Road games for the United States Ryder Cup team have not been easy for the 12-man team in the biennial competition. They have only won one in 25 years, but face another starting this Friday at Le Golf National in Paris.
If it is going to happen, though, this could be the year. Captain Jim Furyk has arguably one of the strongest lineups the team has had in recent memory. Eleven of the 12 are in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings, with only captain’s pick Phil Mickelson outside of that at No. 25.
The European team has only six of their 12 in the top 20, and has Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen at No. 45.
Furyk knows, though, that weaker European teams have dominated the US in the past.
“This is probably the strongest American Team we’ve ever had and I would venture to guess it’s maybe the strongest Team Europe has ever fielded, as well, from top to bottom,” Furyk said. “It’s a very deep team and they play well together. Be a tough week for us but we’re looking forward to that challenge.”
Odds Tilt Towards Americans
Sportsbooks are definitely in favor of the US team. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has them at 2/3 to win. The European team is at 13/10. UK betting sites have the US at anywhere from 5/6 to 4/5. The European team ranges from 6/5 to 5/4.
Though the United States Ryder Cup team dominated the last time the two teams met, their record the last 25 years has not been that impressive. In the last 12 events, the US has won three, including 1993 at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield, England.
Furyk is aware of the history, and said his team needs no additional motivation to try and win on foreign soil.
“It’s not anything I need to mention in the team room,” Furyk said. “There’s not like a big “25” sitting in there anywhere. They are well aware of it, and they are well aware of how difficult it is to win in Europe, and you know, that’s the battle we fight this week.”
Home Field Advantage
The first order for Furyk is getting his players use to a golf course that many of the European team members play every year. The French Open has been held at Le Golf National annually since 1991, with the exception of 1999 and 2001.
It is just another obstacle the US will have to overcome but the course is not totally unknown to the team. Justin Thomas played the French Open at the end of June to prepare for the Ryder Cup. He finished tied for eighth. Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and Tony Finau played the course with captain Jim Furyk in July.
Still Furyk wanted his players to get completely comfortable with the layout, sending them out for practice rounds on Tuesday.
“They are just trying to learn the golf course,” Furyk said. “I said yesterday, one of our keys, really, would be these three days of prep, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. I’ve got six guys that have seen the course, six that haven’t. They are mixed up today where each group has got someone that’s played the golf course that can show the others around a little. But we’re just trying to figure it out. You know, Europe knows this golf course well. They have played The French Open here. We’re trying to figure out the setup and what they have in store for the week.”
