Padraig Harrington sends scary Ryder Cup message to Team USA

The Europeans have revenge on their minds, particularly contemplating how the Americans trounced them in report vogue on the 2021 Ryder Cup.

The U.S., with its youngest workforce ever, received 19-to-9, marking the biggest margin of victory in trendy Ryder Cup historical past. By trendy, we imply since 1979, when gamers from all of continental Europe have been allowed to play within the Ryder Cup for the primary time. Before that, solely these from the British Isles might compete.

Irishman Padraig Harrington is aware of all about that landslide victory, contemplating he captained the European facet in 2021.

So virtually two years later, whereas talking to the media forward of this week’s Horizon Irish Open, Harrington despatched a startling message to the Americans concerning the workforce the Europeans will roll out in Rome.

“I think Europe is very strong this year. I think we’re back,” Harrington mentioned. “I believe we’re back to the 1980s, where our top players are actually the best players in the world. So I think the team is very strong. I think they’re very much in form.”

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

From 1985 to 1989, the Europeans dominated.

They received in 1985 and 1987 and retained the cup in 1989 after either side tied at The Belfry in England. Their victory in 1987 marked Europe’s first victory on American soil, which was at Jack’s place—Muirfield Village in Ohio.

During that span, Spaniard Seve Ballesteros, Englishman Nick Faldo, and German Bernhard Langer have been considered the three finest gamers on the planet. Others comparable to Sam Torrance, Sandy Lyle, and Ian Woosnam helped Europe overpower these competitions too.

But almost 4 a long time later, comparable sentiments could be mentioned about Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland, who will lead the European cost in Italy later this month.

“I think we just caught it on our turndown, their upturn,” Harrington mentioned of the 2021 Ryder Cup, which marked Hovland’s debut within the competitors.

“That one extra year of COVID, our team went from peaking to slightly off and never could come back. I said in numerous interviews, that many of these players are going to go on to play their best golf going forward, and they have. You look at Tommy Fleetwood’s playing, you look at Matt [Fitzpatrick] won a major, you look at Tyrrell Hatton playing great, Viktor Hovland.”

Indeed, Fleetwood and Hatton have had masterful years, and Fitzpatrick received the 2022 U.S. Open by a stroke over Will Zalatoris.

McIlroy and Rahm clearly have six mixed majors.

Photo by Jason Allen/ISI Photos/Getty Images

And then there’s Hovland, the most popular participant on the planet after his performances within the FedEx Cup playoffs.

“Europe has gotten a lot stronger in these last two years,” Harrington added. “As for the U.S. — I don’t want to say that they’re weakening in any shape or form, but certainly there’s a number of players that were at their peak at that moment.”

In an attention-grabbing coincidence, Harrington made these remarks at The Ok Club, the location of the 2006 Ryder Cup.

The Europeans dominated the Americans that week, 18.5-to-9.5, which marked a 3rd straight victory for Europe. The 2004 Ryder Cup, held at Oakland Hills in Michigan, had that very same last rating.

Harrington remembers these instances vividly, and he feels that Europe can get again there with the younger and proficient gamers that they’ve.

And since he made these feedback on hallowed floor for the Europeans, maybe his prophecy will show true, which is able to spell bother for the pink, white, and blue for years to return.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. Be positive to take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.