Modus, Bilanz und Teams: So funktioniert der Ryder Cup 2023

Vom 29. September bis zum 1. Oktober findet in Rom der 44. Ryder Cup statt. Nach dem 9:19-Debakel vor zwei Jahren will Team Europa um Kapitän Luke Donald die prestigeträchtige Trophäe zurückerobern. So funktioniert der wichtigste Team-Wettbewerb im Golf.

2023 findet der Ryder Cup erstmals in Italien statt.

2023 findet der Ryder Cup erstmals in Italien statt.

Getty Images

Die Geschichte

Der Ryder Cup ist der wichtigste Team-Wettbewerb im Golf. Die zwölf besten Spieler aus den USA und Europa treffen im Zwei-Jahres-Rhythmus als wechselnde Gastgeber aufeinander. Der englische Golf-Enthusiast Samuel Ryder war der Namensgeber und Stifter des Pokals, der 1927 in Worcester (USA) aus der Taufe gehoben wurde.

Ryder Cup: Die Bilanz

Nach 43 Veranstaltungen führen die USA mit 27:14 Siegen. Bis 1971 stellten nur die USA und Großbritannien die Teams (15 Siege USA, 1 Unentschieden, 3 Niederlagen).

Von 1973 bis 1977 spielten die USA gegen ein Team aus Briten und Iren (3 Siege USA). “Rest-Europa” ist erst seit 1979 dabei. Erst zum dritten Mal nach 1997 (Valderrama) und 2018 (Paris) wird in Europa nicht in Großbritannien oder Irland gespielt. Bei den jüngsten vier Events gab es jeweils Heimsiege.

Die Teams 2023

Als Kapitäne der beiden Teams fungieren Luke Donald (Europa) und Zach Johnson (USA). Ersterer hat Anfang September sein finales Aufgebot für den 44. Ryder Cup bekanntgegeben, der deutsche Golfer Yannik Paul hat es nicht ins Team geschafft.

Europa: Ludvig Aberg (Schweden), Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton (alle England), Nicolai Hojgaard (Dänemark), Viktor Hovland (Norwegen), Shane Lowry (Irland), Robert MacIntyre (Schottland), Rory McIlroy (Nordirland), Jon Rahm (Spanien), Justin Rose (England), Sepp Straka (Österreich)

USA: Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Wyndham Clark, Rickie Fowler, Brian Harman, Max Homa, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas.

Ryder Cup: Der Modus

Jedes Team hat zwölf Spieler, die vom Kapitän geführt werden. Dem Titelverteidiger reicht bei 28 Punkten, die an drei Tagen (16 bei den Vierern, zwölf bei den Einzeln) vergeben werden, schon ein Remis zum Sieg. Der Herausforderer muss mindestens ein 14,5:13,5 erreichen.

Bei je vier Fourball (Bestball)- und Foursomes-Matches am Freitag sowie Samstag treten jeweils zwei Spieler im Team gegeneinander an. Im Fourball spielt jeder seinen Ball bis ins Loch. Dabei wird das niedrigste Schlagergebnis als Lochgewinn mit 1:0 für das erfolgreiche Team gewertet – bei Remis mit 0,5:0,5 “geteilt”. Das gilt auch für den “Klassischen Vierer” (Foursomes), bei dem die Team-Spieler abwechselnd je einen Ball bis ins Loch schlagen.

Auch in den zwölf Einzeln am Sonntag gibt jeder Lochgewinn im Spiel Mann gegen Mann einen Punkt. Liegt der Spieler zum Beispiel nach dem 16. Grün mit drei mehr gewonnenen Löchern vorn, ist das Match nach dem Zählverfahren “3 und 2” (3 Punkte vorn, aber nur noch 2 Löcher zu spielen) vorzeitig beendet. Wird über den Sieg erst am 18. Loch entschieden, lautet die Wertung “1 auf”.

Martin Kaymer

Feiert den Sieg beim Ryder Cup 2012 in Medinah: Martin Kaymer.
imago/Sammy Minkoff

Die Deutschen

Martin Kaymer siegte 2010, 2012 und 2014 mit dem “Team Europe”, unterlag 2016. Der heute 38-Jährige arbeitet nach einer Handgelenk-Operation an einem Comeback, will 2024 in der LIV Golf League mitmischen.

Bernhard Langer (66) gewann bei zehn Starts als Spieler von 1981 bis 2002 sechsmal mit Europa und führte das Team 2004 als Kapitän auswärts zu einem 18,5:9,5-Sieg. Sein 1991 alles entscheidender, misslungener Putt ging ebenfalls in die Geschichte ein.

Nach der gescheiterten Bewerbung für 2018 mit einem zu bauenden Kurs nahe Ingolstadt beim Wittelsbacher GC startete der Deutsche Golf-Verband einen zweiten Versuch als Ausrichter für 2022 (wegen der Pandemie nun 2023). Dafür war Bad Saarow am Scharmützelsee nahe Berlin vorgesehen. Doch auf der Zielgeraden legte Italien ein offenkundig finanziell unschlagbares Konzept mit dem neuen Platz bei Rom vor, der im Besitz des Mode-Unternehmens Laura Biagotti ist.

Jörg Jakob

“Platz da!” von und für die Gofus

Seit 2001 treffen sich regelmäßig ehemalige Fußball-Profis und Leistungssportler aus anderen Sportarten zum Golf. Es geht auch um den Wettkampf – aber nicht nur das.

Pokalsieger: Ex-Schiedsrichter Thorsten Kinhöfer bei der Gofus Championship in Treudelberg.

Pokalsieger: Ex-Schiedsrichter Thorsten Kinhöfer bei der Gofus Championship in Treudelberg.

Gofus

Wenn Dortmunder und Schalker Seite an Seite agieren, Bremer und Hamburger ebenso, wie auch Gladbacher und Kölner. Wenn kein Fußballer gewinnt, sondern auch einmal ein Schiedsrichter. Wenn dabei zudem Handballer mitmischen, dann ist das alles andere als gewöhnlich. Dieses Außergewöhnliche ist bei den Gofus, den Golf spielenden Fußballern, Normalität. Auch an diesem Freitag wieder, an dem der Saison-Höhepunkt dieses munteren Vereins ansteht, das Masters-Turnier.

Während sich die besten Golfprofis aus Europa und den USA vom 29. September an bis zum 1. Oktober beim 44. Ryder Cup in Rom duellieren, schlagen die Gofus in Bad Saarow am Scharmützelsee ab – und damit auf dem Kurs nahe Berlin, auf dem dieser monumentale Kontinentalvergleich ausgetragen worden wäre, hätte der Deutsche Golf-Verband mit seiner Bewerbung Erfolg gehabt.

Für den guten Zweck – und viele Bolzplätze

Apropos Erfolg. Der sieht bei den Gofus so aus: Soeben wurde in Bremen der 254. Spiel- oder Bolzplatz eröffnet, den sie ermöglicht haben. “Als wir 2007 in Berlin den ersten Platz eröffneten, habe ich nicht im Traum daran gedacht, dass wir heute – 16 Jahre später – die 250. Eröffnung feiern können”, sagte Präsident Norbert Dickel erst vor fünf Wochen, als die magische Zahl mit einer Eröffnung in Hagen erreicht wurde und der Termin zusammenfiel mit der Gofus Championship in Treudelberg bei Hamburg.

Gemeinsam mit den Partnern und Förderern des Vereins wie Hauptsponsor VEKA schlagen die Gofus mehrmals im Jahr ab. Die Erlöse der Turniere kommen ihrer Initiative “Platz da!” zu Gute, die den Bau oder die Renovierung von Spiel- und Bolzplätzen unterstützt.

Pascal Hens, Norbert Dickel, Mirko Slomka, Manfred Kaltz, Stefan Beinlich und Christian Hochstätter (v.l.)

Gofus für den guten Zweck: Pascal Hens, Norbert Dickel, Mirko Slomka, Manfred Kaltz, Stefan Beinlich und Christian Hochstätter (v.l.).
Gofus

Dickel und eine Reihe von ehemaligen Fußballprofis haben sich bereits 2001 zusammengetan. Heute haben die Gofus mehr als 550 aktive oder ehemalige Profis als Mitglieder. Ihre Startlisten klingen wie ein “Who is Who” der Bundesliga. So waren bei der Championship u. a.: Manfred Kaltz, Holger Hieronymus, Ditmar Jakobs, Bernd Wehmeyer, Bernd Hollerbach, Bjarne Goldbaek, Stefan Beinlich, Martin Piekenhagen, Richard Golz, Christian Hochstätter, Uli Borowka, Marco Bode, Manfred Bockenfeld und Wolfgang Sidka vertreten. Auch die Handballer Stefan Kretzschmar, Martin Schwalb und Pascal Hens sowie Schwimm-Weltmeister Thomas Rupprath waren gut in Schwung. Den Pokal sicherte sich Ex-Schiedsrichter Thorsten Kinhöfer mit einer Runde von vier über Par.

In Bad Saarow ist das Sakko rot

Wer die Turniere der Gofus gewinnen will und somit jetzt beim Masters auf dem schweren Nick-Faldo-Kurs in Bad Saarow das Rote Sakko, muss schon ein Topresultat erzielen, das Spitzen-Freizeitgolfern zur Ehre gereicht. Nicht nur zwischen Abschlag und Grün geht es Schlag auf Schlag. Auch im übertragenen Sinne.

Im Schnitt konnte seit 2007 alle 23 Tage ein Platz eröffnet werden. Der 200. Platz wurde erst im November 2020 eröffnet – mitten in der Pandemie. Seitdem wurden mehr als 50 weitere Plätze mitfinanziert durch Spenden an die entsprechenden Kommunen.

Für das gemeinnützige Ziel, wirtschaftlich schwächer gestellten Kindern und Jugendlichen zu helfen,  Spielplätze für die Jüngsten und Bolzplätze für Teenies vor allem in sozial schwächeren Stadtteilen zu schaffen, wurde bisher ein Projektvolumen von insgesamt über zwölf Millionen Euro erfüllt.

Regelrechten Nachwuchsmangel kennt dieser außergewöhnliche Golf-Club kaum. Immer wieder schließen sich ihm jüngere Ex-Profis an, wenn es die Zeit nach der Bundesliga-Karriere zulässt. Rivalitäten bleiben auf dem neuen Rasen außen vor, abgesehen natürlich von Frotzeleien und dem gesunden Ehrgeiz beim Wettspiel auf den Fairways.

Botschaften, die “uns jeder abnimmt”

Der Gedanke, dass “die Fußball-Community” etwas zurückgebe an sozial Schwächere, sei der Ursprung der Gofus-Gründung gewesen, “über alle Mannschaftsgrenzen hinweg”, berichtet Dickel. “Oliver Reck, damals noch auf Schalke, war ein Gründungsmitglied. Olaf Thon arbeitete im Verwaltungsrat.” Nur zwei Beispiele von vielen. Kurz nach dem Anschlag auf den Mannschaftsbus des BVB schlugen alle Teilnehmer eines Gofus-Turniers in Schwarzgelb ab und mit dem Motto: “Getrennt in den Farben. Geeint gegen Gewalt”.

Präsident Dickel weiter: “Sport und Bewegung verbindet uns alle. Die Sozialisation von Heranwachsenden in einer Mannschaft, dass Kinder lernen, Verantwortung im Miteinander zu übernehmen – diese Botschaften nimmt uns jeder ab. Das passt zu uns.” Und es verbindet Dortmunder und Schalker, Fohlen und Geißböcke, Fußballer und Handballer.

Jörg Jakob

LPGA star Rose Zhang’s honest outlook on first-ever Solheim Cup appearance for Team USA

LPGA Tour rookie Rose Zhang is a budding superstar who already has many accomplishments under her belt in her young golf career. She can add representing her country in women’s golf’s biggest international tournament to her resume.

Zhang earned her spot on Team USA for this year’s Solheim Cup thanks to an impressive first three months on the LPGA Tour. She won her professional debut in June and racked up three other top-10 finishes, though she struggled in her last four tournaments.

Zhang did not expect to play in the Solheim Cup and who could blame her given she was still an amateur earlier this year.

“Being in the Solheim Cup this year was certainly not one of the goals in mind,” Zhang said, via Reuters, “but the fact that it happened, I’m just super blessed to be alongside players that I’ve grown up watching and playing alongside them representing the red, white, and blue.”

Zhang won her second consecutive college national championship with Stanford in May and captured her first professional win. She doesn’t know how to rank all of these significant accomplishments.

“I feel like every experience that I’ve gained has been so unique in its own right,” Zhang said. “This is definitely up there. Being able to play the Solheim Cup is truly a dream come true.”

Rose Zhang is one of four rookies representing Team USA, who enters the competition as an underdog. Team Europe has won back-to-back Solheim Cups and is hosting this year’s edition in Spain.

It is unclear how much Zhang will play in the foursomes portion of the tournament, but a lot of eyes will be on the young American.

The post LPGA star Rose Zhang’s honest outlook on first-ever Solheim Cup appearance for Team USA appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Team Europe get set for Solheim Cup showdown

The Solheim Cup brings two 12 strong teams together from Europe and the US who will battle it out across three days of fierce competition, mirroring the Ryder Cup model.

On Friday and Saturday there will be both a morning and afternoon session featuring four foursomes matches, alternate shot with one ball, and four fourball matches, own ball with the best score being taken, all featuring two players from each team.

Sunday sees every team member take to the course for their respective singles match which is just straight match play. The US team need to accumulate 14.5 points to wrestle back the trophy but as defending champions the Europeans need 14 to retain.

The European and US teams are captained by two stalwarts of the women’s game in Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, who memorably holed the winning putt at the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, and two-time major winner Stacy Lewis.

It won’t be easy for Pettersen to keep the winning machine rolling but she does have, arguably, one of the strongest and most experienced teams in history at her disposal.

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda has five appearances to her name while Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall, who famously won every match in every session in 2013, is all set for her fourth Solheim Cup.

That makes them two of the more battle-hardened players that Pettersen can rely on to dig in if the going gets tough and to provide wise words to some of their younger and less-experienced teammates.

Two of those rookies are Hedwall’s compatriots, Linn Grant and Maja Stark.

Grant has continued her upward trajectory having won five times on the Ladies European Tour in the past two seasons, including the 2022 Scandinavian Mixed where she became the first woman to win a DP World Tour event, and she recently secured her maiden victory on the LPGA Tour. 

Grant’s close friend Stark, who she competed alongside at the 2017 Junior Solheim Cup, also makes her debut and will be keen to make her mark.

Stark secured her spot by finishing in the top two of the European standings this year, behind France’s Celine Boutier, following a remarkable couple of years on the Ladies European Tour that has included six tournament victories.

Don’t be surprised when the young duo are paired together during this week’s event.

Team Europe also has a recent major winner in their ranks in the form of Boutier. A key member of the last two victorious European teams, she has had an incredible season so far, highlighted by her maiden major title at the Evian, which she then backed up by winning the Women’s Scottish Open the following week.

She is the in-form player of the squad and was particularly formidable during the 2019 edition where she won all her matches and formed a great partnership with England’s Georgia Hall, who is also on this year’s team.

Lewis’ U.S. outfit are usually the bookmaker’s favourites, but they’ll have it all to do this time out if they want to bring the trophy back to American soil.

Five of her team are making their debuts with only three of the 12 players in her line-up having tasted Solheim Cup success and Lexi Thompson the only person to have done so on European soil.

Thompson is a veteran of the US team, with this now being her sixth appearance. Many of the squad will be looking to her for inspiration and guidance, especially the five rookies.

However, the 28-year-old has faced a recent struggle for form, missing the cut at seven out of 10 LPGA Tour tournaments this year, calling into question her readiness for the Solheim Cup. But if anyone can bounce back, it’s Thompson, who sports a respectable match play record.

One of those aforementioned rookies who really needs no introduction is Rose Zhang.

Anyone who has followed golf this year will be familiar with the name. The 20-year-old star has been on a steep upward trajectory ever since she graced the professional ranks, winning on debut at the Mizuho Americas Open, becoming the first woman to do so since 1953.

A further three Top 10’s would follow, signifying her ability to perform under serious pressure, a quality which will make her extremely dangerous against the Europeans.

On paper, the American’s hold the world ranking advantage, with an average Rolex Ranking of 24.42 compared to Europe’s 42.58. The US team has two of the top three players in the world on their roster, in the form of rookie Lilia Vu, who only lost the World No.1 spot last week, and the formidable Nelly Korda who will be looking to tap into her experiences from 2019 and 2021.

The showdown will be the 18th edition of the event with the first tee shot being struck this Friday, live and exclusive on Eurosport and discovery+ in selected regions.

Phil Mickelson releases statement after shocking gambling allegations

In the midst of gambling allegations totaling over $1 billion, Phil Mickelson announced on social media Monday that he will not bet on football this season and admitted to having a gambling addiction, per Darren Rovell.

“I won’t be betting this year because I crossed the line of moderation and into addiction which isn’t any fun at all,” Mickelson said. “The money wasn’t ever the issue since our financial security has never been threatened, but I was so distracted I wasn’t able to be present with the ones I love and caused a lot of harm.

Billy Walters labeled Mickelson as the biggest gambler in the United States and believed he bet in excess of $1 billion over a 30-year span. He also accused Mickelson of gambling on Ryder Cup tournaments which the six-time major champion participated in.

Mickelson has admitted to gambling problems in the past and overcame the issues, at least on the golf course. He broke a five-year run without a win on the PGA Tour in 2018 before notching two more victories over the next three years, including the 2021 PGA Championship.

Mickelson made headlines when he left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf for an estimated $200 million, though the exact monetary details were never revealed. He’ll likely continue to be in the news after this announcement.

Phil Mickelson is one of the most decorated and accomplished golfers of all time. Hopefully he gets the help he needs to get rid of this gambling addiction and finish off a legendary career with a few more memorable moments on the golf course.

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McIlroy overcomes final hole chaos to make cut at BMW PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy navigated a chaotic final hole to make the cut at the BMW PGA Championship.

Following an 80-minute fog delay, the second day at Wentworth ended with four groups waiting on the 18th tee and Thomas Bjorn exchanging words with a drunk spectator.

With the light fading fast and the 18th green predominantly illuminated by the light from a giant scoreboard, McIlroy two-putted from 45 feet to finish on the projected cut mark of one under par.

The Northern Irishman – who shot a one-under-par 71 on Friday – had to wait until the second round was fully completed on Saturday morning for confirmation that he’d made the cut.

“It was a s***show,” a frustrated McIlroy said after coming through a farcical evening.

“It’s a bit of a mad dash. The fog obviously delayed things but I’ve never remembered having that many players on 17 and 18. It’s not as if they teed us off in tighter slots or anything.

“It’s hard for me trying to play the last well and make the cut, it’s a bit of a scramble to get finished. I don’t know what you could do about that apart from less players in the field.”

McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mates Justin Rose and Nicolai Hojgaard also made the cut by finishing on one under par, meaning all 12 members of the European Ryder Cup team reached the weekend.

Earlier in the day, Robert MacIntyre revealed that he was heckled by a spectator who had bet against him.

The Scotsman was playing alongside Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick and made the cut with a 69.

Bjorn, who got involved in an argument with a drunken fan, needed a birdie on the last to make the halfway cut but only managed par.

Adrian Meronk said he was “shocked, sad and angry” not to receive a Ryder Cup pick from Europe captain Luke Donald last week, but he let his golf do the talking as he made the cut.

“I have accepted it,” the 30-year-old Pole said at Wentworth.

“The first couple of days after were tough, but I have moved on and am focused on my game. I want to finish the season strongly and that is my only goal now.

“I know it’s easy to say, but it’s like having a bad round and letting it go. This one was a little bit tougher to accept because it wasn’t based on me and someone else made that decision.

“I definitely think it is wrong. I feel I’ve deserved it. I feel I’ve shown in the last two years that I’ve played really good on the DP World Tour. If you look at the results and the numbers, I thought it was enough, but there’s nothing I can do now.

“But I have been pretty good at accepting things in my career. I’m trying to turn all that disappointment and anger into motivation, especially this week.”

Swedish duo Ludvig Aberg and Sebastian Soderberg currently share top spot on the leaderboard with 10 under par, while there is a four-way tie for second on nine under par.

Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson reveals major conundrum that comes with captaincy job

Being a captain in any sport comes with pressure, responsibility, dedication and taking your team hand-in-hand to achieve its goal. Zach Johnson, Ryder Cup captain of Team USA, has hopes of leading the team to their first win on European soil in 30 years. If not, he’ll be just another captain who struggled to bring the Cup back across the Atlantic.

“Just really excited,” Johnson said earlier this week of captaining the Americans’ Ryder Cup team, per Zephyr Melton of Golf.com. “Really excited about having my 12 guys complete. Really excited that these are the guys that all of us, corporately, feel like we can go on a mission with only one goal. But we’re going to do it together. We’re going to do it with character. We’re going to do it with high class. We’re going to do it with the integrity that the Ryder Cup deserves.”

Johnson will have an important and key decision to make for Team USA. He has to decide on pairings for the event, arguably the most important duties required of a Ryder Cup captain.

“At this point in this captainship, the worst part of my job is sitting guys, you know?” Johnson said at the Fortinet Championship this week. “I’d like for all the guys to play every session, can’t do that either, but that’s the way it is and everybody knows that.”

“I kind of know what I’m signing up for,” Johnson added. “It’s what I signed up for, I love responsibility, I love difficulty, I love being pushed and somewhat being uncomfortable if that makes sense. I do know that if we win this, it will be those 12 guys. I mean that sounds really obvious, but it will be. It will be them playing golf and winning the Ryder Cup for Team USA. If we lose this, I think there’s probably some merit some of that can go on me. And I fully accept that, that’s what I signed up for.”

From the looks of it, Johnson knows that being a captain is difficult. But if he helps lead the United States to a Ryder Cup win, he knows that all of he and his teammates’ hard work will have been worth it.

The 44th edition of  Ryder Cup is set to begin on September 29th at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia Montecelio, Italy.

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Dustin Johnson makes bold LIV Golf-PGA Tour claim after Ryder Cup snub

The 2023 Ryder Cup is right around the corner, with the tournament set to begin in late September. It’s an exciting event that always captivates the attention of the golf world. Receiving the opportunity to see some of the best golfers in the sport on the same team is intriguing to say the least. However, one notable name who won’t be apart of the 2023 Ryder Cup is Dustin Johnson. Johnson recently blamed his departure from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf as the reason for not being selected to the tournament.

“I would love to be a part of the team,” Johnson said, via Tom D’Angelo of The Palm Beach Post. “But to be honest, I haven’t really played that well this year. But have I played well enough to be on the team? Yeah. I didn’t have the best year. Was it good enough to make the team? I think so. If I would have been playing on [the PGA Tour], yeah, I would have made the team. Do I think I can help the U.S. team? Absolutely.”

Dustin Johnson blames LIV Golf move for Ryder Cup snub

Although Johnson admitted he hasn’t enjoyed the best 2023 season on the could course, he believes he’d be on the U.S. Ryder Cup team if it wasn’t for his PGA Tour departure. Johnson probably would help the team. That point is difficult to refute. In the end, the U.S. team is already set and ready for the event, however.

It should be noted that Brooks Koepka, who also joined LIV Golf, was a Captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup.

It will be intriguing to see what the future holds for Dustin Johnson. He’s an extremely talented golfer who will surely bounce back at some point. Perhaps he will receive the opportunity to be apart of the Ryder Cup down the road as well.

The post Dustin Johnson makes bold LIV Golf-PGA Tour claim after Ryder Cup snub appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Dustin Johnson makes bold LIV Golf-PGA Tour claim after Ryder Cup snub

The 2023 Ryder Cup is right around the corner, with the tournament set to begin in late September. It’s an exciting event that always captivates the attention of the golf world. Receiving the opportunity to see some of the best golfers in the sport on the same team is intriguing to say the least. However, one notable name who won’t be apart of the 2023 Ryder Cup is Dustin Johnson. Johnson recently blamed his departure from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf as the reason for not being selected to the tournament.

“I would love to be a part of the team,” Johnson said, via Tom D’Angelo of The Palm Beach Post. “But to be honest, I haven’t really played that well this year. But have I played well enough to be on the team? Yeah. I didn’t have the best year. Was it good enough to make the team? I think so. If I would have been playing on [the PGA Tour], yeah, I would have made the team. Do I think I can help the U.S. team? Absolutely.”

Dustin Johnson blames LIV Golf move for Ryder Cup snub

Although Johnson admitted he hasn’t enjoyed the best 2023 season on the could course, he believes he’d be on the U.S. Ryder Cup team if it wasn’t for his PGA Tour departure. Johnson probably would help the team. That point is difficult to refute. In the end, the U.S. team is already set and ready for the event, however.

It should be noted that Brooks Koepka, who also joined LIV Golf, was a Captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup.

It will be intriguing to see what the future holds for Dustin Johnson. He’s an extremely talented golfer who will surely bounce back at some point. Perhaps he will receive the opportunity to be apart of the Ryder Cup down the road as well.

The post Dustin Johnson makes bold LIV Golf-PGA Tour claim after Ryder Cup snub appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Famous Ex-Footballer Joins PGA TOUR 2K23 In Update 1.9

Five-time Champions League winner Gareth Bale joins PGA Tour 2K23 in the latest update for the game. He’s the newest golfer to join the game while we’re still in Season 5. So, who is Gareth Bale? And why is he in PGA Tour 2K23? Let’s find out in these PGA Tour 2K23 Update 1.9 Notes.

Gareth Bale Joins Roster In Latest PGA TOUR 2K23 Update 1.9

The biggest addition in the newest update is the arrival of Gareth Bale to the game’s roster. A former footballer, who played for the likes of Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur. In his 17-year senior career, Bale won five Champions Leagues, three La Ligas, and two UEFA Super Cups. As an individual, he accomplished many great feats, and even helped Los Angeles FC win the MLS cup in 2022.

When it comes to Football, Bale has a very respectable career. But throughout his time playing on the pitch, he always retained a certain hobby that some thought he liked more than football. Bale happens to be an avid golfer. At times in his career, many speculated he enjoyed teeing off over scoring goals. He joked about it often, and the conspiracy theories never got further than that.

PGA Tour 2K23 Update 1.9 Adds Bale to the pitch in a game that already features quite a cast of characters. Additionally, the update adds Bale’s Dream Course “The Elevens”. The Asian Architecture pack makes its way to Course Designer. Lastly, two things in online were addressed. The Ranked matchmaking points system was tuned to “facilitate more consistent progression”. Meanwhile, the dev team addressed concerns about exploits in online ranked modes.

And that’s everything you need to know about Gareth Bale in PGA Tour 2K23. Feel free to check out our notes on Season 5. You can also read more about the patch notes on their official discord channel.

PGA Tour 2K23 Update 1.9 Patch Notes

Below are the newest PGA Tour 2K23 Patch Notes:

  • Gareth Bale’s Dream Course “The Elevens” added to playable courses
  • Asian Architecture pack added to Course Designer
  • Ranked Matchmaking points system tuning to facilitate more consistent progression
  • Addressed reported concerns related to Ranked Matchmaking exploits

And that’s everything you need to know about PGA Tour 2K23 Update 1.9.

For more gaming and golf news, visit ClutchPoints.

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