Ryder Cup Power Rankings: American team
After being pushed back a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Ryder Cup finally descends upon Whistling Straits this weekend.
The teams are now finalized for the 43rd edition of the event, with the Americans looking to reclaim the trophy after the Europeans romped in Paris three years ago.
One day after ranking the players making up the European outfit, here's how Steve Stricker's American roster stacks up.
12. Harris English
Qualified: Captain's pick
Ryder Cup record: Rookie
World ranking: No. 11
Age: 32
English's reward for a breakout season was a captain's pick on his first Ryder Cup team. The 32-year-old rookie won two events and was steady throughout the season en route to an 18th-place finish in the FedEx Cup. English's solid all-around game should perform well in foursomes action, but he's likely to play the least of any American player in Wisconsin.
11. Scottie Scheffler
Qualified: Captain's pick
Ryder Cup record: Rookie
World ranking: No. 21
Age: 25
Scheffler, 25, was likely the last man on Stricker's roster, but he should be taken seriously this week at his first Ryder Cup. The Texan is a birdie machine who often performs best when the stakes are highest. He has four top-10 finishes in his last six majors and finished runner-up at the WGC Match Play this past March.
10. Bryson DeChambeau
Qualified: Automatic qualifier
Ryder Cup record: 0-3-0
World Ranking: No. 7
Age: 27
The most talked-about man in golf makes his second appearance at the Ryder Cup after a disastrous showing in his debut in 2018. DeChambeau was 0-2 in the team portion in Paris and dropped his singles match as well. He should thrive at the bomber's paradise of Whistling Straits, but finding a player to partner with the long-hitting 27-year-old will likely be among Stricker's biggest challenges. DeChambeau has also made no secret that he's spent much of the buildup to the Ryder Cup training for a long drive championship being held next week.
9. Daniel Berger
Qualified: Captain's pick
Ryder Cup record: Rookie
World ranking: No. 16
Age: 28
While he currently sits ninth in our rankings, don't be shocked if Berger leaves Whistling Straits among the best American players for the week. The 28-year-old is one of the top all-around golfers in the world and has only two missed cuts in the last 12 months. While he's a Ryder Cup rookie, Berger is no stranger to international events after finishing with a 2-1-0 record in the 2017 Presidents Cup.
8. Dustin Johnson
Qualified: Automatic qualifier
Ryder Cup record: 7-9-0
World ranking: No. 2
Age: 37
For the fifth time since 2010, Johnson finds himself on the American Ryder Cup team. While he remains one of the game's top talents, Stricker needs to find a strong partner for the 37-year-old for the team portion of the event. Johnson's record in four-ball and foursomes play is just 4-8 since his debut 11 years ago. Although the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits ended terribly for Johnson, he still has two top-12 showings in majors at this course since 2010.
7. Collin Morikawa
Qualified: Automatic qualifier
Ryder Cup record: Rookie
World ranking: No. 3
Age: 24
The 24-year-old makes his Ryder Cup debut after rising to the top of the U.S. qualification rankings with a brilliant 14 months on the PGA TOUR. Morikawa claimed his first major title last August at the PGA Championship and followed that up with an incredible victory at Royal St. Georges in the Open Championship this summer. While he's yet to play in a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup, the California native did post a perfect 4-0 mark in the 2017 Walker Cup as an amateur.
6. Brooks Koepka
Qualified: Automatic qualifier
Ryder Cup record: 4-3-1
World ranking: No. 10
Age: 31
It appears Koepka avoided a major injury to his wrist after hitting a tree root at East Lake and will make his third career appearance at the Ryder Cup. This comes despite a building outcry that he should forfeit his spot if he doesn't want to be there. Koepka was brilliant in his debut in 2016, registering a team-high three total points in the American victory. How the four-time major champion gets along with DeChambeau in the team room will be one of the talking points of this year's event.
5. Tony Finau
Qualified: Captain's pick
Ryder Cup record: 2-1-0
World ranking: No. 9
Age: 31
Finau was one of the few bright spots in his debut in Paris for the Americans. The long-hitting 31-year-old navigated the brutal layout in France to post a solid 2-1 record in the event. He comes to Whistling Straits fresh off his second career win at The Northern Trust in late August and returns to a course where he finished tied for 10th at the 2015 PGA Championship. The birdie machine should be a formidable opponent in four-ball action.
4. Jordan Spieth
Qualified: Captain's pick
Ryder Cup record: 7-5-2
World ranking: No. 13
Age: 28
Despite the fact he's only 28 years old, Spieth is already making his fourth Ryder Cup appearance. The Texan's electric game is a perfect fit for the team event, as evidenced by his sparkling 3-1 record in foursomes and four-ball in Paris alongside Justin Thomas. Expect those two to likely pair again for all four team sessions in Wisconsin. Spieth also comes back to a Whistling Straits layout he's previously had immense success on, as he recorded a second-place showing at 18-under in the 2015 PGA Championship.
3. Xander Schauffele
Qualified: Captain's pick
Ryder Cup record: Rookie
World ranking: No. 5
Age: 27
Schauffele is a Ryder Cup rookie, but with a Presidents Cup victory and an Olympic gold medal to his name, the 27-year-old is very experienced on the international stage. He's likely to pair with Patrick Cantlay to form a red-hot duo for Stricker that could play all four team matches. Schauffele ranks in the top 20 on TOUR in both strokes gained: approach and strokes gained: putting, which is a deadly combo in any match-play setting.
2. Patrick Cantlay
Qualified: Automatic qualifier
Ryder Cup record: Rookie
World ranking: No. 4
Age: 29
The recently crowned FedEx Cup champion comes to Whistling Straits in red-hot form and with a much fatter wallet thanks to the $15-million bonus prize. While Cantlay is a Ryder Cup rookie, he has experience in international play from a solid showing at the 2019 Presidents Cup. Cantlay paired well with Schauffele and won his singles match to post a 3-2-0 record in Australia.
1. Justin Thomas
Qualified: Automatic qualifier
Ryder Cup record: 4-1-0
World ranking: No. 6
Age: 28
Thomas figures to be the star of the American team after an incredible debut in Paris three years ago. Despite a horrific showing by the U.S. squad, Thomas somehow managed to post a sparkling 4-1-0 record, easily the best on the team. The pair of Thomas and Spieth will be relied upon heavily to produce points in Wisconsin.
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