Europe’s Ryder Cup strategy is in focus on BMW PGA

The Ryder Cup is just over two weeks away and both sides are drawn to their corresponding corners, with this week serving As a “training camp” of types for both Americans and Europeans.

Eleven out of 12 euros are in Wentworth Golf Club this week for BMW PGA BMW Championshipwith only sepp straka that does not participate. Meanwhile, in Napa, Caliph., In the ProCore Championship, 10 of the 12 Americans will remove it. Xander Schauffle is not there after his son’s last birth, and Bryson dechambeau He is present, but is not allowed to play because he is no longer a member of PGA Tour.

The Europe team used the BMW PGA championship in 2023 to keep sharp, build team chemistry and start some Ryder Cup couples. Only two players in Team USA (Justin Thomas and Max Homa) played in the then Fortinet Championship before traveling to Rome, with nine of the 12 players raising five weeks between the Tour and Ryder Cup championship. The result was a waxing 16.5-11.5 by Europeans that left Americans seeking to rethink things. Captain Keegan Bradley got his team to buy to get a connecting trip to ProCore this week, and our Nick Pastowski is in place Documenting of the American Training Camp.

As for the Europeans, while they return 11 of the 12 members from that winning team 2023, Captain Luke Donald will not rely on the same plan he used in Rome to win on Earth. Couples will be different in Bethpage Black Because his team has evolved.

“I think the players change,” Donald said Wednesday in Wentworth. “It’s been two years since Rome, and so excited about continuity and having a team that is very similar to Rome. I think this is a massive benefit for us. But players change. I’ve said this before: Look at someone (Bob Macinty). He has become a much better player in the last two years.

“Again, you should always consider the types of those things that not everyone is playing the same. People move on whether you are a good driver or a player of approach or a holder. These things move in your career, and so you fit with it.”

In 2023, groups at the BMW PGA championship were materialized in pairs a few weeks later in Marco Simone. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton played the first two rounds along with novice Ryder Cup Nicolai Hojgaard; Rahm and Hatton played the two fourth sessions together in Rome, while Rahm was paired with the Hoygaard at a Fourball session. Justin Rose and Robert Macintyre played the first two rounds in Wentworth together with Matt Fitzpatrick; Rose and Macintre were partned together in both Fourball sessions. Ludwig åberg and Viktor Hovland played both Foursomes session and a Fourball together in Rome; They were grouped together to start the PGA BMW 2023 championship. The same is true for Sepp Straka and Shane Lowry, who played together the two fourth sessions.

On Wednesday, Donald said we could “read” couples in this week’s BMW PGA championship to try and get a hint in his Bethpage Black plan, and, of course, we plan to try and read the tea leaves.

Tommy Fleetwood, Who played with Rory Mcilroy At Foursomes and Nicolai Hoygaard in Fourball in Rome, he will play the first two rounds in Wentworth along with Justin Rose. Fleetwood and Mcilroy are undefeated as a couple of Ryder Cup and both play a Taylormade TP5 ball while Rose plays a Tixist Prov1x, who can play a role in the way couples outside. Last week at Amgen Irish Open, Donald explained how the type of ball of his players use factors in the decision of the four pairs.

“I think some players are very special for what ball they play,” Donald said. “Some people are good to fix. But you can get to a stage where you have a great personality match, you have a great statistical match, they fit the golf course and chances and continue, and then suddenly the golf ball doesn’t work.

Perhaps this means that Rose and Fleetwood are a possible pairing with four balls. But given that Rose is one of the best players of the quadrilateral in the Ryder Cup History (7-2-1 record in his career), it is probably sure to say that he can fit a different ball and give Europe an alternative pairing of two of the hottest players in the world, Donald should choose to go that way.

As for Mcilroy, he is grouped with Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm in the BMW PGA. Lowry played exclusively with Straka in Rome while Rahm shared his time between Hatton and Nicolai Hojgaard. Lowry and Straka both play a Srixon Z-Star XV; Rahm plays a Callaway Chrome Tour X, as is Rasmus Hoygaard.

Mcilroy and Lowry are great friends, and have played Zurich Classic, the PGA Tour team event, together for the last two years for great success, including a win in 2024. As for RAHM, he had a very successful four -four -four four -four four -four -four -four.

“Be a good amount of complaint, right?” Hatton jokes on Wednesday about a possible pairing with Macintyre. “Be terrible.”

Meanwhile, åberg and Fitzpatrick, who both play a prov1x, are grouped together to start the Wentworth procedures. When Donald spoke about the evolution of his team, åberg had to be in mind. The Swedes had just returned in favor when he joined Team Europe in 2023 in Marco Simone. Now, he is glued to the top of the game and will rely on Bethpage Black as one of Donald’s best winners. It is difficult to imagine that Europe leaves the åberg-hovland foursomes pairing, but the Swedish star could be a good four-shocking partner for Fitzpatrick, who played only in Fourballs with Mcilroy in Rome.

Hovland’s Rtow and Ryder Cup Rasmus Hojgaard will walk together Wentworth on Thursday and Friday. Hovland was partned only with åberg in 2023, while Rasmus’s twin brother, Nicolai, played at Fourball Sesions with Rahm and Fleetwood. After successfully joining a novice in åberg in Rome, Hovland may be required to grab a different newcomers in 2025, most likely during the four bars, given the success of the åberg-Hovland Foursoms team.

Team Europe will take a scouting trip to Bethpage next Monday and Tuesday, where Straka will join them. Then, they will take the rest of the week to decompress before the chance of Europe arrives to become the first team in the 13 years that won a Ryder cup.

This content is only available to members of within Golf. Log in to continue your eyesight, or join InsidEgolf for full access.

$ 39.99/year