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The U.S. Ryder Cup team has its successor. Zach Johnson will take over for Steve Stricker as team captain for the 2023 matches in Italy, according to the Associated Press,
Johnson was an assistant captain on the last two Ryder Cup teams and played on five other U.S. sides before that, including the 2016 team that won at Hazeltine. He has been among the inner circle of folks in the United States team room for several years now, and according to the AP, Stricker was one of those on the selection committee who picked Johnson.
This is not a big surprise, as all the chatter at Whistling Straits in 2021 indicated Johnson was next in line behind Stricker to try to lead the U.S. to its first win in Europe in 30 years. Not since The Belfry in 1993 when the U.S. won 15-13 over Europe has the U.S. notched a victory across the pond, losing its last six in a row and many of them in embarrassing fashion.
There is hope, though. With a young core that actually seems to like each other (and Johnson, for that matter), the U.S. obliterated Europe at Whistling Straits last year, 19-9. Jordan Spieth said after those matches that they had some work to do in Italy at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.
“I feel I can speak to this losing twice over there and being part of the average age group,” said Spieth. “I think that this is unfinished business. … We needed to win this one, and I think it was a massive stepping stone for this team and the group that we have here that have really known each other since almost back to grade school to continue to try to work hard to be on these teams to go over there.
“It’s one thing to win it over here and it is a lot easier to do so, and it is harder to win over there,” Spieth continued. “If we play like we did this week, the score will look the same over there in a couple years, and that’s what we’re here for.”
Johnson would join Jack Nicklaus, Sam…
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Source : cbssports
