Andrew Coltart SLAMS Team USA's 'disgraceful' Ryder Cup preparation

09/29/2023 Golf

Andrew Coltart SLAMS Team USA’s ‘disgraceful’ Ryder Cup preparation as Europe dominate on day one after nine members of Zach Johnson’s squad took five weeks off before the tournament got underway

  • Team USA endured a miserable start on the opening day of the Ryder Cup
  • Former Europe team member Andrew Coltart slammed the visitors’ preparation
  • Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

Former Team Europe Ryder Cup star Andrew Coltart has slammed USA for their ‘disgraceful’ preparation heading into this year’s competition.

The Ryder Cup is the pinnacle of golf, with the ongoing 44th edition taking place at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club on the outskirts of Rome.

Team USA were favourites heading into the opening day but slumped spectacularly as Europe floored the accelerator and storming to a 4-0 morning session clean-sweep before finishing the day 6 1/2-1 1/2 up against the visitors.

Europe’s advantage is the joint-biggest first day score in Ryder Cup history and Coltart was disgusted by the approach of certain Americans heading into the competition.

The BMW PGA Championship was used by a host of European stars as practice heading into the major team event, in contrast, nine out of 12 USA competitors opted to take a vacation break.

Zach Johnson watched as his team USA side were dominated on the opening day of the Ryder Cup

Team Europe stormed to an opening session clean-sweep before dominating in the afternoon session as well

Former European star Andrew Coltart (right) labelled USA’s pre-tournament preparation as ‘disgraceful’

‘I have a massive question, and Zach Johnson is going to get hit with this,’ Coltart told Sky Sports.

‘Who on earth in their right mind thinks the best way to prepare for a Ryder Cup is to take five weeks off?

‘Nine of the 12 American players took five weeks off. That’s disgraceful.’

America arrived in Italy not with hope but an expectation they would retain the Ryder Cup after their dominance on home soil two-years ago.

Xander Schauffele went as far as too admit that it wouldn’t require anything ‘special’ to do so, now the USA will need all the magic they can conjure to turn things around.

Nine out of 12 USA stars decided to take long breaks from playing before the Ryder Cup

Brooks Koepka struggled to replicate his US PGA title winning form on day one at the Ryder Cup

Coltart dug deeper into Zach Johnson’s side after Justin Rose ensured points would be shared in the final foursome of the day and insists the general consensus was the day one drama could never have been anticipated.

‘Absolutely, categorically, no,’ he said when asked whether Europe’s day one lead could be predicted.

‘We thought, two years ago, that they were going to be in this for the long haul – 10 years of domination.

‘But their team has been a little bit depleted… and our top players didn’t pitch up at Whistling Straits. Today that’s exactly what they did do.’

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