The long awaited 44th iteration of the Ryder Cup is finally underway, with Team Europe seeking to avenge their heaviest ever defeat to Team USA from two years ago.
Back in 2021, Team USA recorded an impressive 19-9 win over Padraig Harrington's Team Europe at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. However, this time around at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Europe, led by captain Luke Donald, have gotten off to a flying start, winning every single match on the opening morning to take a 4-0 lead.
Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg, Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka and Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood all won their respective Friday foursome match ups, giving Europe an excellent foundation to build upon out in Italy. Given the nature of the competition, the Ryder Cup brings together some of the biggest names in golf for three days of dramatic action, with both teams boasting players with extraordinary net worth's.
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When it comes to Team Europe, there is no bigger name than Rory McIlroy, whose net worth dwarfs that of the rest of the field. Per the Sunday Times Rich List, the four-time major winner has a net worth of £200million, which is over double that of his closest Ryder Cup challenger, Team USA's Jordan Spieth (£90.5m)
Team Europe's next biggest net worth is that of captain Luke Donald (£33m), with the European skipper followed up by Ryder Cup veteran Justin Rose (£30m). Irish star and 2019 Open Championship winner Shane Lowry has a net worth of £18m, while big hitting Spaniard Jon Rahm, who won the Masters earlier this year, comes in next on the Team Europe net worth list at £16.5m.
Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood both have estimated net worths of £12.5m. While neither have won a major yet in their respective careers, they do boast their own lucrative endorsement deals with the likes of PING, Lexus, Nike and BMW.
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In the US camp, Spieth leads the charge with an estimated net worth of £90.5m, and is playing in his fifth Ryder Cup, despite being just 30. He, alongside Justin Thomas, was part of a number of professional athletes to also have invested in Leeds United this past summer when they were bought by 49ers Enterprises.
Thomas has a net worth of £50m, with team-mates Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler both having tied net worth's of £41m. One member of Team USA who opted against investing in Leeds United was Rickie Fowler, who had been rumoured to be interested in joining Spieth and Thomas.
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However, Fowler, who has a net worth of £33m, opted against doing so. USA skipper Zach Johnson, a two-time major winner himself in 2007 and 2015 after winning the Masters and the Open respectively, has amassed a net worth of £29m. And last but not least for Team USA is Patrick Cantlay, who has a net worth of £20m.
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