Ryder Cup 2020: Everything you need to know about Team USA

Steve Stricker with his Team USA players ahead of the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

The 12 golfers who will represent Team USA at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

Today’s Golfer’s Ryder Cup coverage is brought to you in association with Ping.

Click a player’s name to jump to their record and bio.

1. Collin Morikawa (Automatic qualifier)

2. Dustin Johnson (Automatic qualifier)

3. Bryson DeChambeau (Automatic qualifier)

4. Brooks Koepka (Automatic qualifier)

5. Justin Thomas (Automatic qualifier)

6. Patrick Cantlay (Automatic qualifier)

7. Xander Schauffele (Captain’s pick)

8. Jordan Spieth (Captain’s pick)

9. Tony Finau (Captain’s pick)

10. Daniel Berger (Captain’s pick)

11. Harris English (Captain’s pick)

12. Scottie Scheffler (Captain’s pick)

USA captain Steve Stricker completed his team for the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits when he named his six wildcard picks as the hosts look to win a second consecutive match on home soil.

RELATED: Everything you need to know about Team Europe

His team includes six rookies and eight of the world’s top ten players. The 12 men have a combined 14 Major wins but have only tasted victory three times from a combined 12 appearances.

While Stricker will be in charge at Whistling Straits, he will have five vice-captains helping him, with 2012 and 2016 captain Davis Love III, 2018 captain Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson tasked with the assistant’s role.

It’ll be the first Ryder Cup Mickelson hasn’t played in since making his debut at Oak Hill in 1995. He has won the trophy three times in 12 appearances.

Let’s take a closer look at the 12 men who will attempt to wrestle the trophy back from Team Europe in Wisconsin from September 24-26 and their Ryder Cup records.

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Ryder Cup 2020: Team USA Automatic Qualifiers

Click a player’s name for what’s in their bag

Collin Morikawa

Age: 24 | Ryder Cup appearances: Debutant | World ranking: 3 | Major wins: 2 | PGA/European Tour wins: 5/3

Only a rookie by name. Morikawa has shown he thrives under pressure and that, in his case, experience isn’t key. He won on his debut appearances at both the US PGA Championship in 2020 and The Open Championship in July, making him the first player to officially qualify for the team.

The 24-year-old has said he’d like to play with either Justin Thomas or Xander Schauffele in the fourballs and foursomes due to similarities in their games.

“Those guys have very similar games, they’re very consistent,” he said. “They’re just guys you get along with. I think that’s what a big part of it is about, not just matching up games. I’ve hung out with Xander, I’ve hung out with JT and I played a lot of golf with them.” 

Dustin Johnson

Age: 37 | Ryder Cup appearances: Four (2010 – Lost, 2012 – Lost, 2016 – Won, 2018 – Lost) | Ryder Cup record: W7 L9 H0 | World ranking: 2 | Major wins: 2 | PGA/European Tour wins: 24/9

12 months ago DJ was in the form of his life and looked set to be Team USA’s star man. That could still happen, of course, but this season has seen the 37-year-old lost his spot at the top of the world rankings and win just once – ironically at the European Tour’s Saudi International in February.

Johnson’s Ryder Cup record took a big knock in Paris three years ago where he lost four of the five matches he played, but his singles record remains impressive with three wins from four appearances. The oldest player on the team, DJ’s experience could prove key.

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Bryson DeChambeau

Age: 27 | Ryder Cup appearances: One (2018 – Lost) | Ryder Cup record: W0 L3 H0 | World Ranking: 7 | Major wins: 1 | PGA/European Tour wins: 8/2

DeChambeau made his debut as a captain’s pick in 2018 and endured a torrid time partnering an exhausted and injured Tiger Woods and a wildly out of form Phil Mickelson before losing to Alex Noren’s monster putt on the final green in the final singles match with the Ryder Cup already safely in Europe’s possession.

Times have changed, though, and DeChambeau is a different beast. Now a Major champion, the huge-hitting 27-year-old arrives at Whistling Straits in fine form with a game that should suit the long course, although his performances are far from predictable.

One thing that is for certain is the spotlight that will be on DeChambeau’s relationship with teammate Brooks Koepka amid their long-running feud.

“They assured me that the team and the country and everything else that goes into this is their top priority,” Stricker said when asked about it. “They said it’s not going to be an issue, and I believe them. I trust them.”

Brooks Koepka

Age: 31 | Ryder Cup appearances: Two (2016 – Won, 2018 – Lost) | Ryder Cup record: W4 L3 H1 | World ranking: 10 | Major wins: 4 | PGA/European Tour wins: 8/6

Koepka is a man who thrives on big occassions, but is he capable of being a team player? He’s one of the most consistent players on tour, with the former World No.1 boasting an enviable record in the Majors having record 12 top-seven finishes in his last 16 appearances.

He won three of his four matches in a victorious Ryder cup debut in 2016 but won just once in Paris and halved his singles match with Paul Casey.

While his relationship with DeChambeau will inevitably draw the headlines, we’re most interest in his fitness. Koepka underwent Major knee surgery earlier this year, has suffered with back problems and, at the start of the month, was forced to withdraw from the Tour Championship with a wrist injury after hitting a tree root. “Same wrist I had issues with back in ’17, ’18, so just making sure it’s all good,” the 31-year-old said afterwards. We’ll wait and see…

Justin Thomas

Age: 28 | Ryder Cup appearances: One (2018 – Lost) | Ryder Cup record: W4 L1 H0 | World ranking: 6 | Major wins: 1 | PGA/European Tour wins: 14/3

Team USA’s shining light from their dismal display in Paris, JT won four of five matches on his Ryder Cup debut and took down Rory McIlroy in the opening singles clash. He’s not in the greatest form with his Players Championship victory in March his only win of the season, but he’s a reliable man when it comes to team events with six wins, two halves and just two defeats from his two Presidents Cup appearances in 2017 and 2019.

With Jordan Spieth’s place on the team now confirmed, we fully expect to see the childhood friends renew their successful partnership from 2018 where they won three or four matches, only losing to the formidable ‘Moliwood’ combo of Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood. Luckily for them, Molinari will not be in Wisconsin.

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Patrick Cantlay

Age: 29 | Ryder Cup appearances: Debutant | World ranking: 4 | Major wins: 1 | PGA/European Tour wins: 6/0

Team USA’s in-form man. Cantlay is a ‘rookie’ but with four PGA Tour wins to his name this season, including two in the last month, the 29-year-old heads to Wisconsin riding high (and very wealthy after that $15m FedEx Cup bonus!). 

Showed that he can beat Europe by holding off World No.1 Jon Rahm at the Tour Championship and does have team matchplay experience having played in the 2019 Presidents Cup, where he won three and lost two. 

He partnered Olympic champion Xander Schauffele in all four pairings in 2019 so don’t be surprised in Captain Stricker sticks with the already-tested partnership. Has the game to suit Whistling Straits.

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Ryder Cup 2020: Team USA Captain’s Picks

Xander Schauffele

Age: 27 | Ryder Cup appearances: Debutant | World ranking: 4 | Major wins: 0 | PGA/European Tour wins: 4/1

Schauffele was unlucky not to make the team for 2018, narrowly missing out on a place to Tony Finau, but he’s knuckled down and deservedly makes his debut at Whistling Straits. The 27-year-old won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and has enjoyed an exceptional run in the Majors since the last Ryder Cup with six top-10 finishes.

He has team experience having played for the victorious 2019 Presidents Cup team, partnering fellow Ryder Cup debutant Patrick Cantlay in all four fourball and foursome matches, winning two and losing two, before defeating former World No.1 Adam Scott in the singles. One of the players we’re looking forward to watching most as he has the potential to be the star of this USA team.

Jordan Spieth

Age: 28 | Ryder Cup appearances: Three (2014 – Lost, 2016 – Won, 2018 – Lost) | Ryder Cup record: W7 L5 H2 | World ranking: 15 | Major wins: 3 | PGA/European Tour wins: 12/3

If this Ryder Cup had gone ahead in 2020 then Jordan Spieth’s name definitely wouldn’t have been among the 12. Out of form and outside of the world’s top 60 players, the three-time Major champion’s game was in a tailspin but, thankfully for us all, he regained control and has taken full advantage of the delay to gain his spot on a fourth consecutive Ryder Cup team.

He has five top-10 finishes this season and finished third in the masters at Augusta. His matchplay experience could prove key at Whistling Straits – he was 3-1-1 in Team USA’s victory at Hazeltine in 2016 and he has an excellent record in the fourballs having won five and lost just one of his six matches.

Expect Spieth to partner with childhood pal and fellow Major champion Justin Thomas. While Team USA struggled in Paris in 2018, the pair formed a formidable partnership, only coming unstuck against the undefeated Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood.

Tony Finau

Age: 31 | Ryder Cup appearances: One (2018 – Lost) | Ryder Cup record: W2 L1 H0 | World Ranking: 9 | Major wins: 0 | PGA/European Tour wins: 2/0

While Team USA’s 2018 performance was largely forgetable, Finau actually enjoyed a solid debut and was one of just four Americans to finish the week with a winning record.

Rewind a few months and a second consecutive appearance looked unlikely for the 31-year-old, but his form has risen rapidly with his five year wait for a PGA Tour win (and a first on American soil) finally ending at The Northern Trust. He finished 11th at the Tour Championship.

A potential partner for DeChambeau? The two were paired together in the fourballs on the opening day at the 2019 Presidents Cup, narrowly losing to An and Scott.

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Daniel Berger

Age: 28 | Ryder Cup appearances: Debutant | World ranking: 16 | Major wins: 0 | PGA/European Tour wins: 4/0

The 2015 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year’s pick seemingly came as a surprise to many, but Berger’s form has been very impressive. As well as his victory at the AT&T Pebble beach Pro-Am in February, the 28-year-old recorded a T9 finish at The Players Championship and has five top-10 finishes since May, including his best-ever finish at The Open Championship. He also ranks fifth in strokes gained: approach to the green and 11^th in strokes gained: total – nice stats for matchplay!

Captain Stricker may even have taken into account that English is one of very few players to have gone head-to-head with Collin Morikawa over the last 18 months and come out on top. The 28-year-old beat his American teammate in a play-off (effectively a matchplay format) to win the Charles Schwab Challenge in 2020.

Harris English

Age: 32 | Ryder Cup appearances: Debutant | World ranking: 11 | Major wins: 0 | PGA/European Tour wins: 4/0

A genuine rookie, Harris English has no Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup experience and many have called into question whether he hits it long enough to be genuinely competitive around Whistling Straits. Equally, hitting first each time could allow him to really put the pressure on opponents if his approach play is on point.

What can’t be questioned is the 32-year-old’s form this season with two victories to his name at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Travelers Championship. He narrowly missed out on a third at at last month’s WGC-FedEx St. Jude.

Scottie Scheffler

Age: 25 | Ryder Cup appearances: Debutant | World ranking: 21 | Major wins: 0 | PGA/European Tour wins: 0/0 (Two Korn Ferry Tour wins)

Another genuine rookie and arguably the biggest gamble for Team USA with no Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup experience and no victories on either the PGA or European Tours (although he has won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour).

However, the 2020 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has an exceptional record in the Majors having recorded top-20 spots in all six appearances, including a T4 finish at last year’s US PGA Championship. Top-10 finishes followed at this year’s US PGA, US Open and The Open.

While his team matchplay experience is limited, Scheffler did prove his ability in the format at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, beating Team Europe big guns Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm on his way to a runner-up finish. Similar victories at Whistling Straits would certainly go down well with the US crowd and his teammates.

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