2023 Ryder Cup: A look at Team Europe

National World - LocalTV

The Ryder Cup in golf is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport with some players even being remembered just for their contributions in the competition.  As the wait is over for its return, I’m looking at both teams, starting with team Europe.

Transcript

00:00 The Ryder Cup has become one of the world's greatest sporting events. Every two years,

00:07 24 of the best players from Europe and the United States go head-to-head in match play competition.

00:13 Drama, tension, incredible golf, camaraderie and sportsmanship are served in equal measure,

00:19 captivating an audience of millions around the world.

00:23 Yeah, I mean, this is the standout of any player's career, really.

00:26 They can always go and win majors and win loads of tournaments,

00:30 but some players are really only remembered for their Ryder Cup contributions.

00:33 So it's a massive part of people's career and so forth.

00:37 I mean, golf is an individual sport and everyone plays for themselves,

00:40 but you only have to speak to the top guys here and they always go back to the Ryder Cup.

00:44 They always want to play on the European team or the American team.

00:47 So it's very important to these guys' career.

00:50 As we begin by looking at Team Europe,

00:53 Luke Donald has selected Ludwig Haberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Nikolaj Huygaard,

00:57 Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Sepp Strakke as his six captain picks

01:02 to compete in his 12-man European team for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy.

01:07 They join Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrell Hatton, Victor Hovland, Robert McIntyre,

01:12 Rory McIlroy and John Rahm, all whom qualified automatically for the contest

01:17 against the United States, which takes place at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome.

01:23 The European team seems to be peaking at just the right time.

01:26 If you looked at two years ago, the team that went to Whistling Straits,

01:29 they only had one guy in the top 13 players in the world.

01:33 That was John Rahm. And now you look at the team this year,

01:35 they've got three of the top four players in the world in Hovland, McIlroy and Rahm.

01:40 So the European team is in a great spot.

01:43 I think the contest is going to be a lot closer than originally expected.

01:46 I think the US team were just expected to sort of walk all over the Europeans

01:50 after the demolition job that they did on Harrington's side two years ago.

01:55 Sweden's Aberg, Denmark's Huygaard and Austria's Strakke

01:59 will each be making their first appearance for Europe in the Ryder Cup,

02:03 while Ireland's Lowry will be playing in his first on European soil,

02:07 having been part of the team at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin two years ago.

02:12 Maybe I'm biased, but I do think Europe do have the upper hand.

02:15 You look at they've got three of the four top players in the world at the moment

02:19 and they've arguably, I think we can all agree on this one,

02:21 they've got the hottest prospect in world golf in Ludwig Eber,

02:25 who seemingly has erupted out of nowhere.

02:28 I think it was back in June he was still an amateur

02:30 and now he's a professional playing in a Ryder Cup, having never played in a major before.

02:33 So little bits and pieces like that all seem to be falling into place for the European team,

02:38 which I think is going to play a major role.

02:40 But I am European. I am backing them to do it.

02:43 I think they've got the team to do so.

02:45 Well, as the golf is underway and the stage is set for many of Team Europe's new boys

02:50 to show what they're made of as they aim for their 15th ever win in the Ryder Cup,

02:55 they will no doubt produce more moments of brilliance on the course.

02:59 .

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