The 2023 Junior Ryder Cup takes place this week in Rome from Tuesday September 26 – Thursday September 28 at Golf Nazionale and Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.
In a change to the previous format, the Junior Ryder Cup will now take place over three days instead of two with Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the Ryder Cup venue, hosting the decisive singles matches for the first time, which will also be broadcast live on television.
Golf Nazionale, which hosted the Italian Challenge Open earlier this year, will be the venue for the first two days of foursomes and fourballs between male and female juniors from Europe and the United States, on Tuesday September 26 and Wednesday September 27. The competition will then move to Marco Simone Golf & Country Club on Thursday September 28, the day before the venue hosts the Ryder Cup itself, providing an exciting curtain-raiser to golf’s greatest team contest.
The 2023 European Junior Ryder Cup Team, captained by 2014 Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher, consists of six boys and six girls. The six automatic qualifiers included three boys – Englishman Kris Kim, Ireland’s Sean Keeling and Germany’s Peer Wernicke – and three girls – Spain’s Rocio Tejedo, Swede Meja Örtengren and Germany’s Helen Briem.
Six players were then selected by Gallacher: Scotland’s Connor Graham, Ukraine’s Lev Grinberg and Italian Giovanni Binaghi for the boys, while Sweden’s Nora Sundberg, Spain’s Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea and Italian Francesca Fiorellini were selected for the girls.
“It is a tremendous honour to be Captain of the European Junior Ryder Cup side and I am looking forward to working with and showcasing the most exciting future talent in Europe,” said Gallacher. “My uncle has captained the Ryder Cup team three times and I was lucky enough to play in 2014 so the Ryder Cup has always been a big part of my life.
“I’ve got a front row seat to watch the best players in the world at their level and golf’s future World Number Ones.
“We’ve got a very strong team and we’re looking forward to a robust but fair competition against the U.S played in the spirit of the game.
“Playing the final day at Marco Simone will be a magical experience for the teams who get the opportunity to compete in front of Ryder Cup crowds on the Ryder Cup course for the first time.
“Walking on to the first tee yesterday during our practice round and getting to meet Captain Luke Donald was an amazing experience for our team.”
The U.S. Team, captained by PGA Past President Paul Levy, is seeking its seventh straight victory and owns a 7-3-1 all-time record in the biennial competition. The team features six boys and six girls who are U.S. citizens and members of the high school graduating class of 2024 or younger.
The 2023 U.S. Team includes Junior PGA Championship winner Gianna Clemente, Leigh Chien, Kylie Chong, Anna Davis, Ryleigh Knaub, Yana Wilson for the girls. The selected boys comprises Junior PGA Championship winner Miles Russell, Jackson Byrd, Billy Davis, Nicholas Gross, Will Hartman, Jay Leng Jr.
“These are the greatest young players in America and they are ready to flourish on the biggest of stages this week. It’s going to be a special tournament for everyone involved. This is not just about wanting to win for your continent but it’s also about the fellowship, the friendship and the memories that the players will create.
“This is a very special experience to be in Rome. For a Ryder Cup, I don’t think we’ve ever had a better venue. It’s a special match play golf course.
“To be the U.S. Team Captain is an absolute honour and it is by far the proudest moment in my career.”
