It took only three days for Zach Johnson to become an eyesore among USA fans. A 4-0 whitewash in the very first round humbled the USA supporters. Although Johnson’s men tried to recover the lost glory, it was Europe who had the last laugh. 

Questions were already on the air about the lack of command in the dressing room to his ‘bias’ toward certain players. Then an Ex-Europe Ryder Cupper pointed out how “disgraceful” it was for Johnson to rest his players five weeks ahead of the Ryder Cup. A week later, an American pro reveals, that he, too, was “shocked’ that a majority of the team members didn’t play for five weeks before an away Ryder Cup campaign.

PGA Tour Pro reveals the difference lack of practice creates

Sahith Theegala sat with Fore Play podcast discussing his recent win at the Fortinet Championship and her career path. Naturally, the USA’s Ryder Cup debacle was also brought up. The host asked whether it’s the same thing going to the greens after taking a five-week off.

“It’s absolutely not the same,” said the American pro emphatically. Explaining his comments, the young golfer spoke about his own experience. The PGA Tour Pro confessed he’d be extremely nervous if he were thrown into the greens at one of the most prestigious tournaments, without teeing off at any professional competition for five weeks. 

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But the 25-year-old golfer also feels American Ryder Cupper probably wanted to stay fresh and injury-free at Marco Simone. “I’m sure they had their reasons. At the end of the seasons, guys are definitely dealing with lingering issues, nagging injuries.” Regardless, the Fortinet Championship winner feels it was a bold decision that didn’t pay dividends. “Taking five weeks off before the biggest event in golf just seems a little ridiculous to me.”

Notably, only three of the twelve USA team members played competitive golf ahead of the Ryder Cup. Conversely, all the European team members teed up at the BMW PGA Championship ahead of the biennial event. Five of them finished in the top 10 on the leaderboard, Jon Rahm being the best performer at no. 4. US captain Zach Johnson faced heavy criticism from fans and former players alike for the lack of rigor among the team.

Read More: “I Really Try to Ignore the Noise”: Captain America Zach Johnson Subtly Changes Targets as Media Darts the ‘Favoritism’ Query at the Skipper

Ex-European Ryder Cupper called Zach Johnson’s decision “disgraceful”

Speaking to Sky Sports after the first day, former European Ryder Cupper, Andrew Coltart, minced no words while criticizing USA’s preparation. The veteran golfer was baffled as to why Zach Johnson never brought this up with his players, before finally dubbing the lack of practice as “disgraceful.”

The only three players who played professional tournaments within those five weeks were Justin Thomas, Max Homa, and Brooks Koepka. Homa was arguably the best performer of the USA team, winning 3.5 points from a possible 5, while Thomas and Koepka both earned 1.5 points for their team from a possible 5 and 3 points, respectively. Incidentally, both played at the Fortinet Championship alongside Theelaga, finishing at no. 5 & no.7 respectively. 

Although Johnson revealed it was cold and flu that affected the team’s performance, questions still remain about the USA’s lack of practice affecting their performance. Many analysts pointed out it took two days of playing in the Ryder Cup for USA team members to get back to their usual form.

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