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United States Ryder Cup Team of the Decade for the 2010’s

By Matt Coles

CHASKA, MN - OCTOBER 02: Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, Ryan Moore, Davis Love III, Brooks Koepka, Zach Johnson, J.B. Holmes, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler of the United States celebrate during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 2, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHASKA, MN - OCTOBER 02: Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, Ryan Moore, Davis Love III, Brooks Koepka, Zach Johnson, J.B. Holmes, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler of the United States celebrate during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 2, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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CHASKA, MN – OCTOBER 02: Zach Johnson of the United States hits off the third tee during singles matches of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 2, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHASKA, MN – OCTOBER 02: Zach Johnson of the United States hits off the third tee during singles matches of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 2, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Zach Johnson – 58% points won (4 appearances)

The final member to get into the United States Team of the Decade automatically is another British Open champion, in 2015 winner Zach Johnson.

Only two players featured in more editions of the team event than Johnson over the course of the 2010s, as he played in four separate Ryder Cups.

It started in the rain-soaked 2010 version at Celtic Manor, where he had to wait until Saturday before he got out on the course due to the rain. It did not harm him, though, as he and Hunter Mahan defeated Francesco and Edoardo Molinari on the final hole.

The same pair then lost to the Northern Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, before Johnson took victory in his singles match against Padraig Harrington in the penultimate match on Monday afternoon. That put the tie level at 13.5-13.5 before McDowell won it for Europe in the final match.

Two years later at Medinah, Johnson partnered Jason Dufner for the two foursomes sessions, held on Friday and Saturday morning, and the pair won both matches. They defeated Lee Westwood and Francesco Molinari 3&2 on day one, before then downing Nicolas Colsaerts and Sergio Garcia 2&1 a day later.

The pair lost to McIlroy and Ian Poulter in the final pairs session of the weekend, but Johnson was one of the three Americans to win on Sunday, as he defeated 2010 US Open champion McDowell 2&1, but Europe still managed to come back to take the win.

In 2014, Johnson could only manage to win half a point from his three matches, as he lost in the foursomes alongside Hunter Mahan on Friday, and then Matt Kuchar on Saturday, before halving his singles match with Victor Dubuisson on Sunday.

In the USA’s sole success this decade, Johnson found his Ryder Cup form once more, taking home two wins from his three matches, starting with a convincing win over Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia, as he played alongside Jimmy Walker.

The pair then lost to Justin Rose and Chris Wood in the Saturday morning foursomes, but Johnson rounded off his weekend’s, and ultimately his decade’s work, with a victory over Matthew Fitzpatrick in the final singles match at Hazeltine on Sunday afternoon.

Zach Johnson ended the decade with a 58% points ratio, having taken 7.5 points from his 13 matches, along with winning the British Open in that six-year spell.

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