The 44th edition of the Ryder Cup is slated to take place later this year in Italy and will feature a dynamic field composed of the world’s best golfers. For this year’s edition, the Team USA captain will be Zach Johnson while Luke Donald will be leading the way for the European crew. After the captains, the two vice-captains for the Americans will be veterans Steve Stricker and Davis Love III. For their European opponents, Thomas Bjørn and Edoardo Molinari were tabbed as two other top members of the squad by original captain Henrik Stenson but were then retained by Donald. Then, late last year, Donald named Nicolas Colsaerts as the team’s third vice-captain. While the rest of the squads have yet to be named, SBS will be taking an early dive here on tabbing a futures bet for the 2023 Ryder Cup.
In this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from each initial Ryder Cup squad, who will be taking home the championship in 2023, and some more notes about golf wagering.
Leading the way as the captain for the Americans will be captain Johnson who has had a solid PGA Tour career to date. The winner of the 2007 Masters Tournament, the veteran would later go on to win the 2015 Open Championship. At 46 years of age, Johnson is one of the older players on the Tour but still can hang with the young bucks. During his pro career, he has also accumulated 12 victories on the PGA Tour. While had to withdraw from the 2021 Open Championship due to a positive COVID-19 test, he still had an amazing streak of participating in 69 consecutive majors at that point. Though he has had some tougher performances in the last couple of years, Johnson brings some veteran leadership to the squad.
The captain of the 2021 Ryder Cup team, Stricker was a great piece of the U.S. team that won at Whistling Straits in his home state of Wisconsin. Another athlete with 12 wins on the PGA Tour, the 55-year-old still has some strong golf in front of him. Finally, Love III is maybe the most veteran of the group and brings a ton of experience to the table. The winner of the 1997 PGA Championship, Love has captained two Ryder Cups, in 2012 and 2016. A World Golf Hall of Famer, this could be perhaps Love’s last ride as part of the U.S. Ryder Cup squads.
For the European cohort, Donald leads the way and is one of the most accomplished English players on the PGA Tour. The Tour Player of the Year in 2011, the Englishman has strung together a couple of strong campaigns, primarily occurring in the early 2010s. He is also one of two golfers to achieve the world number one ranking without winning a major championship, the other athlete being Lee Westwood. With five PGA Tour wins to his credit along with seven European Tour titles, he has earned the right to lead the squad.
The most successful Danish golfer of all time, Bjørn is a former Ryder Cup captain as well, leading the squad at the 2018 edition of the tournament. He has won 15 tournaments on the European Tour and is also the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team. Of the players mentioned here, Molinari has three European Tour titles to his name but could be a dark horse contender at this tournament. Finally, in “The Belgian Bomber,” Colsaerts is another player that is well-known on the European Tour and has 10 professional wins overall to his credit. Though he has not quite made a big splash on the PGA Tour, having a little home-field advantage in Europe should help him to a degree.
Prediction: Since the turn of the 2010s, the Europeans have won four of the last six Ryder Cups. That said, the American squad was particularly dominant in 2021, winning 19-9. This year’s edition will be closer, but Team USA should win once again.
Once you are all caught up to speed regarding this year’s Ryder Cup, SBS has your back with a ton of other great resources to make sure you are on top of the action. As the tournament gets closer, the SBS Ryder Cup betting sites guide drills into more detail all the latest wagering news related to the tournament and the notes you need to stay one step ahead. For all other gambling news related to the sport, the SBS golf betting sites rundown is a must-read page that will keep you connected all year long with the latest betting markets. Finally, for those that are trying to maximize their wagers like we all are, the SBS best bonus betting sites breakdown goes over the latest welcome bonuses offered. Moreover, this page also has a catalog detailing all the different bonus offers out there.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football in the Mountain West Conference, and basketball. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones.
Read Chris's ProfileAsk Chris about this guide:
