Nine Members of U.S. Ryder Cup Team Take Scouting Trip to Italy

On a warm weekend in Rome, the team played the Marco Simone course and took notice of the thick rough.

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Nine of the 12 U.S. Ryder Cup team members made a quick visit to Rome and Marco Simone Golf Club over the weekend to familiarize themselves with the venue that will stage the event Sept. 29-Oct. 1

Jordan Spieth, whose wife Annie is pregnant, did not make the trip. Nor did Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, both of whom had previous commitments according to captain Zach Johnson.

The players arrived Friday and left after another day at the venue on Saturday and will return on Sept. 25, the Monday of Ryder Cup week.

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson met with reporters during a scouting trip to Marco Simone :: Andrew Medichini/AP

According to an Associated Press report from Rome, the players rode golf carts on a warm-weather weekend.

"The common sentiments that I heard on the golf course was they really liked it, which is awesome, and I knew they would because Marco Simone is very, very good," Johnson said in the AP story. "The rough was very thick. That was the other nugget that we talked about a lot.

"The putting greens were very good, very true, very nice. The fairways were awesome. It’s a great test and it’s a really, really good match play golf course. So the guys are excited about the competition."

Asked about Brooks Koepka being picked to play on the team despite any possible lingering resentment over his choice to play in the LIV Golf League, Johnson said: “The only thing that was said about Brooks with the guys—specifically the top six that made the team on their own merit—was 'we want Brooks Koepka to play for Team USA.'"

The six automatic qualifiers were Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Cantlay, Max Homa and Schuaffele.

Koepka was one of Johnson’s at-large picks along with Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa.