Hilly Marco Simone May Have a Say in Who Starts and Sits at This Ryder Cup

On a recent scouting trip the U.S. team found out how tough the Rome course is to walk, which could make captain Zach Johnson's decisions easier.

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Among the things the Americans learned on their pre-Ryder Cup trip to the venue in Rome is that the Marco Simone Golf Club is a relatively strenuous walk. The course is undulating and quite hilly in spots, which means captain Zach Johnson likely won’t have as much difficulty with the decisions concerning sitting players.

One of the more stressful issues for the captain is having four players have to sit out each session Friday and Saturday. And there are strategy implications as well. Do you go with your top players in all the matches? Do you stick with a hot team if you had otherwise decided to change things up? Is it important for everyone to rest at least one session to be better prepared for Sunday singles?

In the Ryder Cup, only eight of the 12 players compete in each team session. But with 36 holes per day on Friday and Saturday, there is a pretty good chance that all of the U.S. players will play both days—barring injury or poor form.

Marco Simone, pictured in May at the Italian Open, provides a hilly challenge that may prevent many Ryder Cuppers from  :: Kate McShane/Getty Images

"I think the golf course is going to solve some of that problem because it’s so hilly and the temperature could be pretty hot, too, that I think guys are going to be happy to probably rest," said Stewart Cink, one of Johnson’s assistant captains, who made the trip to Rome to scout the course on Sept. 8-9. "There’s not going to be a lot of disappointment for not playing."

Johnson called it a "brutal walk" and Cink added that "it’s probably the most demanding physically of any Cup course I’ve seen that I’ve been part of."

Max Homa, who like Johnson, Cink and fellow team member Justin Thomas came back from Rome to play at the Fortinet Championship, said there were some tactical issues that could be sorted as well.

"It was very nice to see the golf course," Homa said. "I would say those weeks are so busy, you almost feel like you're rushing, at least that's what I felt at the Presidents Cup. You're rushing to get to know things about the golf course, you're rushing to get some extra practice in, whatever it may be.

"At Quail Hollow (for last year’s Presidents Cup), we all played it a billion times and this one we had never been to. So just between the first day that we played it and then the second day completely changed my view of how we play the golf course. So basically looking back now, that saved me a day over there. I can tell (caddie) Joe (Greiner) now what clubs we're going to hit on certain tees, he can adjust off that.

"Plus being around all the guys and seeing how tight-knit the group is, it almost gave me a bunch of confidence that not only is it going to be a fun week, but I do think we have that camaraderie to get things done and break that 30-year drought (of not winning in Europe). We had a tunnel out at Quail Hollow and it was nuts, but this is like quadruple the size. Just that alone, you could already tell how different it is and how amplified it will be."

Nine of the 12 U.S. players made the trip, with Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele skipping due to other commitments.

The entire 12-man European squad paid a visit last week prior to competing in the BMW PGA Championship.