Golf / golf

The Course - Le Golf National is an inland links course, the type that many European players are more comfortable with. It is played on the European Tour in the Open De France, which means that a vast number more European players have played on it. Thomas, Koepka and Bubba are the only Americans to have played on it, with Bubba making ridiculous comments after the event. Many Europeans have played very well here. Tommy Fleetwood and Alex Noren have won here whilst Francesco Molinari has three runner up finishes. Home Soil and Form - Europe have been the dominant team in this tournament for a while now. They have won eight of the last eleven. At home they have been even better, winning the last five and not losing since 1993. A Stronger Team than 2016 - The back end of Europe’s roster from 2016 will have you questioning how the selection process worked. Danny Willett, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer were hopefully out of form or past it. Chris Wood, Andy Sullivan and Matthew Fitzpatrick were not good enough. The bottom half of the European teams features either rookies in form or experienced players with a Ryder Cup pedigree. American struggles - The majority of the best players in the world are American. However, some of them are struggling for form whilst others have not been good Ryder Cup players. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth are in poor form whilst Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson and Tiger Woods will have almost nothing but bad memories of the Ryder Cup.