Following the United States’ victory at Whistling Straits in 2021, the Ryder Cup will be held again later this week.
Since LIV Golf was founded, a lot has changed in the sport.
Golf can once again concentrate on the drama on the course rather than off it after a hectic 15 months thanks to the Ryder Cup’s return this week.
In an effort to reclaim the championship they dropped last time out at Whistling Straits, Team Europe will host their American rivals on home soil at Marco Simone.
The Americans defeated the Europeans 19-9 in Wisconsin, setting a new record for victory.
However, it is fair to say that two years after Steve Stricker and his 12 players raised the Ryder Cup trophy into the air, the professional golfing landscape is in a completely different state.
As LIV Golf rose to prominence in June of last year, the sport was split in two as the breakaway league engaged in competition with the PGA Tour for supremacy.
One of the most heated discussions during the ugly civil war was how the conflict would affect this year’s Ryder Cup.
And although the matchplay competition was frequently far away during the conflict, it was frequently a topic of conversation with many of those involved who were connected to either Team Europe or Team USA.
One rebel player, American Brooks Koepka, was finally given the green light to compete at Marco Simone after months and months of debate.
Koepka rose swiftly in the U.S. rankings despite his PGA Tour ban.
S. after placing tied-second at the Masters and winning the PGA Championship in May, one’s Ryder Cup standings.
Due to this, the five-time major champion held a spot in the standings by default up until the very last week of qualifying, when Xander Schauffele narrowly edged him out.
While Koepka dropped out of the top six, Zach Johnson, the captain, chose him as one of his six captain’s picks earlier this month.
In both the American setup and Team Europe, Koepka is the only member of the breakaway league that will be competing this week in Rome.
The last-ditch effort of Sergio Garcia.
Garcia is the most notable player missing from Luke Donald’s European team, and in his absence, the Spaniard made a desperate effort to declare himself eligible for Ryder Cup selection.
Garcia reportedly contacted DP World Tour administrators to regain his eligibility and paid the Wentworth-based circuit £700,000 in fines that were owed.
However, the Spaniard’s last-minute offer was turned down by the Tour because he had earlier this year resigned from the organization. Garcia and the other players will be qualified to reapply for membership next season, according to a DP World Tour spokesperson.
