The makeup of the United States team remains a thorny issue with notable performances from interlopers at the Masters
The latest batch of United States Ryder Cup rankings featured interlopers. Brooks Koepka has risen to 16th position. Phil Mickelson sits 20th on the table. Patrick Reed has leaped to 33rd.The performance of LIV golfers at the Masters has reignited the Ryder Cup conversation.
The sense that team Europe will not be materially harmed by defections to the LIV circuit was only endorsed by Jon Rahm’s win at Augusta National. Luke Donald will call on a Masters champion. In Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Matt Fitzpatrick, Donald already has the core of a formidable team. Europe are assisted further by Justin Rose’s return to form, which saw him record a top 20 in the first major of the year. It would already be a surprise if Rose does not book a place on the flight to Rome in September, where he will inevitably be spurred on by being overlooked by Pádraig Harrington in 2021.
