188 days from the Ryder Cup in Rome, and if we take the Match Play World Cup that’s being held nowadays on the Austin Nation Membership in Texas (USA) as an ordinary, the omens for European golf within the face of a brand new version of its biennial matchup towards the American are dismal.
Rory McIlroy, outcomes
Of the eleven gamers from the Previous Continent who signed up for the occasion, just one, the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, made it previous the group stage. Eradicating his three wins, the steadiness of the remainder of the Europeans was seven wins, 21 losses and two attracts.
The Austrian Sepp Straka, the Irish Shane Lowry, the Swede Alex Noren and the English Tyrrell Hatton, all potential members of the workforce for the Ryder, have been backside of their group. Straka and Hatton, to make issues worse, left empty-handed.
Not half a degree. Jon Rahm, who together with Rors (to whom he’ll quit second place within the rating on Monday to maneuver to 3rd) needs to be the non secular chief of the dressing room at Marco Simone Golf, went off the rails with defeats towards Billy Horschel and Rickie Fowler.
Two good match play gamers, sure, however none at their finest, the primary mired in a dropping streak (4 missed cuts in his final six tournaments) and the second nonetheless immersed in a restructuring of his swing that this season is starting to supply fruits.
Solely within the protection of the fort was McIlroy who this Saturday defeated Australian Lucas Herbert (3&2) first, within the spherical of 16, with out an excessive amount of bother. He then discovered a more durable nut to crack alongside the best way, the American Xander Schauffele.
What within the Ryder of two years in the past was a kind of snug duel choked him this time. The Californian arrived, who had two rental strokes within the first 9, sending the thirteenth, lure gap. A Machiavellian par 4, 260 meters from tee to inexperienced.
A trifle for professionals if it weren’t for the truth that, to succeed in it, you must go over the Colorado River. A guide of the chance/reward idea, pure tragicomedy, pure Pete Dye. Rory hit a shot that crossed the inexperienced and Xander obtained moist as an alternative.
It was the start of the tip. The demise certificates was signed by McIlroy with a 12-foot birdie putt at 18. His rival this Sunday within the semifinals would be the American Cameron Younger, unbeaten up to now. On the opposite aspect of the desk is the defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, who beat J.T.
Poston (one up) within the morning session after which sentenced Jason Day (2&1), one of many sensations of the match and a golfer who factors to issues Large this 2023, evidently the bodily issues that had been weighing him down, with one of many blows of the match, a pitching wedge on the attractive par 3 of 17 that landed two inches from the opening, appears to have been forgotten.
He’ll meet Sam Burns, who removed Patrick Cantlay (2 & 1) first and Mackenzie Hughes (3 & 2) later. Solely he can damage what can be the perfect ultimate, McIlroy towards Scheffler. The one and the three of the world, head to head.
A Europe towards the USA anticipated to 6 months of a Ryder that both issues change quite a bit or evidently it’ll seem like the earlier one.