Zach Johnson claims Team USA suffering from illness following DISASTROUS start at 2023 Ryder Cup

Team USA suffered one of their worst days in Ryder Cup history as they failed to win a single game on Day 1. Captain Zach Johnson has now claimed that they are done with an illness and thus not a 100 percent fit.

Zach Johnson claims Team USA suffering from illness following DISASTROUS start at 2023 Ryder Cup

Zach Johnson at Ryder Cup (Pic Credit: Reuters)

The much-hyped tournament in the form of the Ryder Cup started off on Friday. Fans had been eager for the start of the tournament. However, what happened at the Marco Simone Golf Course was something very few saw coming. Team Europe got off the best start possible and currently leads the standings by a score of 6.5 to 1.5. USA Team Captain Zach Johnson has now claimed that they have been hit by an illness.

While the performances of the Team Europe members were outstanding, the same could not be said for their American counterparts. Every squad member including current World No.1 Scottie Scheffler struggled at the greens. This led to widespread criticism from many and shots were fired at Captain Johnson for his pick and selection of players.

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“We have got some congestions and some just signs of things that are unfortunate. It’s one of those where sometimes the energy is probably a little low,” he said while speaking to the reporters. “It kind of has, yeah, I’m being honest, yes, it has… spread through my team,” he further added.

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Related: Brooks Koepka ACCUSES rival Jon Rahm of acting ‘like a child’ at 2023 Ryder Cup

Will Team USA regain their full strength enough to win the Ryder Cup?

Before the Ryder Cup even began, the hype was on Team USA. Consisting of three major winners and the current World No. 1 golfer, they were expected to be the favorites to retain their crown. Many experts believed that the resignation of European legends Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood would be a big blow for them. However, the exact opposite happened on Day 1. This leads to the question – are Team USA actually not at full strength in Italy?

Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka
Scottie Scheffler (R) and Brooks Koepka (L) of Team USA [Pic Credit: X]

The answer to that could be both yes and no. While what captain Zach Johnson regarding the illness could be true, the team does consist of players who have enough firepower within them. However, the struggles of the players individually could be clearly seen. This led to many thinking that the illness could just be an excuse for their poor play.

The pairings selected by Johnson have also been criticized. The duo of Sam Burns and Scottie Scheffler struggled heavily against Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton. While Burns had trouble with his drives, Scheffler endured difficulties in putting.

The poor performances have now left them in a dire situation. This was the first time they failed to win a single game on Day 1. Johnson and his team will have needed a much better outing than Friday to mount a huge comeback.

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