Top 6 highest OWGR-ranked players missing from the Ryder Cup 2023 squads including Keegan Bradley, Tony Finau
The 2023 Ryder Cup is less than a month away, and both the European and US teams have been finalized after Europe's captain announced his picks on Monday, September 4.
While many top-ranked players will be in action at the Marco Simone Golf Club, there are a few names who will miss the Rome flight, due to performance or other reasons.
In this article, we will delve into the six top-ranked golfers in the Original World Golf Rankings who are set to miss the 44th Ryder Cup.
Six top-ranked golfers in OWGR missing from the 44th Ryder Cup squads
1) Keegan Bradley (World No. 16)
World No. 16 Keegan Bradley is the highest-ranked golfer not playing at the 44th Ryder Cup. Although Cameron Smith (World No. 11) ranks higher than him, he isn't eligible to play in the Rome event given his Australian nationality.
Bradley's non-selection has come as a shock to everyone, given the season he had. The 37-year-old golfer had won two titles this season and registered a runner-up finish at the Travelers Championship. Many believed he should have been preferred over the out-of-form Justin Thomas.
2) Cameron Young (World No. 17)
Cameron Young fell short of earning a Ryder Cup call-up as his form dipped towards the end of this season. He made 19 cuts this season in 24 starts and ended up with five top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play.
3) Tony Finau (World No. 21)
Finau was part of the last Ryder Cup, but his recent poor form resulted in him missing out on the chance to be in the squad this time. Since winning the Mexico Open, Finau has had just one top-10 finish in 11 starts. He has been part of two Ryder Cup squads, including the winning squad in 2021.
4) Will Zalatoris (World No. 24)
Will Zalatoris hasn't competed much this season due to a back injury and subsequent surgery. This year, he could only play in eight events, with his best finish being fourth place at the Genesis Invitational.
5) Russell Henley (World No. 28)
Russell Henley won the World Wide Technology Championship and finished as runner-up at the Wyndham Championship this season. His other notable performances this year included a T4 at the Masters, a T6 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, a T8 at the BMW Championship, and a T14 at the 2023 FedEx Cup.
However, Zach Johnson didn't feel these results were sufficient to pick Henley for the Rome event.
6) Kurt Kitayama (World No. 29)
Kitayama won his maiden title this year at the Arnold Palmer Championship. It seemed as if the golfer had finally found his footing, and this might have been his season. However, he has failed to make the cut in six out of fourteen starts since then.
The 30-year-old golfer has managed just two top-10 finishes since his win at Bay Hill and quickly fell out of contention for this year's biennial event.