Ryder Cup 2023 Recap and Highlights

Every two years, top professional golfers from the U.S. and Europe face off at The Ryder Cup, a tournament administered by Ryder Cup Europe and the PGAs of America, Europe and Great Britain. The 2023 Ryder Cup took place from September 29 to October 1 and marked the 44th edition of the event.

In addition to being the most-watched sporting event ever broadcast by Sky Sports, the tournament set many new records. In this recap, we'll review the Ryder Cup 2023 action and take a look at what we might expect from the event in the future. 

The Venue: Marco Simone Golf and Country Club 

Ryder Cup locations alternate between the U.S. and Europe each time the tournament takes place. In 2023, it was Europe's turn to host the event, and four golf courses placed bids to serve as the location. Ultimately, Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia, Rome, Italy, was selected. 

Founded in 1989, the 72-par, 6,343-meter golf course is located on the grounds of a Roman fortified castle. Jim Fazio & David Mezzaca designed the course, and since its founding, it has hosted the Italian Open four times. 

The course is known for its dramatic elevation changes, which make it a challenge to play despite its relatively short length. The thickness of the rough also puts golfers' skills to the test, and the hole layout makes it possible to score eagles in the back eight, opening the doors to the possibilities of last-minute upsets. As one of the most popular courses in Europe, Marco Simone is well known among the golfers on Team Europe, and many experts wondered if this would give them the edge during the 2023 Ryder Cup. 

Team USA: The Hope of Victory 

Historically, Team USA has performed well during the Ryder Cup. Since the event started in 1927, the U.S. has won nearly 62% of all tournaments with 27 wins, 15 losses and two ties. Still, the U.S. tends to perform better on its home turf. Going into the 2023 Ryder Cup, the Americans hadn't won a tournament on a European course since 1993, and Team USA was hoping to break its losing streak. 

For 2023, Zach Johnson served as Captain of Team USA and was assisted by Vice-Captains Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Fred Couples, Davis Love III, and Stewart Clink. The team boasted an impressive lineup of players, featuring many top PGA players.  

Making up the team were: 

• Sam Burns 
• Patrick Cantlay 
• Wyndham Clark 
• Rickie Fowler 
• Brian Harman 
• Max Homa 
• Brooks Koepka 
• Collin Morikawa 
• Xander Schauffele 
• Scottie Scheffler 
• Jordan Spieth 
• Justin Thomas 

Overall, Max Homa was the strongest player during the event with a record of 3-1-1. 2023 was his first-ever Ryder Cup appearance, and he played five matches, scoring a total of 3.5 points. On Saturday during the Fourball, he landed amazing chip shots on the 15th and 16th holes and won Team USA its first full point. This shifted the momentum of the game, but the U.S. team didn't manage to ride the wave to victory. 

Team Europe: This Year's Winners 

Going into the 2023 Ryder Cup, Team Europe was hoping to continue its streak of shutting out the Americans abroad. Luke Donald was the team captain with Nicolas Colsaerts, Edoardo Molinari, Francesco Molinari, Thomas Bjorn and Jose Maria Olazabal serving as vice-captains. The lineup included: 

• Ludvig Aberg (Sweden) 
• Matt Fitzbatrick (England) 
• Tommy Fleetwood (England) 
• Jon Rahm (Spain) 
• Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark) 
• Robert MacIntyre (Scotland) 
• Victor Hovland (Norway) 
• Shane Lowry (Ireland) 
• Tyrell Hatton (England) 
• Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 
• Justin Rose (England) 
• Sepp Straka (Austria) 

Throughout the tournament, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland were the top players with a combined record of 9-2-3. McIlroy won four of his matchups, making 2023 his best-ever performance at The Ryder Cup. 

Jon Rahm stunned the crowds by sinking a shot from a sidehill lie to maintain his lead over Scottie Scheffler in a Sunday singles match. He also landed an eagle and nearly sank a hole-in-one on Friday. If the ball had gone in, it would have been Rahm's seventh ace at a Ryder Cup tournament. 

In the end, Team Europe came out on top of the Ryder Cup standings, winning with a final score of 16.5 to 11.5. 

Unforgettable Moments from The Match 

The Ryder Cup format includes a mix of rounds. In 2023, the events proceeded as follows: 

• Friday and Saturday: Four foursome matches and four fourball matches 
• Sunday: 12 singles matches 

Even though Team USA was down by five points at the end of Saturday, the players remained hopeful that they may eke out a victory with strong performances during the singles matches.  

Here's a look at how the 12 singles matches ended up: 

Team USA Wins 

• Patrick Cantlay over Justin Rose 
• Max Homa over Matt Fitzpatrick 
• Brooks Koepka over Ludvig Aber 
• Justin Thomas over Sepp Straka 
• Xander Scheufele over Nicolai Højgaard 

Team Europe Wins 

• Viktor Hovland over Collin Morikawa 
• Rory McIlroy over Sam Burns 
• Tyrell Hatton over Brian Harman 
• Tommy Fleetwood over Rickie Fowler 
• Robert MacIntyre over Wyndham Clark 

Ties 

• Scottie Scheffler vs. Jon Rahm 
• Shane Lowry vs. Jordan Spieth 

With Team USA not scoring enough points to bridge the gap, Team Europe emerged victorious! 

Ryder Cup Records Set in 2023 

Europe set many records during the 2023 Ryder Cup. On Friday, it achieved its first-ever 4-0 start and managed to completely shut out Team USA for the first time. The team's 6½ to 1½ lead on Friday tied the record set by the Americans at Laurel Valley in 1975 and in Oakland Hills in 2004. In addition, the 9½ to 2½ leads on Saturday tied the biggest point margin record set by Team USA at the Champions Club in 1967. Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland also had the most lop-sided win in Ryder Cup history when they defeated Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler 9 and 7. 

When Is the Next Ryder Cup? 

The next Ryder Cup is slated to take place in September 2025 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York. Team USA will be back on U.S. soil and will no doubt be hungry for a win. With so many new stars emerging in the PGA, it's likely we'll see more rookies teeing up at the event, and the changes taking place in professional golf with the LIV Golf merger will likely mean that the landscape of the game will have changed greatly by then. One thing is certain, though—golf lovers will definitely be anxiously awaiting a chance to cheer their favorite players on at the 45th Ryder Cup. 

Beloved by fans, the Ryder Cup is truly a magical event, and after tuning in to the action, many golf lovers are eager to take to the course themselves. If you're gearing up for golf, shop our new arrivals for our newest drops, also be sure to check out our Fall Collection, exclusively catered to outfitting your favorite season for your favorite sport. Finally, check out more of our stylish, comfortable golf apparel and accessories today.