By Pia Perthen, Sports Editor
Rome, Italy – Golf fans from all over the world were anticipating the weekend of September 29 to October 1 with high hopes and expectations. Indeed, it did not disappoint, and the tournament provided the golf world with a rollercoaster ride of emotions as Team Europe dominated Team USA with 16.5-11.5 points and ensured to continue their winning streak on European soil for the seventh time in a row.
Naturally, students at Saint Leo University were also interested in this prestigious golf event and followed the golf tournament, cheering for either Europe or the USA.
“It was really fun watching Europe win this year’s Ryder Cup,” Cajsa Strandberg, a junior in marketing playing for the Saint Leo women’s golf team and rooting for the European side, said.
Even though a lot of students at Saint Leo are international, most of the golf-interested American students were rooting for Team USA.
One of these students is Carmen Phousirith, a freshman in accounting who is also playing for the Saint Leo women’s golf team.
“I believe the Ryder Cup is a popular event because it started a long time ago and has been agreat event ever since. When you put good players together, it’s amazing to watch and see the outcome of them competing together,” Phousirith said.
The Ryder Cup, a match play-style tournament held every two years, is either in Europe or the U.S. The golf tournament consists of 28 matches across three formats (foursomes, four-ball, and singles) and five sessions throughout Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Each match is worth one point, with ties resulting in half-points. The first team to reach 14.5 (or 14, if they won the previous year) points wins the Ryder Cup.
This year’s Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome showed the intensity of match-play golf, where players compete head-to-head. The focus is solely on outscoring the opponent on each hole, regardless of the overall score.
“Watching the Ryder Cup is fun because it’s a different layout from golf than usual. The Ryder Cup promotes team spirit, which you normally don’t get from traditional professional golf tournaments,” Strandberg said.
A unique feature of the Ryder Cup is that supporters cannot only cheer for their favorite team but also root for specific players.
“It was very cool seeing the golf player Ludvig Aberg from Sweden play in such a big event as the Ryder Cup,” Strandberg, who was born and raised in Sweden, said. “He is almost from my hometown, and this shows that there is potential for everyone to reach their goals.”
In general, the Ryder Cup achieves to bring out different emotions, sometimes towards certain players or teams and sometimes because of national pride.
“I felt really connected to this year’s Ryder Cup since the tournament was in Rome, where I am originally from,” Elena Verticchio, an MBA graduate student cheering for Team Europe and playing for the women’s golf team, said. “Team Europe had some of my favorite players, such as John Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, and Viktor Hovland.”
Europe took an early lead and never looked back, and after day one, the European team was leading with 6.5 to 1.5 points. The U.S., known for their strong starts, faced an unexpected setback as they completed the first day without winning a single match; their 1.5 points came from three ties in four-ball matches they had previously led.
“It was historic to watch Europe winning all morning matches on day one since it was the first time in the history of the Ryder Cup that Team USA didn’t win a single morning match,”Verticchio said. “After the first day, Europe needed only eight more points to secure the cup, and I thought that was amazing.”
As the tournament progressed, the U.S. staged a great comeback attempt, particularly in the singles session on Sunday. However, despite their best efforts, Europe held onto their lead with unwavering resolve.
“I really enjoyed watching a comeback [from the American team] because we were down by a few strokes. I love seeing good competition between two great teams,” Phousirith said.
The crucial moment came when Tommy Fleetwood secured the vital point for Team Europe during his singles match on Sunday afternoon, meaning that they could not get less than 14 ½ points and, therefore, won the Ryder Cup.
Despite the American team’s spirited effort, Europe maintained a commanding lead throughout the singles session, preventing any chance of a possible American comeback. Fleetwood’s 3&1 victory over Rickie Fowler secured the Ryder Cup for Europe, and the emotional reaction from European Captain Luke Donald, who had been undefeated as a player in four Ryder Cups, highlighted the significance of the victory.
“Just seeing my team winning at home in Rome has been amazing. I just wish I would have been there to see it in person, but the emotions I felt were still strong watching it on U.S. grounds,” Verticchio said.
The Ryder Cup is not just a golf tournament; it is a spectacle of skill, determination, and sportsmanship, where players and fans all over the world are going crazy to cheer on either Europe or the U.S. It is an event that reminds spectators and viewers why golf is such an exciting and unpredictable sport.
With the 2023 Ryder Cup now in the books, fans can only wait in anticipation for the next edition of this prestigious competition, where history will be made once again.
1 Comment
Great fight 🇪🇺
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