“You just gotta let your horses run”: Zach Johnson shares matchplay strategies ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup

Zach Johnson already has a clear strategy for the Ryder Cup, which begins this Friday. The USA captain's plan is to rely on the tremendous quality of his team and the preparation they have developed ahead of the event. Johnson is pleased with the work that has been done and is ready to "let his horses run".

In an interview with Golf Channel in Wednesday, Zach Johnson discussed various aspects of the preparation process for the Ryder Cup. Without giving away any specifics, the American captain reflected on his approach to the event and the quality of his team.

Johnson said:

"You put so much into this, you love every second of it. It's an absolute honor, obviously, but more than that. The difficulty and the decision-making and all of that, from the outside, looks really burdensome... it's anything but that. I relish it, I love it, I want it, so, once all that's done, the cliché is "you just gotta let your horses run" right?, and that's what you gotta do."

He added:

"This guys know what they're doing, they're here for a reason, and you just gotta let them go... The beuty of where we are at right now is that we have a system. It's not foolproof, but it's efective, and it's efficient. It's my responsability to maintain that."

The 2023 Ryder Cup will tee off this Friday at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Guidonia, Rome, Italy. It will be the first time the event has been played on Italian soil.

Zach Johnson's possible pairings for the Ryder Cup opener

Anyone who follows golf knows that getting the pairings right in the Ryder Cup is crucial. Not all pairings work, no matter how high the quality of the players; Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were paired up in 2004 and registered two losses in two matches.

The anticipation to know what Zach Johnson's pairings will be at the start of the event is at an all-time high. The official announcement is still more than 24 hours away, but some of the pairings can be predicted.

Such is the case with Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. The pair boasts four wins and only one loss in the last two editions of the Ryder Cup. It is a formula that works both in foursomes and fourballs and Johnson knows it.

Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay also work well together. Schauffele has only one previous participation in the event (2021), but he played twice with Cantlay there and both matches ended in American victory.

Finally, the most likely pairing is Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa. Scheffler is the best all-around player in the world, with the exception of his putting. Homa has the best putting of anyone on the American team. It should be an interesting combination, especially in foursomes.