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Paolo Uggetti, ESPN
HOYLAKE, England — The final main match of the yr has handed, but many questions on the composition of the American and European Ryder Cup groups stay.
Practically two months after the occasion, The Open Championship served as a stage for a lot of gamers to current a powerful case for his or her candidacy. For others, it launched extra doubt as as to whether they need to make their respective squads in September.
Listed here are the gamers who’ve strengthened their case for Roma this week and people who have not:
UNITED STATES
Brian Harman: Refuel
Harman ought to hold his passport helpful as he’ll seemingly be touring to Rome. Factors and world rankings apart, there is not any approach Harman could be ignored of the squad after profitable the Claret Jug and rising to tenth within the official world golf rankings. The Georgia native was twentieth within the Ryder Cup standings earlier than the beginning of the week, and now he is positive to take a giant leap ahead and develop into a fixture on the crew come September, when Marco Simone Golf Membership ought to go well with his eye and sport nicely.
“I like match play,” Harman mentioned Sunday whereas refusing to scale back his probabilities of making the crew. “I’ve finished nicely in each match play match I have been in. I’ve had an excellent junior and novice report in match play. I like head-to-head competitors.”
Max Homa: Refuel
You might argue that what Homa did on the Presidents Cup final yr (4 wins in 4 matches) was sufficient to safe him a spot on the USA Ryder Cup crew. However heading into the week in Hoylake, Homa had struggled to excel at main tournaments, notably lacking the minimize on the US Open.
Homa confirmed up at Royal Liverpool Golf Membership this week with out an excessive amount of of a highlight, launched and able to play his sport. It was displaying. He shot a first-round 68 however adopted it with a disappointing 73. Then on Saturday he was paired with Rory McIlroy and battled the environment favored by McIlroy to grind down a 70. On Sunday, Homa climbed to a tie for tenth, giving him his finest end at a serious and extra momentum in the direction of a Ryder Cup berth.
Tony Finau: inventory down
Listed here are Finau’s final seven begins: T-23, T-72, missed minimize, T-32, T-45, missed minimize, missed minimize. Regardless that Finau received the Mexican Open in April, his streak of poor outcomes additionally consists of three majors during which his finest consequence was T-32 on the US Open – not precisely very best for somebody who was in all probability a surefire decide initially of the yr.
Justin Thomas: Unsure Inventory
All outcomes, statistics and logic point out that Thomas shouldn’t be a part of the Ryder Cup crew this yr. He is missed 4 cuts in his final six begins and shot two of the worst rounds of his profession within the final two main championships. And but, nobody appears to be overly fearful about him. Captain Zach Johnson, who stayed with Thomas this week on the Open, didn’t trace if Thomas’ efficiency would depart him out of the squad, calling him “devoted within the occasion” and saying he wasn’t fearful about him long-term because it’s solely a matter of time earlier than he finds him.
Thomas should discover him quickly. He sits exterior the highest 70 within the FedEx Cup playoff image (seventy fifth) and might want to play the 3M Open and the Wyndham Championship to attempt to make subsequent yr’s designated occasions. If Thomas did not make the playoffs, it is onerous to see how Johnson could be justified in choosing him.
Collin Morikawa: Falling inventory
Morikawa hasn’t been the identical since January, when Jon Rahm discovered him 9 strokes behind on the ultimate day of the Sentry Event of Champions. A high 10 on the Masters appeared like a optimistic signal that he was headed in the best course, however since then Morikawa has missed 5 cuts, together with this week at The Open.
The 26-year-old pulled out of Memorial as a result of a again damage, and whereas he mentioned he was wholesome sufficient to play on the US Open, it is honest to marvel if he’ll want an prolonged go away which might jeopardize his choice for Rome.
Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth: Inventory Impartial
Spieth and Fowler did not play their finest golf at Hoylake, however they did not play their worst golf both. They each completed tied after being matched on Sunday. Their performances this season, in Fowler’s case, and their earlier expertise in crew occasions, in Spieth’s case, needs to be sufficient to convey them each into the squad.
Cameron Younger: Refuel
Regardless of a disappointing end within the last group on Sunday, Younger confirmed he was again to kind after back-to-back top-10 finishes (sixth on the John Deere Traditional, tied for eighth at The Open). Younger had struggled for the previous three months, lacking out on the PGA Championship minimize and his finest consequence was a tie for thirty second on the US Open. However Hoylake has proven he is turned his sport round, and the subsequent month could possibly be sufficient for him to show he deserves a spot on Group USA.
Europe
Sepp Straka: Refuel
If not for fellow Georgia Bulldog Harman, the Austrian participant might need received this yr’s Open Championship and received his first main title in addition to a assured spot within the European squad. Both approach, Straka is probably going in attendance after his current streak which now features a second-place end in a serious match. 4 top-10 finishes this season, a top-five end on the Open and a win on the John Deere Traditional needs to be greater than sufficient for him to qualify for a top-six end or develop into considered one of Luke Donald’s six captain’s picks.
Robert MacIntyre: Fill Up
This weekend, MacIntyre was third within the European Ryder Cup rankings, which meant he would mechanically qualify for the crew if the season ended on Sunday. Regardless of ending T-71 on the Open, because of his second-place end on the Scottish Open, MacIntyre put himself in an excellent place to make the crew.
Alex Noren: Fill Up
The 67th-ranked participant on this planet would not usually be talked about among the many contenders for a Ryder Cup spot. However after a very good week at The Open during which he completed tied, Noren could possibly be thought-about for one of many final spots on the crew given his expertise. Noren went 2-1-0 in his Ryder Cup debut at Le Golf Nationwide in France and defeated Bryson DeChambeau in his singles match, which closed out the Individuals. If Donald decides to go the extra skilled route of choosing his captain as an alternative of youth and potential like Ludvig Aberg, anticipate to see Noren get some severe consideration.
Adrian Meronk: Refuel
Meronk’s efficiency on the majors this yr leaves rather a lot to be desired. Going into The Open, Meronk had missed the minimize of the earlier three majors. However he has a win on the European Tour this season, in addition to an Italian Open victory on the Marco Simone Golf Membership, which alone might propel him right into a assured spot within the crew.
The 30-year-old Polish participant helped himself this week by placing in a stable efficiency at Royal Liverpool, ending stage and tied for twenty third – by far his finest profession lead to a serious league. Not solely will this seemingly enhance his factors whole within the Ryder Cup standings (at present fifth), however it’ll additionally make it simpler for Donald to choose him if he falls out of the automated spots.
Rasmus Højgaard: Out of inventory; Nicolai Højgaard: Refuel
The Hojgaard twins had very totally different outings at Hoylake as Rasmus fell to 7 and missed the minimize, whereas Nicolai completed tied and tied for twenty third. The position reversal complicates issues a bit for Donald, provided that if considered one of them was to be chosen, it seemed like Rasmus was the favourite going into the week. Whereas Rasmus was sixth within the Ryder Cup standings, Nicolai was thirty eighth. It will likely be fascinating to see how Donald approaches them each and whether or not he decides to convey them each (unlikely), considered one of them (most probably) or neither.
Victor Perez and Yannik Paul: Low inventory
It wasn’t the very best week for Paul or Perez. Paul entered the week fourth within the Ryder Cup standings however missed the minimize, whereas Perez – who was seventh within the standings – made the minimize however completed tied for forty first. In the intervening time it nonetheless appears seemingly that they’ll each be within the sport, however they might want to proceed to carry out nicely on the European tour over the subsequent few weeks to safe their spots. Like Noren, each hope their age and expertise will likely be seen as property in relation to rounding out the squad, somewhat than a cause to be bypassed for promising younger gamers like Aberg, the Hojgaard twins and even Chassart’s Adrien Dumont.
