2021 Ryder Cup: Power ranking the top 10 players at Whistling Straits

Jon Rahm may be playing with a chip on his shoulder this week.

He missed out on 2020-21 PGA Tour Player of the Year honors to Patrick Cantlay in an award voted on by their peers. I am in the camp that Rahm deserved the title due to his major championship success and ultra consistent golf throughout the year. Cantlay came on strong late to win the FedEx Cup title, but did not have a top-five in a major and his win at the Memorial had an asterisk considering Rahm’s withdrawal up six shots after 54 holes due to a positive covid test.

Rahm went 1-2-0 in his Ryder Cup debut in 2018. He lost both fourballs matches with Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, but they went to the 18th and 17th hole, respectively.

Rahm went on to beat Tiger Woods 2&1 to help Europe run away with the Cup on Sunday.

Le Golf National was a great course for most of the European roster, but not necessarily for Rahm. It’s the opposite at Whistling Straits, a bomber’s paradise that favors the Americans. And Rahm.

The Spaniard finished second last season on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee (.834) and first in SG tee to green (1.767) and first in total SG (2.098).

It’s expected he’ll go all five matches this week, but there could be issues surrounding stomach issues he claimed that led to withdrawing from the Wednesday pro-am last week at the Fortinet Championship. Rahm missed the cut there, but it’s probably for the best to get out of there early and join the team in Wisconsin.