Scottie Scheffler secures 1st spot on US team for the 44th Ryder Cup - “I'm ready to do whatever it takes”
Official World Golf Ranking (OGWR) World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was named the first official member of the U.S. team for the 2023 Ryder Cup. The announcement was made Wednesday on the U.S. team's Twitter account.
“The experience I had at the Ryder Cup two years ago in Wisconsin is something I will never forget and something I can't wait to replicate in September," Scottie Scheffler said, according to Ryder Cup News Service.
"Zach’s an amazing leader and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to help him, and our team bring the Ryder Cup back home to the United States,” he added.
For his part, the captain of the American team, Zach Johnson, emphasized what it means for the team to have a player like Scottie Scheffler:
“What can I say about Scottie that hasn't already been said,” Johnson said, according to rydercup.com.
“He's an amazing talent on the golf course, and someone that I know will do whatever is asked of him at the Ryder Cup with a smile on his face. He's incredibly passionate about the Ryder Cup, and it's nice to have the World No. 1 on the U.S. Team this year.”
Scottie Scheffler made his Ryder Cup debut two seasons ago, with two wins and one loss. This included a spectacular win in his individual match against Jon Rahm, despite the Spaniard's phenomenal form during that tournament.
Scottie Scheffler to the Ryder Cup
The officialization of Scottie Scheffler as part of the American team for the Ryder Cup is not exactly news. The Texan has had a sensational season on the PGA Tour, so no one doubted his presence in Italy to face the European team.
Scheffler holds the OWGR No. 1 ranking for eight consecutive weeks (he had previously held it intermittently during the season). He has also finished 12th or better in 18 of the 20 official tournaments played during the season.
His worst finish dates back to October (T45 at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina) and his second "worst placement" was T23 at The Open Championship last weekend.
His streak of 18 consecutive Top 12s includes two wins, (WM Phoenix Open and THE PLAYERS Championship) and 13 other Top 10s. In the season's majors he finished T10 at The Masters, T2 at the PGA Championship, third at the US Open, and, as mentioned above, T23 at The Open Championship.
The 2023 Ryder Cup will be played between September 30 and October 2 at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia Montecelio, Rome, Italy. It will be the 44th edition of the biannual tournament that pits teams from the United States and Europe against each other.