10 Stats That Suggest USA Will Win The Ryder Cup

USA are hosting the Ryder Cup in Whistling Straits this year, and there are plenty of reasons why they should be confident they'll beat current holders Europe

10 Stats That Suggest USA Will Win The Ryder Cup
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USA are hosting the Ryder Cup in Whistling Straits this year, and there are plenty of reasons why they should be confident they'll beat current holders Europe

10 Stats That Suggest USA Will Win The Ryder Cup

USA have won just two of the last nine Ryder Cups, and head into the tournament at Whistling Straits with Europe as the current holders, so they're in desperate need of a win.

Europe's win in 2018 at Le Golf National stopped the United States from winning on the continent for the first time since 1993, but with the Ryder Cup returning to the United States, American optimism could be justified when considering these stats that suggest they'll win.

Team United States, led by Steve Stricker, contains some of golf's biggest names, and they'll certainly fancy their chances heading into the Ryder Cup on 24 September.

10 Stats That Suggest USA Will Win The Ryder Cup

1. World Ranking

USA have a stronger team in regards to the Official World Golf Ranking, with their lowest ranked player, Scottie Scheffler, just 21st.

In comparison, Europe have just four players in the top-20 of the OWGR.

2. Home Advantage 

The home team has won the last three Ryder Cups - Europe at Le Golf National in 2018, USA at Hazeltine National Golf Club in 2016, and Europe at Gleneagles in 2014.

European fans also won't be able to travel to America to watch the tournament either, due to travel restrictions, meaning there will be an even larger majority home crowd.

3. Rookies

USA have six rookies on their team, and the last time they had six rookies, in 2008, they won.

Also, in 2008 the United States won with their six rookies coming off of the back of a loss in 2006.

4. Tiger and Phil

This Ryder Cup will be the first time since 1993 that neither Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson will be playing.

In 1993, without Woods or Mickelson, USA won.

5. The Date

The Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits this year will be played from 24-26 September.

The last time the tournament fell on those exact dates was in 1999, when USA won at The Country Club in Brookline.

6. Proceeding Continental Europe

The United States won the Ryder Cup the last time the tournament proceeded a venue on continental Europe.

In 1997, Valderrama Golf Club in Spain hosted the event, and USA went onto win the Ryder Cup directly afterwards in 1999.

With Le Golf National in France hosting the 2018 tournament, USA are hoping to repeat the same events from 1999.

7. Seven Point Loss

The United States lost to Europe 17.5 points to 10.5 points in 2018, and the last time the Americans were beaten by seven points or more was in 2006.

They then won the 2008 tournament after that humiliating defeat, where Europe beat them 18-and-a-half points to nine-and-a-half points.

8. Same Year as Solheim Cup 

Prior to 2021, the only time that the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup have fallen in the same year is in 2002 - in which USA won one trophy and Europe won the other.

Europe have already won the Solheim Cup this year, which bodes well for USA's Ryder Cup team.

In 2002, both tournaments were hosted in America too.

9. Majors

Two American players, Collin Morikawa and Phil Mickelson, have won two of the four Majors in 2021, and the last time that American players won exactly two of the four Majors in a year came in 2016, when the United States won the Ryder Cup.

10. Regaining Trophy on Home Soil

The United States only manage to regain the trophy from Europe on home soil.

Since the format changed in 1979, when the Ryder Cup first involved Europe, the United States have only ever managed to win the trophy back from their rivals when playing in America.

On the four separate occasions that the United States have won the trophy after losing against Europe, each win has come on home soil - in 1991 at Kiawah Island, in 1999 at The Country Club, in 2008 at Valhalla Golf Club, and in 2016 at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Writer

Ryan has worked as a junior staff writer for Golf Monthly since 2021.