ROCHESTER, NY — Scottie Scheffler plays his second shot on the 12th hole during the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. | Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Scheffler has one goal in mind with the Ryder Cup on the docket and he doesn’t care where his teammates come from.
Scottie Scheffler had another terrific showing at Oak Hill, as he finished tied for second with Viktor Hovland at 7-under par.
The 2023 PGA Championship was his 8th top 10 finish in a major dating back to 2020.
Although Scheffler shot a superb 5-under par 65 on Sunday, he finished two strokes behind Brooks Koepka, who won his fifth major championship.
Yet, Scheffler’s comments after his final round have gained more traction than his performance on the course.
He discussed the Ryder Cup and how Koepka, the first LIV golfer to win a major, could help the Americans win in Europe for the first time since 1993.
“Well, I wanna win the Ryder Cup. I don’t care about tours or anything like that,” Scheffler admitted. “Something we talked about—I guess it was like a year and a half ago—was that we want to beat those guys in Europe.”
The Ryder Cup will take place in Italy for the first time in September, as Marco Simone Golf Club, located outside of Rome, will host the biannual competition.
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
ROME, ITALY — Team Captains Zach Johnson of The United States and Luke Donald of England shake hands during a press conference during the Ryder Cup 2023 Year to Go Media Event at Marco Simone Golf Club on October 04, 2022, in Rome, Italy.
The DP World Tour’s DS Automobiles Italian Open took place at the Ryder Cup venue a few weeks ago, with Adrian Meronk of Poland winning the title.
The Europeans always play well on their home turf, and some members of the European team will have more course knowledge, having just played there.
“It’s been a long time since we beat them [over there],” Scheffler said. “The best 12 guys that make a complete team, you know, it’s different than an individual tournament. We want a team of guys going over there together, and bring the cup back home.”
“That’s what I really care about,” he added.
The Ryder Cup has always run deep between the Americans and the Europeans. Nobody plays for money; instead, each side plays for national pride.
But with a schism currently taking place in men’s professional golf, the Ryder Cup rosters may not have the caliber of players they once had.
Nonetheless, this divide will continue to rear its ugly head throughout the summer, as Ryder Cup rosters will be finalized by mid-August.
