Don't underestimate importance of Team Cup for Europe's Ryder Cup defence
Six players used warm-up event to face Americans in Rome victory two years ago
Here’s a question for you. How many players who competed in the Hero Cup two years ago went on to help Europe win back the Ryder Cup in Rome? One, two, maybe three. The answer is actually six and that, of course, equated to half of Luke Donald’s team at Marco Simone Golf Club on the outskirts of the Italian capital.
Yes, that group included Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry, all of whom would probably have made the team anyway, but the same certainly can’t be said of Bob MacIntyre, Nicolai Hojgaard and Sepp Straka, hence why the return of an event that was once the Seve Trophy was a brilliant move by Ryder Cup Europe.
Now called the Team Trophy, it’s being held again this week at the same venue - Abu Dhabi Golf Club - and, though winning on US soil and especially in front of a New York crowd at Bethpage Black is going to be a much tougher proposition for the Europeans later in the year, the three-day contest between Great Britain and Ireland and Continental Europe is a significant event.
“It is important for sure,” said Justin Rose, who is captaining Great Britain and Ireland on this occasion against the winning 2023 Continental Europe skipper, Francesco Molinari. “We see the Americans play in the Presidents Cup and that keeps them playing team golf (in a non-Ryder Cup year).
“Okay, that doesn’t necessarily translate to them having done any better in the Ryder Cup, but, at the same time (from a European perspective), this is very much the same team that operates the Ryder Cup and it gives the players a great opportunity to understand the protocols that are in place and get to know the wider team.
“Yes, you have your captain and vice captains, but, to be honest, Ryder Cup Europe is a pretty well-oiled machine. It has some wonderful people in the background and this event allows a wonderful opportunity for players to get to know the wider circle.”
Rose, who did a splendid job as MacIntyre’s partner on the opening two days in Italy, where the Oban man emerged unbeaten in his three games, has both Fleetwood and Hatton in his ranks, as well as Laurie Canter, Matthew Jordan, Tom McKibbin, Aaron Rai, Jordan Smith, Matt Wallace and Paul Waring.
Molinari, meanwhile, captains a team that now includes four Danes in Rasmus Hojgaard, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Niklas Norgaard and Thorbjorn Olesen, the quartet joining forces with Romain Langasque, Matteo Manassero, Matthieu Pavon, Antoine Rozner and Julien Guerrier, who has replaced Nicolai Hojgaard after he was forced to witrhdraw due to illness.
“This is obviously a huge data-gathering exercise,” added Rose of how re-appointed Ryder Cup captain Donald and one of his vice-captains, Edoardo Molinari, will once again be looking to put players under the microscope in a team environment. “But, at the same time, you are dealing with ten very competitive guys on each side and as soon as you step on any first tee, it becomes about the next four hours and contributing a point to your team.
“Maybe for captains and vice captains, it’s a really important Ryder Cup exercise, but I think the players will fall back into what they do best once the gun goes off.”
Earlier in the week, it was reported that McKibbin, who, of course, followed in Rory McIlroy’s spikemarks by coming through the ranks at Holywood in Northern Ireland, is set to team up with Jon Rahm in the Spaniard’s Legion XIII team for the start of the new LIV Golf season next month. Having secured a PGA Tour card for the 2025 campaign, it would seem a crazy move to many by the 22-year-old at this particular point in his career.
But it does indeed seem that Rahm has been keen to try and get a young European who plays with Callaway clubs to join him on the breakaway circuit and, with all due respect to McKibbin, his decision not to kill off the rumour before the action gets underway in the UAE on Friday probably confirmed that an announcement is indeed in the pipeline.
“No, quite honestly,” replied Rose to being asked if he’d had to manage that matter in the team room. “I think we are all aware of that, but it hasn’t been confirmed to me and it hasn’t been denied either. The team room is the team room this week. The lads are all here for this week and all of that kind of stuff is down the road for the future.
“We are used to that narrative in golf now. The last few years have been unsettling and we are all quite accustomed to it. But, at the same time, my team is enjoying being here in the Middle East, which is a wonderful place to start the year, and want to muck in to get their individual seasons off to a wonderful start.”
Hatton, of course, is a LIV Golf player already and will be another of McKibbin’s team-mates if he joins Legion XIII. It still remains to be seen if the Englishman will actually be eligible for September’s contest after appealing against fines and suspensions imposed by the DP World Tour for playing in LIV Golf events without an official release, but a fourth straight appearance against the Americans is certainly in his sights.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied to being asked if his sheer presence was a sign of that. “Me playing this week shows a commitment to that and a commitment to the DP World Tour, which I was pretty keen to show. I love playing on the DP World Tour, and I'm happy to be here this week. It would be nice to help GB&I get some revenge for two years ago.”
Friday Fourballs (Continental Europe names first and times for UAE)
11.05am Matthieu Pavon and Romain Langasque v Justin Rose and Matt Wallace
11.20am Rasmus Hojgaard and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen v Jordan Smith and Laurie Canter
11.35am Antoine Rozner and Julien Guerrier v Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin
11.50am Thorbjorn Olesen and Niklas Norgaard v Matthew Jordan and Paul Waring
12.05pm Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero v Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai
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