Although the Ryder Cup only ended a few weeks ago, fans are already turning their eyes to the next Ryder Cup in 2027 at Adare Manor. American golfers were expected to show significantly more at this year's edition, and among those who had the most trouble was Scottie Scheffler.
The world number one did not excel in this tournament and struggled during the competition.
However, Scottie Scheffler wasn't the only one to have trouble at the Ryder Cup, with some famous names in the world of golf having encountered similar difficulties in the past.
Speaking to Friday Golf, Edoardo Molinari shared his thoughts on Scottie Scheffler's performance and explained why the 29-year-old wasn't so dominant as it was expected.
Molinari stressed that golfers like Scheffler feel strong pressure, but that there were other factors that determined his path. Also, Molinari emphasized the importance of partnership and the distribution of roles among golfers, believing that players like Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler have a greater responsibility.
“You’re the best player in the world, by such a big margin, all of a sudden you have a big target on your back. And 18 holes in matchplay, any one of these players can beat anyone. You go out knowing that your chances to win are not the same as over 72 holes in strokeplay. And if you get a guy who has a good day on the greens or makes a chip at the right time, all of a sudden, you’re in danger of losing the game. So I think it’s a very difficult spot for them to play,” he said.
“And I would also add that it’s a very difficult spot for someone to play with. Because Russell Henley is a fantastic player, but you could see on Friday morning, and a little bit on Saturday, but especially on Friday, he wasn’t playing like his usual self. And I think part of it, deep down, is the fact I’m paired with the best player in the world and we’re losing badly. If we’re losing, it’s not really his fault. It’s more like my fault. And I think when you start looking at it that way, I think for their playing partners, I think it’s quite difficult. If you look at it, Tiger had I don’t know how many different playing partners and he had a losing record in the Ryder Cup. Maybe Stricker was the one he played the best, but even in Ryder Cups they didn’t have a fantastic record."- he continued, as quoted by The Golfing Gazette.
A chance for other golfers
Molinari believes that this is certainly a chance for some lesser-known golfers to take an important step at the prestigious tournament. Namely, when you play with Scottie Scheffler or another famous player, you automatically feel less pressure on your back.
This is the reason why some lesser-known faces can excel at the Ryder Cup, but certainly the responsibility will always be on the backs of golfers like Scheffler.
The European team took advantage of the momentum this year and, despite the poor play of the American golfers, managed to achieve an incredible feat, that is, victory on the away court.
