Ryder Cup 2014: Examining Rosters and Predictions for Gleneagles Competition
The 2014 Ryder Cup isn't set to kick off until September 26, but some analysts, casual fans and observers of the sport are already writing off an inexperienced American team that's set to face a strong European squad at historic Gleneagles, Scotland. That leads us to ask one huge question: Are they right?
We already know the United States is a big underdog heading into the competition. As of Friday evening, Odds Shark slated Europe as the early favorite with 20/37 odds to hoist the coveted trophy once more.
This isn't to say the Americans don't have a shot in 2014. There's plenty of talent residing on the team's roster, and it would be inaccurate to say we haven't seen some tremendous upsets in past years—the Battle of Brookline in 1999 comes to mind immediately.
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Let's take a look at each team's roster and predict if Europe will come away victorious, or if the Americans have another shocker in store.
| Player | Age | Ryder Cup Record | Appearances ** |
| Rickie Fowler | 25 | 0-1-2 | 2 |
| Jim Furyk | 44 | 9-17-4 | 9 |
| Zach Johnson | 38 | 6-4-1 | 4 |
| Matt Kuchar | 36 | 3-2-2 | 3 |
| Phil Mickelson | 44 | 14-18-6 | 10 |
| Patrick Reed | 24 | 0-0-0 | 1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 21 | 0-0-0 | 1 |
| Jimmy Walker | 35 | 0-0-0 | 1 |
| Bubba Watson | 35 | 3-5-0 | 3 |
| Keegan Bradley* | 28 | 3-1-0 | 2 |
| Hunter Mahan* | 32 | 3-2-3 | 3 |
| Webb Simpson* | 29 | 2-2-0 | 2 |
| Player | Age | Ryder Cup Record | Appearances ** |
| Thomas Bjorn | 43 | 3-2-1 | 3 |
| Jamie Donaldson | 38 | 0-0-0 | 1 |
| Victor Dubuisson | 24 | 0-0-0 | 1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 34 | 16-8-4 | 7 |
| Martin Kaymer | 29 | 3-2-0 | 3 |
| Graeme McDowell | 35 | 5-5-2 | 4 |
| Rory McIlroy | 25 | 4-3-2 | 3 |
| Justin Rose | 34 | 6-3-0 | 3 |
| Henrik Stenson | 38 | 2-3-2 | 3 |
| Stephen Gallacher* | 40 | 0-0-0 | 1 |
| Ian Poulter* | 38 | 12-3-0 | 5 |
| Lee Westwood* | 41 | 18-13-6 | 9 |
*Denotes captain's selection.
**Appearances include 2014.
American Roster Analysis
Very little experience is in play on the American side; however, Jim Furyk is certainly a veteran of the Ryder Cup. In fact, speaking of the Battle of Brookline, it was Furyk who defeated Sergio Garcia on Day 3, serving as a catalyst for the United States' win. While he's experienced, and had some good moments in the past, Furyk can be a detriment when it comes to the fourballs format—his career record is 1-8-1.
PGA.com noted Furyk is one of the United States' hottest players entering the Ryder Cup:
Phil Mickelson is also a certified veteran of the Ryder Cup, with an all-time record of 11-17-6. However, one concerning aspect regarding Lefty is his recent mediocre form. Third on the experience list for the United States is Zach Johnson. His 6-4-1 record in the event is encouraging heading into Scotland.
After those three players, the United States team doesn't feature another player with more than two years of experience. This is slightly concerning heading into the event, as we don't exactly know how the majority of the team will fare in this format—their lack of chemistry playing with each other only furthers concern.
Although, we can't deny how well some of the United States' Ryder Cup rookies have been playing recently. Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth and Jimmy Walker have absolutely earned their roster spots this year thanks to some impressive play. However, captain Tom Watson's picks are under some scrutiny.
Jim McCabe of Golfweek noted who would be on this year's team had qualifying extended through the remainder of the FedEx Cup:
"Billy Horschel and Chris Kirk would have played their way into automatic-pick territory had qualifying for the Ryder Cup extended all the way through the playoffs. Horschel would have been eighth, Kirk ninth. The other seven automatic qualifiers would have been the same: Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Jimmy Walker, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, and Jordan Spieth.
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Both Horschel and Kirk were two of the hottest players on the PGA Tour near the conclusion of the 2014 season. Leaving them off the roster could prove devastating to the Americans this year—after all, Horschel and Kirk combined with Hunter Mahan to win all four of the playoff events this season.
European Roster Analysis
While the Europeans don't have an exuberant amount of experience over the Americans in the 2014 Ryder Cup, the quality of the team's veterans is very impressive.
Lee Westwood was a captain's pick of Paul McGinley for a reason—he holds a career 18-13-6 record in eight previous appearances in the competition. Westwood is always a player who shows up in a big way in the most prestigious of tournaments—he notched two top 10 finishes at the Masters and Tour Championship in 2014—and we can expect that trend to continue at Gleneagles.
Garcia comes in with a great amount of experience as well. His all-time record of 16-8-4 over six previous appearances speaks volumes of his ability to produce in this format. To make matters worse for the Americans is his blazing finish to the 2014 season, with three second-place finishes over his final eight events.
Here's a look at some of Garcia's best moments in the event, via Europe's Ryder Cup Team:
Possibly the team's most influential competitor is Ian Poulter. With four previous appearances under his belt, Poulter not only holds an improbable 12-3-0 record, but he also serves as the team's emotional leader. Needless to say, Poulter can play well in this format, and his attitude can improve the play of his teammates.
This team only strengthens considering the world's No. 1 player resides on its roster as well. Rory McIlroy has been almost unstoppable recently. With three victories and another three top 10 finishes in his last seven tournaments, he could be considered the hottest player coming into the competition. His presence alone should boost the morale of the European squad.
After these players, we still have the winning records of Thomas Bjorn and Justin Rose in the fold for Europe. If the team's rookies can perform with any kind of consistency, the Americans will most definitely have their hands full.
Prediction
On paper, the European team has a big advantage. They hold a small edge over the Americans in terms of experience, and their veterans have produced a far higher level of success at previous Ryder Cups.
Still, anything can happen in this competition. Rookies on both sides will be heavy factors, as they are all wild cards. If the Americans can get some production from Spieth and the other younger players, they will have a shot at making a run during singles play.
Although, without the surging Horschel and Kirk in the fold for the United States, Watson's squad may not have enough momentum to take on the likes of McIlroy and Co. The win here will go to Europe.
Europe 15 1/2, United States 12 1/2
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