Scotty Schaeffler’s Tough Ryder Cup Journey
Scotty Schaeffler, currently ranked as the world’s No. 1 player, finds himself in an unfortunate position after the Ryder Cup in Rome this year. It’s rather striking, really. He became the first American to lose in each of the first four sessions of the event, a rather remarkable — or perhaps we could say disheartening — feat that hadn’t been witnessed since 1971.
Schaeffler, who previously enjoyed a winning streak of eight consecutive Ryder Cup matches, was the first top player to lose more than two matches at this event. In fact, he only managed to lead in three holes during play at Beth Page Black.
Joining forces with Ryder Cup newcomer, Russell Henry, Schaeffler faced defeat in foursomes for the second consecutive day. Their earlier loss came at the hands of Matt Fitzpatrick, who had a notably poor record since 1979 in the Ryder Cup.
In total, Schaeffler lost all four matches he participated in during the alternative shot format, finishing with a mere six out of the 59 holes he played. There’s certainly room for improvement there, though his performance on Saturday showed some signs of promise—if not overshadowed by a few missed opportunities, particularly from Henry.
One moment that stood out came at the 18th hole, where Schaeffler’s approach shot fell just short, further deepening the disappointment of the U.S. team. “We fought hard there,” Schaeffler reflected. “The people we played against were great.”
In the four-ball session, the 29-year-old Schaeffler partnered with Bryson DeChambeau, but they struggled to maintain an early lead against Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose, who dominated the match and ultimately won.
Schaeffler showcased his skills with a couple of birdies, yet Rose outperformed him, rallying to win six of the first eight holes. Interestingly, Schaeffler has not lost five matches in the Ryder Cup before; it’s an unprecedented situation for someone of his caliber.
In round two, captain Keegan Bradley had a significant decision to make. Inviting a second opinion, he opted to repeat some pairings that hadn’t fared well during the previous session.
Bradley spoke about his choice to keep Morikawa and English together, citing their slim victory in hole play from the day before. “We’re sticking to the plan,” he emphasized. “There’s no reason to panic.” Yet, it seemed that confidence began to evaporate during the front nine as Morikawa and English faced a tough match, struggling against Rory McIlroy and Fleetwood multiple times.
“They gave us nothing,” English admitted about their opponents.
Despite everything, the Saturday morning session saw victories for McIlroy and Fleetwood, along with John Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, bringing their play to an impressive 5-0-0 in this format—a record that drew comparisons to legendary pairings from past tournaments.
Schaeffler’s team has a steep hill to climb moving forward. As for the Europeans, they’re clearly riding high. “The superstars need to perform at their best,” remarked European captain Luke Donald. “And they certainly did that.”
