Power Ranking the 2016 Ryder Cup Competitors

Brendan O'Meara@@BrendanOMearaX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistSeptember 27, 2016

Power Ranking the 2016 Ryder Cup Competitors

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    David Cannon/Getty Images

    Despite Europe’s dominance in the Ryder Cup over the years, it enters this latest renewal at a decided disadvantage in one key category: experience.

    Looking at the rosters, Europe will tee up six rookies in Rafael Cabrera Bello, Thomas Pieters, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan, Chris Wood and Masters winner Danny Willett.

    Aside from Willett, none of those players are inside the top 30 (Cabrera ranks 30th in the Official World Golf Ranking).

    It could be that the U.S. has the strongest links of both rosters, but the combination of weaker links in the European chain could provide enough team solidarity to overtake Team USA on its own soil.

    The Observer’s Ewan Murray wrote, “One is left to wonder what on earth the Americans will do if they have not wrestled back the Ryder Cup when time is called at Hazeltine next Sunday. Abandon all hope, perhaps.”

    That’s particularly bleak, thank you.

    The power-ranking criteria are fairly simple: OWGR, Ryder Cup record/experience and any big wins in 2016 that may accrete a greater sense of confidence within a player.

    So that’s the backdrop as we power rank the 24 players set to tee it up at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.

Players Nos. 24-20

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    Team USA's Ryan Moore earned an 11th-hour captain's pick.
    Team USA's Ryan Moore earned an 11th-hour captain's pick.Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

    24. Andy Sullivan, England

    OWGR: 50

    Aside from having perhaps the greatest thumbnail video picture out the 24 players, Sullivan doesn’t have much going for him in this Ryder Cup.

    He has just two top-five finishes on the European Tour this year, and he has yet to win a tournament. 

    Sullivan may be a better team player than individual player thus meriting his spot on the roster.

    23. Matthew Fitzpatrick, England

    OWGR: 44

    Fitzpatrick has been nothing if not prolific on the European PGA Tour. He has played in 21 events while winning one (the Nordea Masters).

    People may be familiar with the name since he finished tied for seventh place in this year’s Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, six spots behind countryman and Ryder Cup teammate Willett.

    Fitzpatrick, like many players for Team Europe, lacks experience, but winning the Nordea Masters and finishing seventh at Augusta speak to the ability and potential of this 22-year-old.

    22. Thomas Pieters, Belgium

    OWGR: 42

    If you include the Olympics, Pieters has five top-fives and one win in 2016.

    Pieters also put together a stretch of three strong finishes within the past month. He took fourth at the Olympics, second at the Czech Masters and won the Made in Denmark.

    That stretch earned him a spot on the team as a captain’s pick.

    21. Chris Wood, England

    OWGR: 32

    Look at England holding down the bottom of this list. Team leaders Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood will have to coach these men along.

    Wood makes his first Ryder Cup team after winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May.

    So far this year, his driving accuracy (52.99) has been the worst of his young career, which will likely hamper his foursomes and singles play.

    20. Ryan Moore, United States

    OWGR: 31

    Davis Love III, this year’s Ryder Cup captain, selected Ryan Moore based on Moore’s playoff effort against Rory McIlory in this year’s Tour Championship.

    McIlory would win, but Moore’s grit and poise earned him the final spot on the Ryder Cup team, his first.

    Finishing second in the final playoff vaulted him from 42nd in the world to 31st.

    He joins several European rookies, but going shot-for-shot with McIlory could be a harbinger of things to come for Moore in this Ryder Cup on U.S. dirt.

Players Nos. 19-15

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    Martin Kaymer looks to improve his game at Hazeltine.
    Martin Kaymer looks to improve his game at Hazeltine.Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

    19. Rafael Cabrera Bello, Spain

    OWGR: 30

    Cabrera Bello is yet another European rookie, and look how far he’s come.

    He ended 2015 ranked 114th in the world and has played his way into the top 30.

    His most iconic performance on the calendar was finishing third in the WGC Match Play and earning a tie for 17th at the Masters.

    On paper it may be easy to discount a lot of these European rookies, but the totality of their seasons suggests they’ll be shooting low at Hazeltine.

    18. Brooks Koepka, United States

    OWGR: 22

    Before faltering in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Brooks Koepka had one of his best seasons as a pro, despite going winless.

    In the three tournaments before the playoffs, Koepka finished in a tie for 13th at the U.S. Open, a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship and tied for ninth at the Travelers Championship. Then he followed that up with three results of 32nd or worse in the playoffs.

    If he looks past that, and plays back to the early trend of his 2016 season—one where he accrued seven top-10s and two runners-up—Koepka could have a strong Ryder Cup for Team USA.

    17. Martin Kaymer, Germany

    OWGR: 48

    What has happened to Martin Kaymer? The two-time major winner hasn’t been himself. On U.S. soil he has just one top-10: a tie for seventh at the PGA Championship.

    But he makes his fourth Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick—no doubt to mentor the six rookies.

    Kaymer has a 4-3-3 overall record in the Ryder Cup and recently finished sixth at the Porsche European Open, so he’ll be ready in Minnesota.

    Don’t let his OWGR fool you.

    16. Lee Westwood, England

    OWGR: 46

    Lee Westwood will no doubt be Darren Clarke’s player-captain. Westwood makes his 10th Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick, and he brings with him a 20-15-6 record, the most wins by anybody in this Ryder Cup.

    Of late he has been making more headlines for his commentary than his play, but if there’s anybody who can shoulder the distraction and direct that commotion away from his rookies, it’s Westwood.

    As a result, a Twitter battle (yawn) took place between someone at Hazeltine and Westwood, though Westwood took the high ground and won remarks for spelling and grammar.

    15. Brandt Snedeker, United States

    OWGR: 23

    Brandt Snedeker has had his best season since 2013, a year when he won twice, finished second twice and recorded nine top-10s.

    This year Snedeker has a win, one second, two thirds and seven top-10s. When he’s good, the man is on.

    Snedeker has been playing some of his best golf the past few weeks, making huge moves up the points ladder and earning a spot on this team.

    This will be his second Ryder Cup as he enters with a 1-2-0 record.

Players Nos. 14-11

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    Team USA's Rickie Fowler
    Team USA's Rickie FowlerStacy Revere/Getty Images

    14. Matt Kuchar, United States

    OWGR: 17

    When experience could be the difference between winning those final matches or not, Matt Kuchar was a sensible captain’s pick for Love.

    Kuchar starts in his fourth Ryder Cup and has a modest 4-5-2 record overall.

    Josh Berhow of Golf.com wrote: "The 15th-ranked player in the world won’t wow anyone or generate Mickelson-like crowds, but he’s likable and an important part of the team’s chemistry. (He’s a Ping-Pong stud, the go-to game in the team room.)" 

    15. Zach Johnson, United States

    OWGR: 28

    Zach Johnson may be 11 spots farther down the OWGR than Kuchar, but his one extra year of experience (five) and a stout record for the U.S. stand at 6-6-2 give him slightly higher grades.

    Don’t look at Johnson’s past six tournaments, though. Over that stretch of time that dates back to the PGA Championship, Johnson hasn’t fared better than a tie for 33rd.

    He’ll need to somehow play back to the form that saw him finish inside the top 10 at the U.S. Open and the Match Play if he’s to have any positive impact on this event at all.

    14. Rickie Fowler, United States

    OWGR: Nine

    This captain’s pick likely confused the greater world of golf. Fowler may have big shots somewhere in that bag, but his record in two prior Ryder Cups speaks for itself: 0-4-4.

    After Fowler lost his grip on the Barclays (and an automatic spot on the Ryder Cup team), Newsday’s Mark Herrmann wrote:

    Fowler is the guy you want as your buddy, your neighbor, a guy in your foursome. I never will forget seeing him at a youth clinic at Huntington Crescent Club before the 2012 Barclays, giving encouragement and individual instruction to every kid. I also give him points for signing all those caps and souvenir flags. I’m not convinced he is the right answer for a U.S. team that needs a karma makeover after years of being dominated by Europe.

    We’ll see. Fowler pairs well with Phil Mickelson, so Fowler could—and should—earn his first match win at this year’s Ryder Cup.

    11. Jimmy Walker, United States

    OWGR: 16

    Jimmy Walker broke through and won his first major this year cementing him as one of the best—though underrated—players of the past three to four years. Much love to the late bloomers.

    That win at the PGA was his lone win of the year. Not bad, and after missing cuts at the Wyndham and Barclays, Walker placed solely in third at the Deutsche Bank Championship and tied for 13th at the BMW.

    This will be Walker’s second Ryder Cup. He went 1-1-3 in Europe and will need to drastically improve upon that to help his team.

No. 10: Danny Willett, England

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    Andrew Redington/Getty Images

    OWGR: 10

    Best of 2016: Willett won the Masters, and that shook the world awake, alerting it to how good this young Brit is. He also finished second at the Italian Open, proving he’s in top form ahead of the Ryder Cup.

    Why He’s Here: Winning the Masters proves to anybody paying attention that you deserve to represent your continent.

    "You just play golf—there is a lot of talking that goes around everything," Willett told Sky Sports News (h/t Danielle Joynson of SportsMole.com). "Within everything you do you just try to do your job, at the end of the day."

    He continued: "We will see on Sunday night, you can't really talk your way to a win, you have got to play some good golf. The comments have been quite funny, but we are just going to go out there and try to play golf."

    Ryder Cup History: He’s got zero experience (a theme), but taking the lint roller to his green jacket will give him all the confidence he needs.

No. 9: J.B. Holmes, United States

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    Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

    OWGR: 21

    Best of 2016: The highlight of his year came at the Open Championship, where he finished alone in third. With the way Mickelson and Henrik Stenson ran away with it, that made Holmes the best of the rest.

    Why He’s Here: The last time he was on the team the Americans won. That was back in 2008.

    "I was very excited. It's been one of my main goals all year," Holmes told GolfDigest.com. "Some of my greatest memories in golf are from the Ryder Cup at Valhalla."

    Ryder Cup History: This will only be Holmes’ second Ryder Cup, but he did manage a 2-0-1 record in 2008 at Valhalla.

No. 8: Phil Mickelson, United States

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    Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

    OWGR: 15

    Best of 2016: That dogfight he had with Stenson in the Open Championship was as good as it got for Lefty in 2016.

    He didn’t win in 2016, but he came awfully close with three runners-up and one third.

    Why He’s Here: In a word: experience. This is his 11th Ryder Cup, and as long as he’s above ground and south of 50 years old, Mickelson will be on the team.

    Ryder Cup History: His record directly reflects the Americans’ woes in the Ryder Cup: 16-19-7.

No. 7: Henrik Stenson, Sweden

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    Andrew Redington/Getty Images

    OWGR: 5

    Best of 2016: It didn’t get better than winning his first major at the Open Championship where he went shot-for-shot with Mickelson.

    It was basically match play between those two.

    Why He’s Here: That final 18 holes at Royal Troon could foreshadow future matches for Stenson. If he gets into a back-and-forth battle with any of the top Americans, he’ll be able to stare them down and shake loose.

    Ryder Cup History: This is his fourth Ryder Cup, and he has a record of 5-4-2.

No. 6: Patrick Reed, United States

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    Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

    OWGR: 8

    Best of 2016: Patrick Reed won The Barclays to kick off the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and he followed that up with a tie for fifth at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

    Reed also has three runners-up and 11 top-10s on the season.

    Why He’s Here: It’s only his second Ryder Cup, but he seems to thrive on match play. Earlier in the year he finished in a tie for ninth at the WGC Match Play, and his RC record speaks for itself.

    Ryder Cup History: In one prior Ryder Cup, he ran off a 3-1-0 record.

No. 5: Jordan Spieth, United States

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    Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

    OWGR: 4

    Best of 2016: Jordan Spieth didn’t have the magical year he had in 2015, but he still had a pretty good run.

    He won twice (Tournament of Champions, Dean & Deluca Invitational) and tied for third at the Bridgestone Invitational.

    Why He’s Here: Spieth is hungry for the Ryder Cup, so much so that—given the choice—it’s the Ryder Cup trophy he’d want over another FedEx Cup. He told CBSSports.com:

    I would say [I would rather win the] Ryder Cup [than the FedEx Cup]. I don't have a Ryder Cup. I think I will have a Ryder Cup at some point ... If you're saying 2016, right now, I've got a choice, Ryder Cup. You want something that you don't have. That's a trophy that I've watched the other side of it now, and it hurt. It was tough at the closing ceremony [in 2014] 

    Ryder Cup History: He was 2-1-1 in his Ryder Cup debut in 2014.

No. 4: Dustin Johnson, United States

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    Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

    OWGR: 2

    Best of 2016: Dustin Johnson had a monster year, with no win bigger than at the U.S. Open.

    Not only that, but he won a WGC event as well as a tournament in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Johnson also earned six top-threes and 15 top-10s.

    He did let the FedEx Cup slip away from him at the Tour Championship, but DJ has always shown an ability to bounce back from disappointment.

    Why He’s Here: Johnson will never be accused of thinking too much, and since he’s the top-ranked player in the Ryder Cup, he’ll be expected to be America’s big gun and possibly top scorer.

    Ryder Cup History: In three prior Ryder Cups, Johnson amassed a record of 4-3-0.

No. 3: Justin Rose, England

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    Andrew Redington/Getty Images

    OWGR: 11

    Best of 2016: When Justin Rose looks back at his 2016, that gold medal he won at the Summer Games in Brazil will be the moment he remembers.

    Beyond that, a solo third at the Wells Fargo and a T10 at the Masters mark Rose’s best performances this season.

    Why He’s Here: He’s a monster in the Ryder Cup. This may be Europe’s "worst team in years," according to golf analyst Johnny Miller, but Rose will one of the reasons Europe will be there in the end.

    Miller disagrees, saying, "I just think with all those rookies ... when you lose (Ian) Poulter, it's like tearing your heart out," Miller said. "I think this is the year not only could the U.S. win, they could win by like five points."

    Is the U.S. capable of beating Europe by five points in the Ryder Cup? Even at home?

    Ryder Cup History: Rose has a stout 9-3-2 record in three prior RCs.

No. 2: Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland

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    Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

    OWGR: 3

    Best of 2016: Talk about a closer.

    McIlroy went out and won the FedEx Cup Playoffs in style by firing off a Sunday 64 to reach the playoffs. There he held off Moore with clutch putting to win both the tournament and the playoffs.

    He said on PGATour.com after the win:

    To shoot 66, 64 on the weekend to win the TOUR Championship and ultimately win the FedExCup, that ranks up there with just some of my best performances on the golf course regardless of tournament. It means an awful lot. I’ve made no secret that it’s one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golfing CV, and I made it a big goal of mine, especially after the summer had gone, to win it.

    Why He’s Here: He’s won in big spots this year. He won the Deutsche Bank and the Tour Championship, and of his nine top-10s, seven were in the top five.

    Ryder Cup History: This marks his fourth Ryder Cup, and he brings a 6-4-4 record to Hazeltine.

No. 1: Sergio Garcia, Spain

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    Andy Lyons/Getty Images

    OWGR: 12

    Best of 2016: He won the Byron Nelson and boasted back-to-back top-fives in majors (U.S. Open and Open Championship). However, he was nowhere to be found in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

    Why He’s Here: Listen: No, he hasn’t won a major, but when it comes to the Ryder Cup, suddenly Garcia becomes like Tiger Woods. And check out the leadership. Garcia told RyderCup.com:

    Our job as experienced Ryder Cup players is to make sure that those rookies feel as comfortable as possible; that they feel surrounded by teammates that care about them and feel for them. If we can manage to do that then the only thing they have to do is go and do what they do every week, which is to play great golf. It’s something that they will never forget.

    He’s grateful to be on his eighth team, and he, along with Westwood, will be the keel that keeps the boat straight.

    Ryder Cup History: Try and say this with a straight face: 18-9-5. The next-closest is Mickelson with 16 wins from three more Ryder Cup appearances.

         

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