The European golfer who Smylie Kaufman is tipping to be a very ‘big problem’ for Team USA at the Ryder Cup

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This past week proved to be a superb appetiser for the Ryder Cup, with two European players battling it out with two Americans for the FedEx St. Jude Championship title on the PGA Tour.

Of course, had Tommy Fleetwood not experienced such disappointment at the Travelers Championship in June, many would have assumed that the FedEx St. Jude Championship would come down to the Englishman and Scottie Scheffler.

Remarkably however, both players finished in a tie for third. Scheffler was not quite able to get things going on the green at TPC Southwind. Meanwhile, Fleetwood played the final three holes in one over par.

Instead, it was Justin Rose and J.J. Spaun who ended up in a playoff. Remarkably, the pair are the two players who have been beaten by Rory McIlroy in playoffs this year.

European player backed to potentially win a second major title in 2026

Ultimately, it was Rose who got the victory. A birdie on the third playoff hole was enough to edge the battle with Spaun. It was subsequently confirmed that Rose, Fleetwood and Spaun had all automatically booked their spots to the Ryder Cup at Bethpage.

There had previously been a small question mark over Rose’s place. He spent most of the year outside of the top six in the standings. And at 45, he will be aware that he is unlikely to be a candidate to play all five matches in New York.

Nevertheless, Keegan Bradley has been issued with a warning when it comes to Rose. Speaking on The Smylie Show, Smylie Kaufman lauded Rose following his victory and even suggested that he could see him winning a second major next year.

“I even go back to the beginning of LIV Golf when it started. He very easily could have made that jump. He’s a player who had a lot of friends go and play on the LIV Golf tour, and he ultimately decided that he had some good golf left to play,” he said.

“Does he get the opportunity to play in The Masters this past year and have an opportunity to be in a playoff playing with Rory McIlroy to win a Green Jacket, who knows if he has that opportunity if he goes to LIV Golf? Justin Rose bet on himself, he bet on what he felt like could be a second half of his career that he can milk a lot of talent that he has.

“I like what he said in his interview too. He said, ‘sometimes I don’t need to look at what my age is and know that my body still does move well, I still hit it far enough, I still do everything to a level that can win out here’. He still has that belief. There’s no reason why this guy can’t go out and still pick off a major next year. He’s that good. And he’s going to be a problem at the Ryder Cup, a big problem.”

Justin Rose’s Ryder Cup record

Rose’s record in the Ryder Cup is an outstanding one. He should move into the top 10 on the all-time European points list at Bethpage, with Ian Woosnam only one point ahead of the 2013 US Open champion.

The bulk of those points came in his first three appearances. He won three points at Valhalla in 2008 and Medinah four years later. Meanwhile, he won four points at Gleneagles in 2014.

And among his six appearances, there has only been one occasion where Rose has emerged with a losing record.

He has taken on a senior role in his last two appearances, being paired with rookies Jon Rahm and Robert MacIntyre. And it would be no surprise to see him take a younger player under his wing in New York.

It would also not be a shock to see Rose make a decent contribution as Europe look to become the first away side to win the Ryder Cup since 2012.