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The 2023 Hero Cup was organized as a practice match to prepare the golfers for the upcoming Ryder Cup, which will take place in September in Rome. The tournament was held from January 13 to 15 in Abu Dhabi GC, UAE. Experts and former Ryder Cup captains examined the golfers' performances.
The Hero Cup saw excellent performances from rising stars and professional golfers alike. Besides both captains, several other golfers caught the attention of the fans. Here are the five Hero Cup stars to watch out for at the Ryder Cup in Rome.
These are the Hero Cup stars to look out for at the Ryder Cup
1) Francesco Molinari
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The captain of the winning team, Francesco Molinari, has been in the headlines throughout the championship. He played a vital role in helping the Continental Europe team secure their win in 2023.
Molinari defeated Shawn Lowry in their first match on Sunday. In a heavyweight battle, Lowry and Molinari gave neck-to-neck competition, but finally, Europe came out on top with a 3–2 victory.
Molinari's performance on the greens and his duties as the captain of the team impressed the experts and fans, and he is undoubtedly the one to watch at the Ryder Cup.
2) Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood is another captain who has played remarkably great on the greens. He also won his last match against Thomas Pieters at the 2023 Hero Cup. Fleetwood has won six times on the European Tour and has great experience playing in the Ryder Cup.
Having turned professional in 2010, Tommy Fleetwood reached No. 9 in the world rankings. He also finished T14 at the Masters in 2022 and won the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
3) Robert MacIntrye
Robert MacIntyre plays professionally on the European Tour. His final-day match against Swedish star Alex Noren was worth watching. It was the second-last tournament of the day, and the European team was already in the lead.
However, the Scottish golfer's win against Noren helped his team win four of their 10 matches on Sunday. He turned professional in 2017 and has won two European tours to date. Robert MacIntyre also competed in The Masters in 2021, finishing in T12.
4) Victor Perez
Victor Perez won the Dutch Open in 2022, defeating Ryan Fox. Perez won the match at the 2023 Hero Cup, defeating Jordan Smith in the final.
Having won two European Tours, the French golfer has reached No. 29 in the world rankings and made the cut for the US Open in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
5) Nicolai Hojgaard
Nicolai Hojgaard's performance at the 2023 Hero Cup is regarded as the best among all the golfers. He played the finest golf, with some amazing shots on the greens. His length, style, and direction garnered a lot of attention from the fans.
On Sunday, he won against the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship winner, Seamus Power. Hojgaard had just turned professional in 2019 and had already won three professional events. He has won two European tours and is currently ranked 67th in the world.
Hojgaard cut the PGA Championship in 2022 and finished T53 in the Open Championship.
