Justin Rose’s Olympic gold medal showed the world what to expect from the British contingent of the Ryder Cup team set for Hazeltine Golf Club.
The Englishman battled against Henrik Stenson down the stretch, but both players will become team mates when the most popular match play event in the world begins on September 30th.
Team USA can draw some hope from Matt Kuchar, who rallied on Sunday to win the bronze medal and ensure that the Red, White and Blue had something to show for golf’s Olympic return.
Rose, meanwhile, rose to ninth in the world ranking due to his victory, while Stenson overtook Rory McIlroy as the fourth-best golfer on the planet.
This year’s Ryder Cup teams are evenly matched and the tournament promises to be electric. The Americans are on home soil, but the Europeans have won eight of the last 10 cups.
Rose certainly made a statement in Rio de Janeiro last week, but Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson did not contend.
The match play format and the inclusion of America’s best will level the odds. A tantalizing match play showdown is on the cards for 2016.
