2018 Ryder Cup team, picks, members: U.S. will head to Paris as favorite over tough Europe side
The loaded Ryder Cup rosters include 15 of the top 16 players in the world
By
Kyle Porter
•
1 min read
With the 2018 Ryder Cup on deck at the end of September and 23 of the 24 golfers set for Paris, we need to take a look at the teams that have been built for this showdown. The United States is a -210 favorite over the European side, but despite a huge victory at home two years ago, the U.S. hasn't won on European soil in 25 years.
As Sergio Garcia noted, sometimes (OK, all the time) the Ryder Cup isn't decided before it begins based on which team looks to be better.
That said, the U.S. side is loaded. Its lowest-ranked player is probably going to end up being Tiger Woods, who is currently No. 26 in the world. Let's take a look at the 11 golfers that have made the team thus far and their history with the Ryder Cup.
Team USA
| Golfer | Appearances | Last appearance | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
Dustin Johnson | 4 | 2016 | 6-5-0 |
Bubba Watson | 4 | 2014 | 3-8-0 |
| Rickie Fowler | 4 | 2016 | 2-4-5 |
| Patrick Reed | 3 | 2016 | 6-1-2 |
Jordan Spieth | 3 | 2016 | 4-3-2 |
Webb Simpson | 3 | 2014 | 2-3-1 |
Brooks Koepka | 2 | 2016 | 3-1-0 |
| Justin Thomas | 1 | 0-0 | |
Phil Mickelson* | 12 | 2016 | 18-20-7 |
Tiger Woods* | 8 | 2012 | 13-17-3 |
Bryson DeChambeau* | 1 | 0-0 | |
To be determined |
* Captain's pick
If Tony Finau fills out the 12th spot, the U.S. will have seven of the top eight guys in the current Sagarin pro rankings. Translation: This is good if you're a fan of the U.S.
Team Europe
| Golfer | Appearances | Last appearance | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Rose | 5 | 2016 | 11-6-2 |
Rory McIlroy | 5 | 2016 | 9-6-4 |
Francisco Molinari | 3 | 2012 | 0-3-2 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | 1 | 0-0 | |
| Tyrrell Hatton | 1 | 0-0 | |
Alex Noren | 1 | 0-0 | |
Thorbjorn Olesen | 1 | 0-0 | |
Jon Rahm | 1 | 0-0 | |
| Sergio Garcia* | 9 | 2016 | 19-11-7 |
| Ian Poulter* | 6 | 2014 | 12-4-2 |
Henrik Stenson* | 5 | 2016 | 7-7-2 |
Paul Casey* | 4 | 2008 | 3-2-4 |
* Captain's pick
The European team has a lot of first-timers, but most of them are either stars or superstars, and they were always going to be on this team. That's not a bad thing. And on paper, neither is filling out your squad with some seasoned vets who have been through Ryder Cup wars before. However, when those seasoned vets have combined for just a pair of top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour since the U.S. Open in June, it might not be the greatest thing. Still, it seems Thomas Bjorn had little choice but to pick Casey, Garcia, Stenson and Poulter.
