Stricker confident Ryder Cup qualification changes can help Team USA

American players will get three weeks' rest ahead of the 2020 Ryder Cup, a decision that pleases captain Steve Stricker.

Published : Feb 20, 2019 22:57 IST

Steve Stricker at the 2016 Ryder Cup
Steve Stricker at the 2016 Ryder Cup
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Steve Stricker at the 2016 Ryder Cup

Steve Stricker is confident changes to the qualification criteria will help Team USA be fully prepared for the 2020 Ryder Cup.

Stricker was named as the next United States captain on Wednesday, the 51-year-old handed the chance to lead his country in his home state of Wisconsin next year.

Whistling Straits will host the event against a European team led by Padraig Harrington in September 2020, and the PGA Tour have altered its schedule to ensure the American players are well rested.

Players will be able to earn automatic qualification points until next year's BMW Championship in late August, with Stricker confirming his four captain's picks on September 1 after the Tour Championship.

That means he will have three weeks to get his team prepared to try and wrestle the cup back from its European rivals.

Read: The last five contests on US soil

Speaking at his presentation on Wednesday, Stricker said: "With the change to the scheduling on the PGA Tour we have now a three-week period between the Ryder Cup points and the Ryder Cup itself. 

"We have this time to make those selections, get everybody on board and [on] the same page, formalise our team, work on the pairings, give our guys an opportunity to rest, get ready, get their games in shape and then take part in the Ryder Cup. 

"I think it's a good move. We've experienced where we waited on our pick last year, that too provides a few issues, now we've formalised a really good system here and it should be really good."

Team USA have only won two of the last nine editions of the tournament, with Europe regaining the trophy last year thanks to a 17.5-10.5 victory in Paris.

Also Read: Stricker named USA Ryder Cup captain

Stricker admits Europe's recent dominance is hard to take, but is confident the American players will give everything to claim a win.

"That [Europe's dominance] is something that we're always asking ourselves too," he added.

"We don't lack passion or the intensity or the players, we've got some of the best players in the world and so do they. They've just come up with key putts. 

"I truly believe in home advantage, the [Paris] course was tailor-made for them, we just didn’t play well, it was a tough turnaround from the [FedEx] play-offs and Tour Championship to hop on a plane. They're doing the same too, I'm not making excuses, but they rolled with it, they hit some of those key putts and at times we haven't been able to do it. But other times we have.

"This is a new year, a new Ryder Cup, I'm looking forward to it, our guys are looking forward to it, it stung again last year after winning at Hazeltine so the guys are fired up already and are ready to get it back."

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