Ryder Cup 2014: Early Predictions for Team USA and Europe Entering Gleneagles
After what transpired in Medinah some two years ago, it's safe to say neither Team USA nor Europe will have a shortage of motivation entering the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Team Europe's stunning comeback victory in 2012 dashed the Americans' hopes of an upset, and captain Tom Watson has been leading the charge of assembling a 12-man squad capable of knocking off the star-studded Europeans. It will be an uphill battle for the USA to defeat a Europe squad with talents such as Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose.
The two teams will head to Scotland's Centenary Course at the Gleneagles Hotel, a course created by Jack Nicklaus that has hosted the Johnnie Walker Championship every year since 1999.
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More than a week still separates us from the start of play on Sept. 26, but let's make some early predictions as to how the madness will unfold in one of golf's most exciting events.
Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley Will Make Magic Again
The Americans were perfectly positioned for a run at the 2012 Ryder Cup two years ago through Friday and Saturday's pairings play, and that was in large part thanks to Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley.
The pairing looked like underdogs in their opening foursome against Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia, but pulled out a 4-and-3 victory to help Team USA tie Europe after the morning play. In the afternoon, they posted their biggest upset yet in a 2-and-1 win over Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell.
Mickelson and Bradley went on to defeat Donald again with partner Lee Westwood on Saturday to play a part in the Americans' four-point advantage heading into Sunday's nightmarish final round.
It hasn't been pretty for both golfers as of late, but each withdrew from the BMW Championship to give themselves much-needed preparation time.
Recent form matters little when these golfers put on their team uniforms and represent the United States, and Mickelson and Bradley have proven clutch in the past. With a weak roster in comparison to their opposition, they'll need to dominate again to give the Americans a fighting chance—and will.
Rory McIlroy To Close Storybook 2014 With Dominant Performance
With the season Rory McIlroy has posted, he could come out flat in the Ryder Cup and folks would still remember his 2014 year as one of the best in recent memory.
But with the consistency he's shown throughout the past few months, it would be nothing short of shocking if he came out as such at Gleneagles.
McIlroy dazzled to win the year's final two majors, taking the British Open and the PGA Championship both in the span of a few weeks. On Sunday, he was one round away from winning the FedEx Cup and a cool $10 million before Billy Horschel held him off to win the Tour Championship and the money prize.
He's been a force for Team Europe in the past, as Ryder Cup notes:
McIlroy has had himself a magnificent individual season, but none of it would compare to winning another Ryder Cup for his continent, per Great Golf Magazine:
The only Americans that have proven able to hang with McIlroy throughout even a round of golf aren't a part of Team USA's squad entering Gleneagles. Nobody can match the Northern Irish star's dominance right now, and that will show at the Ryder Cup.
Team USA Will Regret Leaving Red-Hot Golfers Behind
Watson made his captain's selections long before the FedEx Cup wrapped up, and he might be starting to regret that decision after seeing how things ended.
Bradley, Hunter Mahan and Webb Simpson were the three picks made by Watson to round out the 12-man roster. However, all of the three have struggled mightily throughout the final few FedEx Cup playoff tournaments.
Meanwhile, Billy Horschel won the final two tournaments of the year to win the FedEx Cup outright. Chris Kirk and Ryan Palmer also peaked as the FedEx Cup wound down, but Watson failed to include them on the team.
McIlroy, for one, is happy to hear that, per Sports Illustrated's Stephanie Wei:
Strong recent form doesn't mean much at the Ryder Cup compared to the experience of being there in the past, but after all, Team USA has come up short in two consecutive Ryder Cups. Perhaps a change of pace and including some peaking golfers would have been a smart move.
One thing is certain—when Mahan and Simpson come up short in Gleneagles, Watson will want a mulligan.
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