Featuring a quartet of rookies led by a captain who outplayed several of his teammates during the season, Team USA goes into the 2025 Ryder Cup as scrappy underdogs despite having home-field advantage.

U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun leads the new-look Team USA alongside Russell Henley, Cameron Young, and Ben Griffin as those making their Ryder Cup debuts at Bethpage State Park, New York. 

Joining the rookies will be world number one golfer, Scottie Scheffler, and a string of familiar faces in Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, and more. 

Team USA, which last won the Ryder Cup in 2021 at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, returns Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau who missed out on the 2023 squad that fell to Europe in Rome. 

Team Europe, the reigning champions by virtue of a 16 ½ – 11 ½ final score at Marco Simone, Italy, return all but one of their 2023 Ryder Cup winning squad. 

Led by Ryder Cup regulars Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, who make their 8^th and 7^th appearances, respectively, Team Europe marches on American soil as a rare away-team favourite and seeks back-to-back Cup wins for the first time since 2010 – 2014 where the Europeans won the Ryder Cup three times in a row. 

We intend to get you acquainted with all members of both squads, their intended usage throughout the three-day tournament, and who we think will win it all!

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Table of Contents

• The Rosters
• Team USA
• Team Europe
• Ryder Cup Individuals Tiered 
• From Royal Portrush to Bethpage: What Transpired This Summer? 
• All Things Considered – Final Predictions and Rationale, Who Wins The 2025 Ryder Cup?
• The Projected Top 10 in Final Scoring 

The Rosters 

The first six bids on each roster indicate automatic qualifiers while picks 7 – 12 were chosen as the discretion of captains Keegan Bradley (USA) and Luke Donald (Europe). 

Team USA golfers are identified with which state they consider home, while Team Europe is identified by individuals’ country of birth. 

Team USA

Scottie Scheffler

• Last Professional Win: Procore Championship (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T4
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 3
• Ryder Cup Record: 2 – 3 – 3 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2021)
• Making The Team: Along with Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler was a lock for the Ryder Cup even before the start of the season. Winning three major championships in two years went a long way towards making that happen. Scheffler figures to be a lock for 2027 already.  
• State of Play: Winning the Procore Championship by one stroke over Ben Griffin, Scheffler is locked and loaded heading into Bethpage. A multiple tournament winner recently, Scheffler’s win over Robert MacIntyre at The BMW Championship marked the only PGA Tour Playoffs win for a member of Team USA, but it was an important one. Scheffler is the unquestioned best golfer in the world, but does the Ryder Cup format suit his style of play? His record says no, but 2025 could be a chance to add multiple wins and turn that negative record into a positive one!

Bryson DeChambeau

• Last Professional Win: LIV Korea (2025)
• Final Standing on LIV Tour: 3^rd 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 3
• Ryder Cup Record: 2 – 3 – 1 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2021)
• Making The Team: The only golfer from LIV for Team USA, DeChambeau’s 2024 U.S. Open title and performances at the major championships gave the two-time U.S. Open champion the points needed to get the automatic bid. 
• State of Play: DeChambeau and his Crushers came a few strokes away from winning the 2025 LIV Golf Team Championship before he and Paul Casey were bested by Legion XIII’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. DeChambeau finished his regular LIV Golf season with three straight Top 15 finishes. A fiery competitor, there is no better long-hitting option for Team USA than DeChambeau.  

Patrick Cantlay

• Last Professional Win: BMW Championship (2022)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T2
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 3
• Ryder Cup Record: 5 – 2 – 1 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2021)
• Making The Team: Among his peers, Cantlay has the best Ryder Cup going into Bethpage. Cantlay was tied with Tommy Fleetwood going into the PGA TOUR Championship on Sunday but fell short, locking up second place overall on the season. 
• State of Play: It has been a minute since Cantlay has won; however, Patrick has had a number of close calls in recent tournaments but also quite a few missed cuts including three of four majors this season. Luckily, Cantlay’s game is trending upwards since his last missed cut at Royal Portrush.  

Xander Schauffele 

• Last Professional Win: The Open (2024)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: 42^nd 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 3
• Ryder Cup Record: 4 – 4 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2021)
• Making The Team: Winner of the 2024 PGA Championship and 2024 Open, Schauffele is perhaps the most intriguing American player going into Bethpage. His recent accomplishments renowned, Schauffele has spent much of the current season getting back into championship form after starting the season injured.     
• State of Play: Schauffele, still the world’s number three golfer, got better as the year went on but ultimately fizzled out in the PGA Tour Playoffs, missing the chance to play in the finale in Atlanta. Schauffele is the most accomplished golfer on Team USA who also has the highest chance of sitting out the more important matchups.     

Cameron Young

• Last Professional Win: Wyndham Championship (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T4
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: Rookie
• Ryder Cup Record: 0 – 0 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: No
• Making The Team: Young’s win at the Wyndham Championship, alongside Top 5 finishes at The PGA TOUR Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship were good enough to make Team USA. 
• State of Play: Young broke through in 2025 with his first-ever PGA Tour win at Wyndham Championship. A relatively recent win, Young is a team player who has showcased his team spirit on Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) New York Golf Club, making it all the way to the championship last season before eventually falling to Atlanta.  The hometown favourite, playing in and for his native New York, if there was ever a tournament for a breakout to occur, the stars will align for Cameron Young at Bethpage. 

Ben Griffin 

• Last Professional Win: Charles Schwab Challenge (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T10
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: Rookie
• Ryder Cup Record: 0 – 0 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: No
• Making The Team: Two Top 10 finishes at The PGA Championship and U.S. Open impressed captain Keegan Bradley enough for a captain’s bid. Griffin won the Zurich Classic alongside fellow American Andrew Novak and has some recent success with team golf going into Bethpage. 
• State of Play: A rising star for American golf, Griffin finished the season strong with finishes of T9, T12, and T10 during the PGA Tour playoffs.  

J.J. Spaun

• Last Professional Win: U.S. Open (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T25
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: Rookie
• Ryder Cup Record: 0 – 0 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: No
• Making The Team: The only man to post an under-par score at Oakmont, Spaun also came close to winning several times on the PGA Tour this season, including a playoff loss at The Players to Rory McIlroy.
• State of Play: This is the year of J.J. Spaun. Long considered a journeyman, J.J. sank one of the most incredible putts you will ever see to win the U.S. Open at Oakmont and ensured his rightful spot on Team USA. Although he would have liked to finish higher in the PGA Tour’s playoffs, Spaun has shown several times he can grind it out with the best of them.   

Justin Thomas

• Last Professional Win: RBC Heritage (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T7
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 4
• Ryder Cup Record: 7 – 4 – 2 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2021)
• Making The Team: Thomas’ first win in several seasons at Hilton Head showed Keegan Bradley that the Ryder Cup veteran had enough in him to return to the 2025 team. One of Team USA’s most experienced Ryder Cup players, JT will be expected to take on a heavy workload. 
• State of Play: Finishing the year with a number of Top 10 finishes and a win at The Heritage, JT finished the season in style coming in T7 at the end of the Atlanta finale. 

Russell Henley

• Last Professional Win: Arnold Palmer Invitational (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T2
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: Rookie
• Ryder Cup Record: 0 – 0 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: No
• Making The Team: A Ryder Cup rookie at 36 years old, Henley’s early win at the Arnold Palmer and two Top 10 finishes at the U.S. Open and The Open secured his automatic bid.  
• State of Play: With no previous Ryder Cup experience and not participating in TGL like several of his colleagues, Henley is a huge question mark going into Bethpage. An extremely talented golfer, he will reveal what type of teammate early.   

Collin Morikawa

• Last Professional Win: PGA TOUR Championship (2024)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T19
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 3
• Ryder Cup Record: 4 – 3 – 1 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2021)
• Making The Team: By far, the most controversial pick for either squad. Many suspect Morikawa’s spot on the team was secured through internal PGA politics. Morikawa does have a winning record, but his place on the team put several more deserving members waiting until 2027. 
• State of Play: A Top 10 golfer in the OWGR, Morikawa started the season strong with two early 2nd-place finishes, but has placed in the Top 10 only once since the Arnold Palmer. Morikawa was perhaps the longest shot to win a spot on the team, however after deciding not to play as a playing-captain, Bradley handed the last spot to the two-time major championship winner. 

Sam Burns

• Last Professional Win: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (2023)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T7
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 2
• Ryder Cup Record: 1 – 2 – 1 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: No
• Making The Team: Burns is often cited as the best putter on either team, so Bradley picked up Burns for another go. Despite his record, Burns will be relied on for his clutch abilities. 
• State of Play: Burns has played a lot of golf in 2025, finishing in the Top 10 several times throughout the latter part of the season. 

Harris English

• Last Professional Win: Farmers Insurance Open (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T13
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 2
• Ryder Cup Record: 1 – 2 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2021)
• Making The Team: Perhaps the quietest individual on Team USA, English returns for his second go after winning the Cup in his inaugural season.
• State of Play: More will be expected out of English in his sophomore Cup year. His win coming early in the season, English was able to grind it out against strong fields for most of the season. That determinedness and grittiness will be called upon once again to bring the Cup home to America. 

CAPTAIN

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Keegan Bradley

• Ryder Cup Experience: Bradley was featured on the 2012 and 2014 teams before being chosen to captain Team USA in 2025. 
• State of Play: Bradley, by far the most intriguing captain of a Ryder Cup team in some time, made the difficult decision not to assume the playing-captain role despite an incredible 2025 which ended with a very successful PGA Tour Playoff run, resulting in finishing the season 12^th in OWGR. Not choosing himself to play despite being one of the best in the world could come back to bite Bradley. If Team USA loses, Bradley’s choice will be even further criticised with the notion that he could have, and probably should have, stepped into the active playing-captain role. Had that plan been executed, Bradley’s performance would speak for itself as the correct/incorrect decision despite the final outcome of the Ryder Cup. 

Team Europe

Rory McIlroy

• Last Professional Win: The Masters (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T23
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 8
• Ryder Cup Record: 16 – 13 – 4 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023, 2018, 2014, 2012, 2010)
• Making The Team: McIlroy’s 2024 points paired with his early win at Augusta ensured the legendary McIlroy his 8^th Ryder Cup appearance early on.  With his combination of success and experience, expect McIlroy to play or captain Team Europe until the day he retires. 
• State of Play: A multiple tournament winner in 2025, McIlroy might have cooled off a bit in past months but remained in the mix on a weekly basis. By far the most experienced Ryder Cup player on either side, expect McIlroy to re-elevate his game to his early 2025 form.   

Tommy Fleetwood

• Last Professional Win: PGA TOUR Championship (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: 1^st 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 4
• Ryder Cup Record: 7 – 3 – 2 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023, 2018)
• Making The Team: An automatic qualifier by virtue of several close calls to win tournaments throughout the season, Fleetwood was a shoo-in for the past several months.   
• State of Play: Perhaps the most in-form golfer in the world due to his storybook ending at East Lake, Tommy Fleetwood had the world cheering for him all the way to his first PGA Tour career win at the season finale. Fleetwood is a masterful artist who will be going into the competition with the weight of the world now off his shoulders. 

Jon Rahm

• Last Professional Win: LIV Chicago (2024)
• Final Standing on LIV Tour: 1^st 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 4
• Ryder Cup Record: 6 – 3 – 3 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023, 2018)
• Making The Team: While not an automatic qualifier through points gained, Rahm winning the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Championship and in contention to win a number of majors this year made the Spaniard’s selection a foregone conclusion. Extremely wary of bringing over LIV golfers in 2023, Team Europe realised that leaving Rahm off the roster would have resulted in a self-inflicted wound to the team. 
• State of Play: Despite failing to record a win in the 2025 season, Jon Rahm won the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Championship (and Team Championship) through points gained throughout the season. LIV’s most consistent golfer, Rahm and DeChambeau also represented the league well in several key performances during the 2025 major championship circuit. 

Tyrrell Hatton 

• Last Professional Win: DP World Tour Dubai Desert Classic (2025)
• Final Standing on LIV Tour: 26^th 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 4
• Ryder Cup Record: 5 – 4 – 2 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023, 2018)
• Making The Team: The only automatic qualifier from LIV for Team Europe, Hatton’s big win on the DP World Tour to start the season, paired with some masterful performances at major championships, ensured the Legion XIII star a starting spot for his third consecutive Ryder Cup appearance
• State of Play: Hatton’s 2025 campaign was not nearly as successful at his 2024 one, but the Mad Hatter did ensure a Legion XIII Team Championship at Michigan during LIV’s finale. Hatton is about as reliable as they come and will be used extensively for this Ryder Cup. Expect Hatton to be paired with Jon Rahm whenever applicable. 

Sepp Straka

• Last Professional Win: Truist Championship (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: 30^th 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 2
• Ryder Cup Record: 1 – 2 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023)
• Making The Team: Straka won multiple times on The PGA Tour this season and rightfully earned his spot through a captain’s pick.    
• State of Play: Straka’s 2025 was the best season of his career. His absence from The BMW Championship and finishing the TOUR Championship 7-over par puts his current form in doubt. Straka was the lone European to skip out on the BMW PGA Championship ‘warm-up’ event that vice-captain Alex Noren won. 

Robert MacIntyre

• Last Professional Win: Genesis Scottish Open (2024)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T17
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 2
• Ryder Cup Record: 2 – 0 – 1 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023)
• Making The Team: Finishing only behind Rory McIlroy in terms of qualifying points, MacIntyre has been one of Europe’s most reliable golfers for the past two seasons.    
• State of Play: Coming close to winning a number of times in 2025, MacIntyre’s inability to close shouldn’t harm his team game going into Bethpage. 

Shane Lowry

• Last Professional Win: Zurich Classic (2024)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T13
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 3
• Ryder Cup Record: 2 – 3 – 1 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023)
• Making The Team: Finishing just outside the standings as an automatic qualifier, if he does play, Lowry figures to be Rory McIlroy’s playing partner as the two have gelled nicely in team play over the course of their lengthy friendship. 
• State of Play: Lowry’s 2025 was a little rough by his standards. Essentially a no-show at the major championships and really only in the mix in a few tournaments this season, Lowry was more of a background character during the 2025 season. 

Justin Rose

• Last Professional Win: FedEx St. Jude Championship (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T21
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 7
• Ryder Cup Record: 14 – 9 – 3 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023, 2018, 2014, 2012)
• Making The Team: The elder stateman of Team Europe by age, Rose cannot be considered an underdog during his fantastic play throughout the 2025 season. His close call at The Masters, paired with some great Top 5 finishes throughout the season gave Rose his seventh opportunity to play for Team Europe.    
• State of Play: Rose’s playoff win on the first leg of the PGA Tour’s playoffs was sweet music after losing an earlier playoff at The Masters to teammate McIlroy. 

Rasmus Hojaard 

• Last Professional Win: Amgen Irish Open (2024)
• Final Standing on DP World Tour: 18^th 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: Rookie
• Ryder Cup Record: 0 – 0 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: No
• Making The Team: The last automatic qualifier through his play on The DP World Tour, Hojaard is also the only European with no previous experience and the only change from the 2023 team in which he replaces his brother.   
• State of Play: The only Ryder Cup participant outside the Top 50 in OWGR (other than Jon Rahm), Hojaard got hot at the right time but has much to prove at Bethpage.  

Viktor Hovland

• Last Professional Win: 
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: 12^th 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 3
• Ryder Cup Record: 3 – 4 – 3 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023)
• Making The Team: A big-time player with the personality to boot, Hovland looked down and out in 2024 but came back in a huge way in 2025 and earned the respect of his 2023 teammates to make the team for a second consecutive time.    
• State of Play: There are times Hovland looks like he could be the best player in the world, and there are other times you forget he’s in the tournament. With his fortunes changing for the better, expect Hovland to take on a decent role this go around. 

Ludvig Aberg

• Last Professional Win: Genesis Invitational (2025)
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: T21 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 2
• Ryder Cup Record: 2 – 2 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023)
• Making The Team: A no-brainer for anyone who follows golf, Aberg’s second Ryder Cup will likely include more responsibility than before.  Aberg’s fantastic 2024 season was followed up by a one-win 2025, but was enough to be recognised for a spot on the team once again. 
• State of Play: Much like Viktor Hovland, Aberg will either shine bright or fizzle out quickly. A number of Top 10 finishes and a win at The Genesis Invitational mean Aberg may be asked to take on a bigger role than he did in his rookie season back in 2023. 

Matt Fitzpatrick

• Last Professional Win: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2023.
• Final Standing on PGA Tour: 34^th 
• Number of Ryder Cup Teams Made: 4
• Ryder Cup Record: 1 – 7 – 0 
• Previous Ryder Cup Winner: Yes (2023)
• Making The Team: The real controversial pick, at least in European media markets, Fitzpatrick closed out the 2025 season in decent form and was brought back in order to keep the 2023 team mostly intact. 
• State of Play: Fitzpatrick’s Ryder Cup record is the worst on either squad going into Bethpage. Not having an amazing 2025 season, we eagerly await what captain Luke Donald has in store for Fitzpatrick. 

CAPTAIN

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Luke Donald

• Ryder Cup Experience: Donald is returning to his post as captain of the winning 2023 European squad for at least one more shot. As a player, Donald was featured on European Ryder Cup teams in 2004, 2006, 2010, and 2012 in which Donald won with Europe each time.  
• State of Play: There’s not much news abuzz about Donald other than that he probably regrets not taking vice-captain Alex Noren as one of his players. Noren won The BMW PGA Championship on September 14^th, beating out several top European golfers, almost all of whom will be featured on the 2025 squad. If Donald returns the Cup back to Europe in sequential tournaments, there’s little doubt that he will be an automatic selection of sorts for 2027.  

Ryder Cup Individuals Ranked Tiers

Tier 4 – Benchwarmer

Colin Morikawa – Morikawa’s lone Top 10 finish in the past couple of months was a T8 at the Rocket Classic. Perhaps the most out-of-form golfer on Team USA, Morikawa has the experience, but is likely to sit in favour of several of the Team USA rookies.  

Rasmus Hojaard – Hojaard would likely not have made the squad as a captain’s choice. A great player on the DP World Tour, Hojaard’s season playing in PGA Tour events against top competition is not great. The twenty-four-year-old is the youngest member of Team Europe and will only play when necessary.

Matt Fitzpatrick – A highly suspect choice for inclusion, Collin Morikawa received all the negative press for his selection while Fitzpatrick flew under the radar partly in part to him being on the Cup-winning 2023 squad. Luke Donald is banking completely on current form and doesn’t seem to mind the lack of scoring in past performances.  

Sam Burns – Burns is a streaky golfer who puts together excellent back-to-back tournaments with regularity but also has the tendency to go the other way for weeks on end. Not having missed a cut since the 14^th week of the PGA Tour season, Burns is an excellent golfer, but will likely be overlooked by his fellow countrymen. 

Sepp Straka – The lone European to sit out the BMW PGA Championship, Straka’s decision and current form will likely cost the Austrian a decent amount of playing time. 

Tier 3 – Role Player

Cameron Young – Another TGL golfer, Young got hot at the end of the season and is well-liked by his colleagues, but will that translate into playing time, especially when it matters most? 

Ben Griffin – Beating Scottie Scheffler in a professional tournament is a tall order, and Griffin almost sealed the deal at the Procore Championship but ultimately fell short by one stroke to the world’s best. 2025 has been Griffin’s best season of his career and it does not look like the North Carolinian has any intention of slowing it down. 

Russell Henley – Henley’s incredible season was good enough to finish 4^th in the OWGR and earn his first Ryder Cup nod at age 36. Having no recent team experience, Henley is about as big as a wildcard as you can find along with J.J. Spaun, the latter of which expects to get a bit more playing time for his major accomplishment at Oakmont. 

Harris English – While he failed to impress at the Procore Championship, there’s no need to panic as English has been steady and reliable the entire season with only two missed cuts. Expect the same steady performances at Bethpage, but English does not figure to be in the conversation when everything is on the line. 

Shane Lowry – An off-season by his standards, Lowry’s playing time is likely to be limited this go around. Team Europe’s second oldest player, Lowry will be in his 40’s in 2027 and this may be his last Ryder Cup unless he regains his winning form. 

Tier 2 – Big Expectations

Patrick Cantlay – Cantlay is Team USA’s not-so-secret weapon. Boasting the highest winning percentage among American golfers, much will be expected of the PGA Tour’s 2025 runner-up. Cantlay’s ability to slow down the game is unparalleled in men’s golf. Keegan Bradley will use this as an advantage, most likely against Europe’s Ludvig Aberg if the situation allows. 

Bryson DeChambeau – DeChambeau is the only American golfer who has played constant team-focused golf throughout the past couple of seasons and is the architect of Crushers GC, a previous Team Championship-winning squad on LIV. DeChambeau brings an excellent attitude and team spirit to the course and other than Scottie Scheffler, will be likely be looked at as the man most expected to bring home the points. 

Justin Rose– What hasn’t Justin Rose done this season? The oldest golfer on either squad, Rose’s renaissance 2025 season has featured incredible highs and quite a few lows. Still, the man who won the first PGA Tour Playoffs tournament looks ready to resume his leading role for Team Europe. 

J.J. Spaun – Don’t let the playoff losses at The Players and The FedEx St. Jude Championship fool you; this is revenge time for J.J. Spaun. With both playoff losses coming to members of the European squad, captain Keegan Bradley can harness Spaun’s energy (or anger, if you prefer) and parlay that into multiple wins. 

Viktor Hovland – A nice T5 finish at The BMW PGA Championship leads us to believe that Team Europe is going to get the elite version on Viktor Hovland as opposed to the 2024 version. Like fellow Scandinavian Ludvig Aberg, Hovland is a young star that will be in contention to win huge tournaments for years to come. 

Justin Thomas – Nobody has more wins on Team USA than Justin Thomas. Ranked 5^th in OWGR and a winner for the first time in several years, Keegan Bradley will lean heavily on JT to secure at least two more victories. 

Ludvig Aberg – The second youngest player for Team Europe, Aberg is now an established star who will have his number called more often than not. Entering the prime of his career, Aberg is a name to watch in all events for at least the next decade. 

Xander Schauffele – Schauffele’s skill is unquestioned, but fans do not know what version of the two-time major winner they’re going to get at Bethpage. We could see anything from the MVP to a non-factor. In either case, betting on Schauffele is the correct move, and Team USA should be rewarded for doing so. 

Robert MacIntyre– MacIntyre’s short but successful Ryder Cup career continues as the Scotsman looks to add a few more wins and remain undefeated. 

Tier 1 – Anchors and Closers

Jon Rahm – Team Europe boasts two league champions Jon Rahm is one of them. A captain’s pick by virtue of not being able to pick up enough points through just playing major championships, Rahm is arguably Europe’s best option for any situation. 

Tommy Fleetwood – Finally crowned a champion, and at the perfect moment nonetheless, Tommy Fleetwood is now going to be expected to come up clutch in all situations. 

Scottie Scheffler – The best golfer in the world doesn’t have the Ryder Cup record to back up the superlative, but Scottie Scheffler will be the guy to get the call when everything is on the line. 

Rory McIlroy – McIlroy will play as much as he pleases as he looks to add a couple wins to boost his career winning percentage. 

Tyrrell Hatton – Hatton’s approach shots on the two playoff holes at LIV Michigan were about as good as you can get without holing out. Hatton showed just how good he is in team play during LIV’s final event and playing with captain Jon Rahm, the pairing could quite honestly be the best at Bethpage. 

From Royal Portrush to Bethpage

Keegan Bradley’s playing status was the talk of the town for most of the last quarter. The captain ultimately decided against playing despite being in better form than several of his picks. For Bradley, a win means he made the honourable and right decision, while a loss invites extra criticism for not fielding the best team he possibly could have. 

Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler, and Tommy Fleetwood all ended the season on a positive note, each taking a playoff tournament victory before Fleetwood being crowned the PGA Tour’s season-long champion after his first career PGA Tour victory.

Scottie Scheffler won The BMW Championship and in doing so increased his OWGR standing as world’s number one golfer over Rory McIlroy by more than 350 points.

Alongside them, fellow Ryder Cup stars J.J. Spaun, Robert MacIntyre, and Patrick Cantlay shone as each finished runner-up in their respective Playoff tournaments.  

Jon Rahm finished his season with back-to-back second-place finishes in LIV before taking his Legion XIII to their first team championship by way of a 2v2 playoff against Bryson DeChambeau and Paul Casey. Ultimately, it was Tyrrell Hatton who assured the team their eventual victory, showing once again how vital the Englishman is to Team Europe’s success. 

During the week of September 11 – 14, the two squads used The Procore Championship (USA) and BMW PGA Championship (Europe) to hone their skills. Although the stars were unable to play as a team, the Ryder Cup spirit was in the air for both sides and a number of those Bethpage-bound answered the call in their final tune-up.  

All Things Considered and Final Predictions

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• Team Europe has the stronger team; you would be hard-pressed to find someone who can make a cogent case for America being better going into Bethpage. It’s not that Europe is returning all but one of their starters from 2023, it’s that USA just does not feel that deep after Scottie Scheffler. 
• J.J. Spaun figures to be USA’s wildcard. Despite losing two playoffs against European players this season, Spaun proved he is one of America’s best by capturing the U.S. Open at the Oakmont Country Club, the most difficult course in America. Spaun has to be absolutely itching to get some revenge against McIlroy and Rose. With no Ryder Cup data for Europe to use against Spaun, I expect big things from America’s top rookie. 
• The European LIV duo of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton won their Team Championship at LIV Michigan and go into the 2025 Ryder Cup as really the only two golfers who regularly play on a team. Team USA will have to counter the deadly duo with their best two available players, because the Legion XIII teammates know exactly how to win. 
• When discussing potential team MVPs my first thought is Scheffler and McIlroy for their respective teams, and while it most likely will be McIlroy for Europe once again remember that Max Homa was Team USA’s best player in 2025 and he’s not even on the team this season. Team USA just does not have that guy on their 2025 roster like Europe does with McIlroy, Hatton, and perhaps a new hero in Tommy Fleetwood. 
• Despite the MVP talk, I do like Scottie Scheffler to elevate his team game to the next level and mature once more as a player, if that’s even possible. Looking at the roster, there’s no doubt that Scheffler knows and feels he is USA’s best chance at bringing the cup back home and nobody answers the call to pressure better than Scheffler. If Team USA has any chance at winning this thing, Scheffler will need to be perfect, and is capable of doing so. 

The Anticipated Results Top 10 in Scoring

10. Viktor Hovland

9. Justin Rose

8. J.J. Spaun

7. Robert MacIntyre

6. Patrick Cantlay 

5. Tommy Fleetwood

4. Jon Rahm

3. Rory McIlroy

2. Scottie Scheffler

1. Tyrrell Hatton

The 2025 Ryder Cup starts this Friday, September 26 and will be aired on NBC, USA, and the Golf Channel, while streaming takes place on Peacock.