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The 2023 Ryder Cup is all set to begin on September 30 at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome. The stage is set for some of the best golfers in the world to go head-to-head against each other. The biennial tournament will see Team Europe compete against Team USA, as the latter will attempt to defend its title.
Of the 12 player team, six players received a spot via automatic qualification through the Ryder Cup rankings. The other six players were chosen by the captains of their respective teams, US team captain Zach Johnson and European team captain Luke Donald.
Needless to say, the pool of talent was vast, but only 12 golfers can make each team. Here are the top 5 big names that are missing from the roster.
5 big names missing from the 2023 Ryder Cup
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods has made eight appearances at the Ryder Cup, but will not be a part of Team USA this year. Woods underwent a surgery on his ankle earlier this year after withdrawing from the Masters, and is still in the process of rehabilitation.
While Woods' record at the tournament stands at 13-21-3, his influence on the team would have been the most important factor, had he been a part of the same.
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson has been a part of every single Ryder Cup from 1995 to 2021. Needless to say, his absence will be felt at the Cup this year. The Lefty holds a record of 18-22-7.
While he did not play at the Whistling Straits last time around, he was the vice-captain to Steve Stricker, and the US team went on to win that year. Phil Mickelson's move to LIV Golf drastically reduced his chances of being on the team this year.
Sergio Garcia
Sergio Garcia has been one of the most impactful golfers on the European team at the Ryder Cup. He became the youngest ever golfer to make the team at the 1999 edition at the age of just 19 years, 256 days.
Garcia also holds the record for the most points won at the Cup, 28.5, and has been a part of the tournament 10 successive times. Like Mickelson, Garcia also left for the LIV Golf series, resigning from the DP World Tour, and in turn the Ryder Cup as well.
Bryson DeChambeau
While Brooks Koepka remains the only LIV Golfer to make the team this year, another option that merited consideration was Bryson DeChambeau. The 2020 Open Champion has appeared in two editions of the biennial tournament.
His performance this year has been commendable so far, but he will have to wait for two more years to get the call up to the team.
Will Zalatoris
Another promising option for the US team was golfer Will Zalatoris. The 27-year-old golfer had to withdraw midway through the PGA Tour season to undergo back surgery.
However, Zalatoris was quite successful at the beginning of the season, finishing as a runner-up at both the 2022 PGA Championship and US Open. Had he stayed fit, he had a strong chance of making the automatic qualifier list.
