By Ajayi Segun,Last Word On Sports
Copyright yardbarker
Scottie Scheffler said he found it “really weird” that, ahead of the last Ryder Cup won by Team Europe, the Americans had gone several weeks without playing competitive golf. The World No. 1 clinched victory at the Procore Championship over the weekend, where nine of his Ryder Cup teammates were also in action—a noticeable change from previous practice, when U.S. players often entered the biennial contest after a long break from competitive golf.
Why Old Routine Could Have Hurt Team US
Scheffler admitted that this old routine may have hurt the Americans in past Ryder Cups, especially when facing European players who stayed sharper by playing in events closer to the tournament. Just two members of the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup team—Justin Thomas and Max Homa—played in the final PGA Tour event before the famous team competition, as other players took a several-week break after the conclusion of the PGA Tour season.
Captain Keegan Bradley encouraged the change of approach, and the 29-year-old welcomes it, believing it gives Team USA a slight advantage as they aim to reclaim the prestigious trophy.
“When I look at my experience from the last few team events, it’s weird to have such a long break after the season ends to one of our biggest events being either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup,” Scheffler said. “Those are huge for us as Americans and something we take a lot of pride in. I find it really weird there’s four or five weeks between the end of our season and a huge team event.”
Scheffler Says Team US Is “Very Prepared” For Ryder Cup
Observers have usually raised the timing of the PGA Tour season as a problem for American players. After a demanding year, many stars take time off to recover before the Ryder Cup. While this allows for rest, it also creates the risk of losing momentum.
On the other hand, Europe has always avoided this issue. Many of their players continue competing on the DP World Tour in the weeks before the Ryder Cup, with events such as the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth giving them both competitive match practice and more time together as a unit.
“So, there is a balance between rest and getting ready for the team events, but going into this Ryder Cup I felt like, for our preparation, this was something we needed to do – to come here and play this week,” Scheffler said. “I think we’re all feeling very prepared to go into Bethpage and excited to get that week started.”
Scheffler believes Team USA may now be correcting that flaw. With so many American players taking part in the Procore Championship right before this year’s Ryder Cup, the World No. 1 believes the team is ready and better prepared for the Ryder Cup.
