Ryder Cup – Preview, Teams, Schedule. Odds, Where To Watch

The 2021 Ryder Cup tees off on Friday with the biennial competition between the Team USA and Team Europe set to take place at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, America.

The hosts will be aiming to win the Ryder Cup back after losing out to Europe in 2018 by seven points.

Europe, on the other hand, have dominated proceedings since the turn of century with all but two instalments of the famous competition ending in their favour.

The first two days of the competition is played with four-ball and foursome matches with the home captain selecting the order.

In four-ball, each side has a two-man team in a given match and each competitor plays their own ball. Whichever golfer has the lowest score on a hole secures a point for their team.

In foursome, players on a two-man team take alternating shots. Whichever duo combines for the lowest score on a hole secures a point for their team.

The final round of competition is played in a singles format. Twelve singles matches will take place with each golfer facing a member of the opposing team head to head.

28 points are on offer for the two teams with 14.5 enough to secure a win but the holders only need 14.

Steve Stricker and Pádraig Harrington succeed Jim Furyk and Thomas Bjorn as captains of the two teams and the latter will be hoping to emulate Bjorn’s success.

Harrington and his vice-captains opted to bring Shane Lowry, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia to Whistling Straits alongside the automatic qualifiers.

Lowry will make his debut in the famous competition this weekend while Poulter and Garcia have history with it.

The pair have been top points scorers in the Ryder Cup three times each and bring their veteran experience to Team Europe.

Tommy Fleetwood and Lee Westwood are other players who have had strong Ryder Cup campaigns in the past that are involved with the side once more.

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm has had a strong year and could be the key for this European side in their hunt for a second Ryder Cup in a row.

In the red corner, 2018 captain Furyk returns as one of Stricker’s vice-captains alongside Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Zach Johnson and Davis Love III.

Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau will have to put whatever differences they have aside for the benefit of the team.

Patrick Reed, who played a big role in recent campaigns for the Americans, is not on the team this year.

However, they have no shortage of world-class golfers with Justin Spieth, Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay looking to expand on strong years.

The USA have hinted at the use of a pod system over the week – the concept of the pod system groups four players together, who will then interchange pairings within that group throughout the first two days of the Ryder Cup.

Thomas, Spieth, DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler is a potential pod that Stricker could deploy after the quartet practiced together in midweek.

Harrington has chopped and changed the European practice groups, thus the intentions of Team Europe do not seem as clear.

Teams

Team USA: Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Bryson De Chambeau, Harris English, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas.

Captain: Steve Stricker

Vice-captains: Fred Couples, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson.

Team Europe: Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Tyrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Jon Rahm, Bernd Weisberger, Lee Westwood.

Captain: Pádraig Harrington

Vice-captains: Luke Donald, Robert Karlsson, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson.

Schedule

Odds

Team USA 4/9

Tie 11/1 – Europe 9/5 to lift the trophy

Team Europe 5/2

Where To Watch

Sky Sports have the rights to the competition in Ireland and coverage will start at 1 pm on Friday and Saturday and 5 pm on Sunday.