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Where Are the next Great European Golfers?

ByDave Stopher

Oct 3, 2021 #Sports

Europe were humbled by the brilliance of the United States in the 2021 Ryder Cup, suffering a record-breaking defeat at the hands of their rivals. Padraig Harrington and his team were overwhelmed by the quality of their opponents, failing to compete in any of the five sessions of the tournament. It was clear that the Ryder Cup would be safely back in American hands by the afternoon of the second day.

Harrington was powerless to prevent his side from capitulating, as only Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia performed for the visitors. Steve Stricker, on the other hand, was blessed with a talented crop of players firing on all cylinders. The USA were relentless from start to finish, and have already been backed as the favourites in the odds on betting on the golf at Betfair for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy.

They have a great stock of talent that were on point and from the off. If they can remain together and focused on the task at hand, the States can produce a dominant run in the competition over the next decade. Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, and Collin Morikawa were all outstanding. All of those players among the others in the side are all golfers in their primes and will remain potent for a long time yet, which is a sobering thought for the Europeans looking into the future.

The stock of talent emerging in Europe is thin on the ground. Out of the team that competed at Whistling Straits, Rahm and Rory McIlroy are in the primes of their career, while Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Matthew Fitzpatrick, and Viktor Hovland also fall under the same umbrella. However, the Europeans were still over-reliant on their ageing players. The 2021 Ryder Cup appeared a tournament too far for Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Paul Casey. Garcia still displayed his old knack of producing under pressure in a team environment, although at the age of 41, his best golfing days are behind him. Even the old guard of Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose are probably past their primes.

Europe need to begin cultivating the next generation to compete with the States, starting on the European Tour. At 24, Hovland is one of the brightest prospects, securing two wins on the PGA Tour along with a triumph on the European Tour in the BMW International Open. Fitzpatrick reeled off a win at the Andalucia Masters to notch his seventh victory on the European Tour. The 27-year-old has flattered to deceive at the majors at this stage in his career, and improvement would be welcome over the next two years before the next Ryder Cup.

Outside of the players selected there were not too many fledgling men knocking on the door. Robert MacIntyre should have been considered for selection given his form. The 25-year-old has been a model of consistency on the European Tour, including his win in the Cyprus Showdown. MacIntyre has also displayed a propensity to perform on the grand stage, with two top-10 finishes at The Open.

Rasmus Hojgaard is a player with great promise out of Denmark and already has two European Tour wins to his name at only 20 years old. Hojgaard has plenty of time to develop his game, and he will be one to watch when he gets greater opportunities at the majors. Sami Valimaki enjoyed a breakthrough in the 2020 season by winning the Oman Open. He has plenty of potential, but like Hojgaard, he needs time to find his form among the elite of the game.

Europe were taught a tough golfing lesson at Whistling Straits, and there could be hard times ahead unless the next generation of talent can push through and shine under the spotlight.