatic Qualifiers: Potential Selections
The list of potential selections for Zach Johnson is deep. Brooks Koepka got pushed out in the final round of the BMW Championship by Schauffele. He is likely in, even though he only gets four opportunities a year to earn points. Jordan Spieth is also a close lock to making the team. Other potential selections to keep an eye on include Cameron Young, Sam Burns, Collin Morikawa, and Keegan Bradley from the PGA Tour. A couple of names that are in the mix are Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler. Both have experience playing in Europe, but there are question marks around their current form.
LIV Golf
There are some names on LIV Golf that I am keeping an eye on as well outside of Koepka. Bryson DeChambeau, Taylor Gooch, and Patrick Reed are in the top-10 apart from Brooks. Bryson’s 58 made all the headlines. But Taylor Gooch’s season has been really good on the LIV Golf Tour. He has 3 win in 11 events this season. It is a little concerning that he doesn’t have a top-10 outside of those 3 wins. Patrick Reed is 3rd in the LIV Golf standings currently. Reed doesn’t have win this season, but has 5 top-5’s in the 11 events. We haven’t won in Europe since 1993. Here are the 6 names I would choose to fill out the 2023 U.S.A. Ryder Cup team.
1. Brooks Koepka
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Brooks checks all of the boxes for Zach Johnson. He has shown up and played will in the majors this season, has been playing well recently, and has a lot of experience in this event. He should be written down in pen in Zach Johnson’s journal.
2. Jordan Spieth
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Jordan has to be on this team because of his putter. He’s had a good season this year with 7 top-10’s in 21 events this season. He got in the TOUR Championship by the skip of his teeth. But that’s impressive considering he didn’t register a win this season.
3. Collin Morikawa
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I don’t feel as strongly about Collin as I do Jordan and Brooks. Collin hasn’t been in great form since the U.S. Open. He’s missed the cut in 2 of his last 5 events, and hasn’t registered a top-10 since The Masters. But Collin is one of the best iron players on the planet, and pairing him with an accurate driver could make a good foursomes team.
4. Sam Burns
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Sam has had a really good season on the Tour this year. He’s got 12 top-25’s in 25 events with one win. The win came in the match play event back in March. The Ryder Cup is match play. Get the best from this year on your team, even though his form has fallen off a bit recently.
5. Bryson DeChambeau
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I think the LIV product is subpar to what we get on the PGA Tour. But Bryson has still finished 2nd and has a win in his last 4 events. If his driver is on for the week, he is a huge asset to have in all formats. His distance can crush the spirits of his opponent in a match play format. When his is playing at his best he is very difficult to beat.
6. Justin Thomas
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This is a controversial selection, but I think his record is good enough to put him on the team. Thomas has a team record in Ryder Cup and President’s Cup’s is 16-5-3. JT and Jordan Spieth are very good friends, and I think that pairing is one of the few pairings that scare the Europeans. If JT lays an egg on Friday or Saturday, he is okay to sit until singles.
