The 2023 Ryder Cup has arrived! The best players from the United States and Europe will descend on Marco Simone Golf & Country Club just outside of Rome this week to battle it out for the cup and we have you covered with a full preview and betting tips below.
2023 Ryder Cup Preview & Betting Tips
Friday 29th September – Sunday 1st October
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome, Italy
The Format
The format will follow the traditional Ryder Cup format that has been in place for decades, with Friday and Saturday consisting of a total of 16 team matches before 12 singles matches on Sunday. Team Europe will need 14.5 points to win the Ryder Cup while a 14-14 tie will be enough for USA to retain the cup after winning the 2021 edition.
Friday AM – 4 x Foursomes
Friday PM – 4 x Fourball
Saturday AM – 4 x Foursomes
Saturday PM – 4 x Fourball
Sunday – 12 x Singles Matches
The Teams
Team USA – Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas
The US team boasts three of the four 2023 major winners in Brooks Koepka, Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman as well as the No.1 ranked player in the world in Scottie Scheffler. They do have some inexperience on the team though, bringing four rookies in Clark, Harman, Max Homa and Sam Burns along with a further three players who have competed in just one Ryder Cup.
The selection of Justin Thomas was a controversial one, based purely off past Ryder Cup performances and not off recent form. Thomas has had a rough 2023 to date, falling as low as 26th in the Official World Golf Rankings, but still managed to earn a captains pick for the Ryder Cup ahead of arguably more deserving players in Cameron Young and Keegan Bradley.
Team Europe – Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Robert Macintyre, Nicolai Hojgaard, Ludvig Aberg
In terms of sheer star power and current form, you could argue that this is one of the best European teams of all time. They will lean heavily on arguably the three hottest players in golf at the moment in Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, however, the British trio of Hatton, Fitzpatrick and Fleetwood is a star-studded supporting cast, all of whom have now competed in multiple Ryder Cups and know what it takes to win.
Mix in some valuable experience in Justin Rose, who will be attending his 6th Ryder Cup and has one of the best career records of any player attending at 60.8% and you have a recipe for a winning Ryder Cup team. If Europe can get a few points from their four rookies in Macintyre, Straka, Hojgaard and Aberg, then they will be tough to beat at home.
Betting Tips
Hard for me to look past this European team at home given the form they bring into this tournament. Granted, the Marco Simone course doesn’t favour them as much as a true European Links course would, but there is no doubt they will have the crowd on their side, which is worth its weight in gold when it comes to the Ryder Cup.
I think their team is also better set up to rely on their stars. I think the USA captains will feel the need to utilise their rookies given two of them are major winners in 2023 whereas I think it will more likely to be a year of development for the Europe rookies, who may only play 1 or 2 of the team sessions each.
The home side will lean extremely heavily on the big six, with Rahm/Hovland/McIlroy likely playing all four team sessions while Fitzpatrick/Hatton/Fleetwood probably play at least three.
Back team Europe to win back the Ryder Cup at home.
Prop Quick Tips
Tyrell Hatton Over 1.5 Points ($1.66 at Bet365) – While there is no doubt that the Europe team is chocked full of star power, I think there is no player on that side more suited to matchplay golf and the pressure that a Ryder Cup presents. This guy is an absolute killer in every sense of the word and was one of the best in 2021, mustering 1.5 points for the Europeans in their losing effort.
Justin Thomas Exactly or Under 1.5 Points ($2.00 at Bet365) – I think it was a mistake to take Thomas to this Ryder Cup. They will likely pair him with Jordan Spieth again due to the success they have had in the past but JT is just no where near his best at the moment and it will cost the US. The return of Fowler to the team should have served as the likely replacement for JT in the ‘Team America’ duo with Spieth.
