Players and captains come and go but Team USA just don’t learn their lesson.
The Americans’ preparations for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor next autumn start in earnest at the Presidents Cup later this month.
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Wyndham Clark is among the USA’s all-star team but they could be rusty again at MedinahCredit: Getty
Brandt Snedeker’s side will take on their International counterparts at Medinah Country Club looking to secure a 11th straight win in the lopsided event.
It comes a year on from USA’s nightmare at Bethpage Black.
As well as the embarrassing abuse from the New York crowds, Keegan Bradley’s side were resoundingly beaten on home turf.
Two years prior, Europe also put the Americans to the sword in Italy.
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Following Shane Lowry’s winning putt in Farmingdale and the ensuing European celebrations, the post-mortem into America’s Ryder Cup struggles began.
What they’ve learned in the year since will come into sharp focus at Medinah in a couple of weeks time before they then face a huge uphill task to reclaim the Ryder Cup in Ireland next year.
One thing that has been levelled at Team USA for decades now is their inability to capture the team camaraderie that Europe, and even the Internationals, display at each event.
The US, for all their star power and proven quality, haven’t been able to be a true team and become more than the sum of their multi-million dollar parts.
And a common mistake in their pre-event planning has happened yet again this time around.
In 2023 and 2025, Europe’s captain Luke Donald was widely praised for making sure his roster played the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth which sits a fortnight before the Ryder Cup begins.
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The 2026 Presidents Cup is coming up soonCredit: Getty
The 2023 tournament saw Donald deploy his 12-man team in four groups of three over the open two days of the flagship DP World Tour event and he did similar two years later.
On both occasions it helped the team bond and spend time together inside the ropes while the heat of competition was on.
And on both occasions, not one of the USA line-up was in attendance.
Scottie Scheffler and the vast majority of the American team had a full month off prior to turning up at Marco Simone in 2023 and then again at Bethpage Black and their rustiness was on full show at both Cups.
Fast forward to this summer and again, the USA roster won’t have hit a ball in anger since Scheffler won the TOUR Championship on August 30.
Four weeks is a long time in golf – plenty of time to lose your swing, get out-of-whack when putting or discover your driving has gone sideways.
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Donald’s Europeans will be red hot favourites to win the 2027 Ryder CupCredit: Getty
Presidents Cup teams
Team USA – Brandt Snedeker (captain)
Qualifiers
Scottie SchefflerCameron YoungWyndham ClarkSam BurnsRussell HenleyCollin Morikawa
Picks
Chris GotterupXander SchauffeleJustin ThomasPatrick CantlayJacob BridgemanJackson Koivun
Team International – Geoff Ogilvy (captain)
Qualifiers
Si-woo KimRyan FoxHideki MatsuyamaMin Woo LeeTom KimAdam Scott
Picks
Corey ConnorsSung-jae ImRyo HisatsuneNick TaylorNico EchavarriaChristiaan Bezuidenhout
The American’s stubbornness to take advantage of the quality events on offer on the DP World Tour throughout September is mind-boggling.
You could argue the travel is a hassle but the modern day player spends as much time on private jets as they do on the driving range.
Other American players have hopped across the Atlantic.
Ryan Gerard teed it up at the Omega European Masters a week after his third place at East Lake, Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka have been in the field at this week’s Irish Open and Alex Smalley and JJ Spaun will be in action at the BMW PGA.
Imagine what an all-American 12-man trip to Wentworth or to Doonbeg or to Crans-sur-Sierre could do for the morale in Snedeker’s side.
Laughs would be shared, memories made and, more than likely, a victory for at least one of the team.
Nothing compares to competing at the highest level – no amount of practice or stat crunching.
The extended break before another blockbuster team event does appear to be a baffling decision and suggests the same ploy will be in effect next September.
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Scheffler will lead Team USA at the Presidents Cup later this month and at the Ryder Cup next yearCredit: Getty
Yes, Team USA will probably win the Presidents Cup.
Scheffler is the best player in the world, Wyndham Clark won the US Open in June, Cam Young is the current Players champion, Chris Gotterup won three PGA Tour events this season etc, etc, etc.
But the International side is one of the best for years, filled with major champions and recent winners.
The USA will be tested, that’s for sure, and a far greater challenge awaits them in Ireland next year.
Now was the time for Snedeker to start instilling new habits and a new culture into the US ranks and hand soon-to-be Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk a better base to build on.
An eye to the future would surely suggest it’s worth trying to finally harness some of the companionship that has aided the underdog Europeans for so long.
A week’s work in Europe is surely no great hardship and the benefits could’ve been huge.
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Instead, Snedeker and co have stuck to what hasn’t worked.
They might get away with it at Medinah. They won’t at Adare.