Scottie Scheffler called out in savaging of Ryder Cup team as Rory McIlroy point made

Sir Nick Faldo has delivered a brutal reality check to world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler following his nightmare at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, where Europe regained the trophy

Sir Nick Faldo has questioned Scottie Scheffler in the build-up to the Ryder Cup, insisting he must set the tone for Team USA as Rory McIlroy does for Team Europe.

Both Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau have secured places in the line-up as the tournament heads to Bethpage in New York State next month. LIV Golf player DeChambeau returns to the fold, having missed Europe’s triumph in Rome two years previously.

Scheffler played in that tournament but was well short of his best, failing to secure victory in any of his four matches. This year, Russell Henley and JJ Spaun will play at the Ryder Cup for the first time, while Xander Schauffele and Harris English complete the six automatic qualifiers.

During a scathing review of Team USA, Faldo told world No. 1 Scheffler that he will have to reach the heights of Northern Irishman McIlroy if he is to right the wrongs of the 2023 tournament. Discussing the tournament on Sky Sports, he said: “So [Scheffler] has a lot to prove.

“When you’re that top, like Rory [McIlroy] in our team, you’re a feather to the other team. You’re very vulnerable, just because you’re the best. The determination to beat their best player, you’re a target. And it worked in Rome.”

Despite the strong-looking line-up, Faldo questioned the home side. While examining potential weaknesses in Team USA, he said: “Well, Schauffele’s off form right now. It will be a brand new experience for Spaun. Those guys don’t scare you, do they?

“And look what happened to Scottie Scheffler in the last one with [Brooks] Koepka! What was it, nine and eight, nine and seven? Nine and seven, my goodness. You’ve hardly got your boots dirty for that one.”

Faldo was alluding to Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland’s nine-and-seven triumph over Scheffler and Koepka during the Saturday foursomes in 2023. That represented the most emphatic victory in an 18-hole encounter in Ryder Cup history.

Faldo went on to shift his focus to DeChambeau, who is eager to be part of another victorious US squad on home turf. The former US Open champion was a member of the triumphant Ryder Cup team in 2021, but Faldo warned that a strategy emphasising power might not prove wise.

“If he thinks he’s gonna throttle it around the golf course… I’d like to play him back in my day,” he said. “Stick it down the fairway, and he can be 450 [yards] off the tee in the trees. I’d be happy with that!”

Bethpage presents an enormously challenging layout, and that appears unlikely to alter next month when DeChambeau will require far more than impressive driving ability to assist his side.

Keegan Bradley has yet to announce his six captain’s selections for the event, though they’re guaranteed to be of exceptional calibre. Over 10 years have elapsed since either Ryder Cup side managed to claim success on away territory, with Europe being the last to achieve this feat in Illinois back in 2012.

Team USA came close to equalling the largest victory margin in contemporary Ryder Cup history when they won 19-9 in Wisconsin four years ago. Europe, meanwhile, will journey to Long Island hoping to secure consecutive championships for the first time since 2014.

With a host of the 2023 victors set to return, Team Europe will be confident that they have what it takes to create history. And with this, Faldo is unwavering in his conviction that their American rivals are there to be beaten.