The U.S. Ryder Cup team has reportedly planned a scouting trip to Whistling Straits this weekend.
American assistant captain Davis Love III told Golfweek’s Adam Schupak that Steve Stricker will host as many as 10 players for a two-day practice session on Sunday-Monday at this month’s Ryder Cup host venue, less than two weeks before the official matches begin.
The purpose of the trip is to familiarize the American team members with the layout, which hosted PGA Championships in 2004, 2010 and 2015. While some U.S. players, including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and likely captain’s pick Jordan Spieth, have played Whistling Straits, the majority of the team, notably Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau, have not.
The 2018 course, Le Golf National in Paris, hosted an annual European Tour stop. The home-course advantage played a role in Europe’s seven-point victory.
“They had us over a barrel in Paris because we didn’t have enough practice rounds at [Le Golf National],” Love said. “The other team knew the golf course way better. … We’re going to focus on breaking down the course over the next couple of weeks until we get there. It’s important for us to gather local knowledge and pass it on to the guys that don’t have the intimate knowledge as guys like DJ.”
It is not clear which players will join Stricker for the practice session. The PGA Tour has a bye week this weekend before the new season starts the following week in Napa, California. Koepka, an automatic qualifier, withdrew from the Tour Championship on Saturday after injuring his left wrist.
Stricker is already at Whistling Straits, as he’s set to announce his six captain’s picks on Wednesday morning.