The 2023 Ryder Cup is a year away, with Italy’s Marco Simone Golf Club becoming just the third course on the European mainland to host the event.
Europe will be aiming to avenge a record defeat last time, while the United States will be seeking to defend the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1993, which was also the final time they won on European soil.
The ongoing legal battles surrounding LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour likely means there could be a number of rookies making their debuts in the competition as big US names like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed all look set to miss out.
Here are seven Americans who may well be making their Ryder Cup bow in Rome next year...
7 Potential USA Ryder Cup Rookies
Will Zalatoris
What an 18 month spell the 26-year-old has had. Since finishing second on his Masters debut in 2021, he has come close to winning a first Major title (runner-up finishes in the 2022 PGA Championship and US Open) before winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August. With prior USA team experience in the Walker Cup, Zalatoris should be making his debut in the biannual competition next year.
Sam Burns
Currently sitting at 12th spot in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Burns isn’t far off his highest ranking of 9th and if he continues the form he showed last season, notching two victories, then it might climb even higher. His win at the Valspar Championship in May 2021 was the catalyst for three more wins in the ensuing 12 months and US captain Zach Johnson will certainly be keeping an eye on him.
Billy Horschel
In some regards, we shouldn’t be talking about Horschel as a potential rookie, as Tom Watson probably should have picked him for the 2014 edition following his FedEx Cup victory, but he remains a player who will surely make an appearance at some stage of his career. With seven PGA Tour victories and a successful debut at the Presidents Cup, Horschel could be a key member of Team USA next year.
Kevin Kisner
Like Horschel, Kisner shouldn’t be discussed as a potential rookie, having come so close to making the USA team in 2018 and 2021. Kisner has achieved a OWGR high of 14 and despite his form being somewhat mixed in 2022, his match play credentials could be a big bonus for Johnson. The 38-year-old has won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play tournament once, finishing runner-up on a further two occasions, while also contributing three and half points from two editions of the Presidents Cup.
Max Homa
Homa already has five PGA Tour wins to his name, with his latest, a one stroke victory over Danny Willet in the Fortinet Championship giving him a major boost heading into the Presidents Cup. Four points from four matches gave Ryder Cup captain Johnson a glimpse of just what he can add to the team format. With the 31-year-old sitting at a career high world ranking of 16th, he surely won’t be far from breaking into the top ten in the not-too-distant future.
Cameron Young
If it weren’t for an extraordinary final round by Cameron Smith in the 150th Open Championship in July, Young might have had his hands wrapped around the Claret Jug for his maiden Major win with a closing round of 65. It wasn’t to be for the 25-year-old who has yet to win on the PGA Tour surprisingly. His Major finishes of third and second last season should prove to be a catalyst for Young to claim his first victory, and with that, a Ryder Cup spot next year.
Brian Harman
Compared to the other sixth potential rookies, Harman represents more of an outside shot of making the team, however his Open Championship T6 showed exactly what he is capable of. The left hander has a career-best world ranking of 20, and he currently sits at 35th following some solid results over the previous few months. Six top tens in 22 events during 2022 might not signify much, but his consistency could lead to better things heading towards 2023. The 35-year-old also carries experience, having turned professional back in 2009.
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