The 42nd edition of the Ryder Cup is less than two weeks away and the common consensus is that this is the strongest USA team to have been assembled since the Americans last tasted victory on European soil in 1993.
USA's captain, Jim Furyk, can call upon 12 of the current top-25 players in the world rankings and it is no surprise to see that the visitors are odds-on to win at Le Golf National on 28th September, with bookmakers going 8/11 about a USA win. Europe are 6/4 to win as they look for revenge following their defeat at Hazeltine two years ago.
We run the rule over the respective match play records of this USA team and rank the players according to their performances in match play events (i.e. Ryder Cup, WGC Match Play, Presidents Cup). Check out our power rankings below:
Patrick Reed - 1st
Singles Match Play Record: Won 13 - Lost 9 - Halved 2 (Win Percentage: 58.33%)
Team Match Play Record: 8-3-3 (Win: 67.85%)
Patrick Reed is top of the pops as he has become something of a Ryder Cup hero for the States. He has won both of his singles matches at the Ryder Cup in the past and he has struck up a formidable partnership with Jordan Spieth in the team events, with the pair winning eight, losing one and halving three of their twelve matches in tandem. In Ryder Cups, Spieth and Reed's partnership has yielded 4.5 points from six matches.
Dustin Johnson - 2nd
Singles: 18-13-1 (Win: 57.81%)
Team: 10-8-1 (55.26%)
The 2017 WGC Match Play winner has won all three of his Ryder Cup singles matches and there is no doubt that he is improving as a team player. The USA have been renowned for having world-class individuals but struggled to put a team together, although that perception is changing and it is worth noting that Johnson's team match play record in all events is 9-3-0 since the start of the 2012 Ryder Cup.
Brooks Koepka - 3rd
Singles: 9-5-0 (Win: 64.28%)
Team: 4-2-0 (Win: 66.66%)
The man who has won three major tournaments in the past eighteen months exhibited his Ryder Cup credentials when earning the US three points from four matches as a rookie at Hazeltine.
Jordan Spieth - 4th
Singles: 11-10-1 (Win: 52.27%)
Team: 12-3-3 (Win: 75%)
Jordan Spieth has only reached one quarter-final at the WGC Match Play and his singles record leaves a bit to be desired, although his team play is exceptional and he has struck up a formidable partnership with Reed.
Justin Thomas - 5th
Singles: 6-8-0 (Win: 42.8%)
Team: 3-0-1 (Win: 87.5%)
A semi-finalist at the WGC Match Play earlier this year, Justin Thomas got his first taste of team golf as a pro when winning three of his four matches at the 2017 Presidents Cup, including 2.5 points from three matches in partnership with Rickie Fowler.
Phil Mickelson - 6th
Singles: 33-24-4 (Win: 57.37%)
Team: 37-28-16 (Win: 55.55%)
Phil Mickelson is a veteran of eleven Ryder Cups and he is the epitome of USA's improving stature in this event. Mickelson has only lost three of his last 15 singles matches in all events since the start of the 2014 Ryder Cup (won 11, halved one) and has lost only two of 11 team matches in that time period (won seven, halved two).
Tiger Woods - 7th
Singles: 50-16-2 (Win: 75%)
Team: 29-32-2 (Win: 46.82%)
Much has been made of Tiger Woods' poor record in team events but the three-time WGC Match Play winner is the man you want standing over a Ryder Cup-winning putt on the Sunday. Tiger Woods hasn't lost a Ryder Cup singles match since 1997.
Bubba Watson - 8th
Singles: 20-11-4 (Win: 62.85%)
Team: 7-7-1 (Win: 50%)
Bubba Watson has never won a singles match at the Ryder Cup but the 2018 WGC Match Play winner will have few better chances to rectify that statistic.
Webb Simpson - 9th
Singles: 8-10-3 (Win: 45.23%)
Team: 7-4-1 (Win: 62.5%)
Webb Simpson has a relatively poor record in singles as he has never won a match on the Sunday of a Ryder Cup, although that record should be taken in context as both of his previous singles matches have been against Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter!
Rickie Fowler - 10th
Singles: 12-7-4 ( Win: 56.52%)
Team: 4-5-5 (Win: 46.42%)
Rickie Fowler is well down the power rankings but we wouldn't be surprised to see him thrive in 2018, particularly in partnership with his good friend Justin Thomas. Fowler finally won a match at a Ryder Cup at the third time of asking in 2016.
Tony Finau - 11th
Singles: 2-1-0 (Win: 66.66%)
Team: N/A.
The final wildcard pick of Jim Furyk went 2-1-0 at the WGC Match Play earlier this year, losing to Europe's Alexander Noren to finish second in his group.
Bryson DeChambeau - 12th
Singles: N/A.
Team: N/A
This will be Bryson DeChambeau's first taste of a team event as a pro, although he did take 4.5 points from his seven respective matches at the 2014 Palmer Cup and 2015 Walker Cup as an amateur.
