Ryder Cup teams shaping up great, says Strange

With three months to go until the Ryder Cup, Curtis Strange is excited to see how the teams are shaping up.

Published : Jun 19, 2018 19:02 IST

Curtis Strange is looking forward to a highly competitive Ryder Cup in September when Europe and the United States renew their rivalry.

For the first time since 2010, the USA is looking to hold onto the cup after claiming a comprehensive 17-11 victory at Hazeltine two years ago.

Le Golf National near Paris will play host to the latest edition of the event, with golf's top players currently vying for positions on both sides.

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Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari have amassed the most points on the European Tour so far, with Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren and Matt Fitzpatrick occupying the other automatic berths.

U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka leads the way for Jim Furyk's side, closely followed by world number one Dustin Johnson and Masters winner Patrick Reed.

Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson make up the top eight, and Strange – who played in five Ryder Cups and captained the USA in 2002 – believes the quality on both sides could bring another thrilling battle.

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"They're shaping up great. Isn't that what we want? The two teams to have the 12 best players they can possibly have, with no controversy on picks," Rolex Testimonee Strange said.

"Just 12-on-12 and go fight it out. That's what we want and that's what it's looking like we're going to get. With the picks, you do get that mostly and it's just good competition."

"The Ryder Cup is so much fun for me to be involved in and watch, just because it's ok to let your emotions run free. Ordinarily, we think we play better when we keep our emotions in check. Not at the Ryder Cup."

"It's ok to high-five your partner and the people see that, and that's why they love to watch it and I love it because it's good stuff."

 

Rolex is a long-standing supporter and partner of golf and the USGA. Curtis Strange will celebrate 30 years as a Rolex Testimonee in 2019.

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