The Doylestown Ryder Cup at DCC
2022 Player Bios

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Jim Neumann – After months of therapy, Neumann has finally gotten over the drubbing the Americans took at the hands of the Euros last year. The infusion of new blood in the team last year with 3 first time players was clearly not the recipe for success, so Neumann has limited this years team to just one rookie. One of the original Ryder Cup players Bartow is back as is veteran Greg DiVona. Neumann has been battling a number of nagging injuries this year which has seen his scores and handicap increase steadily all year - look for him to take advantage of those extra strokes in this year's Ryder Cup. Another loss by the Americans and we may be seeing the end of Neumann's tenure as the American captain.
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Greg DiVona – Returning to the team after a 3 year hiatus while he was honing his golf game on the Italian tour, Greg DiVona will provide consistency and calmness to the American team that clearly lost focus during the 2021 event. DiVona provides the consistency needed to wear down opponents in match play events; quietly parring his way around the course waiting for his opponents to make a mistake. Like Arslan for the Euros, DiVona provides a lot of flexibility when it comes to determining pairings for the event.
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Brian Trymbiski (Sr.) – Much like Arnold Palmer did, Trymbiski Sr. has been traveling the world to play and promote golf and represent the DCC Ryder Cup Americans. Trips to Ireland and Korea were just a warm up for the DCC Ryder Cup in 2022. Trymbiski can match up against any of the Euros physically and can dominate them mentally. He is the ultimate competitor and grinder but sometimes gets a little too intense. When things are really going badly, he's been know to ditch his golf cart in the nearest sand trap. Trymbiski, like all the Americans, is anxious to prove that last year was just a fluke and this year will be the return of the cup to the Americans.
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Jim Bartow – Bartow missed last year's Ryder Cup to play in a rival golf event at Aronimink (let's hope the LIV tour doesn't throw some money at this guy), but he is back for the 2022 event at DCC. One of the original "range rats," Bartow's level of practice time has dropped off in 2022, but his 4th place finish in the 2 man stakes proves his game is "practice proof" - it doesn't get better with it but doesn't get worse without it. A tough minded competitor who is one of the most experienced Ryder Cup players of all time, and the US team is glad to have Bartow back for 2022. Bartow's game is prone to highs and lows, but his mental strength can pull him through a close match.
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Teddy Trymbiski – In order to stay in compliance with the 2 Trymbiski rule for the American team, Neumann tapped Teddy to replace BT whose wife is expecting their first child in September.
Teddy will bring a more consistent level of play for the Americans than his brother who typically provided a feast or famine approach to winning points. Being a rookie on the American team can be an intimidating experience, but its nothing compared to growing up under the tutelage of Trymbiski Sr. That made the selection of Teddy a very easy one for Neumann. Look for Teddy to come out of the gates quickly in this year's event.
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John Bitzer – Bitzer has been hinting at retirement from competitive golf but feels his game is now rounding into shape just in time for the 2022 Ryder Cup event. One of the original 16 players, Bitzer's length of the tee has decreased over the years, but has a strong finesse game at his disposal to win points for the Americans. Look for Neumann to pair John with one of the longer hitting American's in the scramble and alternate shot format to take advantage of Bitzer's deft touch from 100 yards in. The other positive for the American's is John's stamp of approval on this years outfits - I think last year proved that you need to look good to play well.
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Kim Hartung – Hartung has been getting private playing lessons from Russ and the work is starting to pay off. A bigger shoulder turn and a bag full of hybrids has Hartung hitting further than he has in years. Like Bitzer, pairing Hartung with a longer hitter in the morning makes for a formidable team. Hartung is on a very rare 2 year losing streak in the singles matchups, losing the last 2 years to Wilkinson. Look for Neumann to try and prevent that pairing from happening this year.
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Tim Pubins – The MVP of the team in 2021, scoring half of all the points won by the Americans. Tim has proven to be a consistent performer for the Americans since joining the team in 2019; he had 3 -1 record in 2020 as well. Tim is able to match up well with any number of the Euros - both lower and higher handicap players. Neumann has a lot of options when it comes to the pairings with Tim, but may stay away from the Pubins / Trymbiski Sr. pairing as he's not sure Trymbiski Sr. has calmed down yet from having to hit shots after Tim in the alternate shot format of the 2 man stakes.
Rick Hodge – Even the Euro Captain had to be surprised by the one sidedness of last years event. Hodge now holds a gaudy 10-6 record as the Euro captain. Unlike many years, the Euros return a lineup of proven veterans making up the 2022 team. That's good news for Hodge whose scouting time has been limited in 2022 while he was busy selling his business. Look for the Hodge to rollout the standard Euro playbook again this year: Shoot from the hip pairings planning, warm ups focused on Irish Whiskey, and Casamigos at lunch.
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Jim Arslan – The 2022 Ryder Cup marks the return of Arslan from the injured reserve list. The full extent of his injury was never fully disclosed and was only listed as a "mid body" injury. Neither the Euros nor the Americans are sure what to expect from this gritty competitor but Hodge is happy he doesn't need to go the open market to fill a vacancy on the team. Arslan provides Hodge a ton of options when it comes to the pairings due to his consistency in all parts of the game.
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Tom Wilkinson – Tom has been the most consistent Euro player for the past 5 years and has gone 6-1-2 in the last 2 years. Always a long hitter, the switch to Taylor Made drivers has given this long hitter even more distance. Tom's hole out from the fairway on on 9 last year during the scramble prevented a 4-0 start from the American's and was clearly a backbreaker as the US team only scored 2 1/2 more points the rest of the day after that shot. The American's will need to plan more carefully this year during the pairings party to try and slow the roll of Wilkinson in these Ryder Cup events.
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Bob Schumaker – After failing to qualify for the European team for several years, and spending a year as a member of the American team, Schumaker seems to have cemented his position back on the Euros with a solid showing in 2021. One of the Original Ryder Cuppers, Schu thrives on the match play format of the Ryder Cup; using his driver from the deck (and from under the trees) to frustrate and demoralize this opponents. Schu is having a solid 2022 golf season with strong showings in a number of DCC events leading up to the Ryder Cup. Easy to play with, Schu provides a high degree of flexibility for Hodge when it comes to pairings.
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Brian Falcone – After a year away, Falcone returns to the European team. As a free agent, rumor has it Falcone was offered a significant signing bonus from the American team, but declined to remain with the Euros. We'll see if that decision will pay dividends (or at least $200) at the end of the Ryder Cup event. Falcone's handicap has improved since his strong showings in 2019 and 2020, which typically bodes well in the Ryder Cup format. We will see if Hodge tries to put the band back together by having Verbeck play with Falcone.
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Rob Waskey – Waskey has been a very consistent player for the Euros since joining the team in 2018 and has a winning record every year. Rob is a tough matchup for the Americans as he brings a solid game with a mid-range handicap. Waskey is the midst of deep run in the Flynn Cup - proving his game translates well to team events. Waskey give’s Hodge a player he can easily pair with any other Euro from both a temperament and a consistency perspective. All eyes from both the Euros and the Americans will be on Waskey as the pairings begin.
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Rick James – James has been lobbying Hodge all year to change the Euro's opening drink from whiskey to rosé. After an off year in 2020 when he recorded only 1/2 a point, James bounced back to form in 2021 scoring 3 points for the Euros. Nobody has been happier to see Sabin absent from the American team than James, who proves a difficult matchup for most of the other American players. The American's may need to throw a high handicapper at James to see if they can frustrate him with a large number of dots on the card.
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Tony Verbeck – Verbeck is another of the Euros with a handicap around 10 but who brings a high degree of consistency to his play. Based on reviewing some of Verbeck's recent scores, it looks like during a recent trip to Europe, Verbeck lobbed in a number of exceptionally high scores. Either he has completely forgotten how to play courses from his homeland, or he was working a little handicap management prior to the Ryder Cup event. Regardless, the American's will need to step up their game if they are paired against Verbeck.
