2025 Ryder Cup

If winning an away Ryder Cup is one of the greatest golf accomplishments in this modern era, then the European team has the ideal captain to do it. The debate over the actual impact a captain can have on an outcome is decades long, especially in the digital and talking head boom of overanalysis. But you could do no better than Luke Donald, who won the last away Ryder Cup as a player in 2012. He’s also won as a captain, providing the steady hand during the LIV Golf tumult for an easy rout in Rome. There’s the experience and continuity. There’s also the commitment. Donald has thrown himself fully into the role for almost three full years now. He has been locked into every detail from the data to the personalities to the golf ball types twice over. It’s doubtful you could say that about the two predecessor Euro captains trying to win on American soil. Every player last go-round loved him, and there has been total buy-in on their leader. Lastly, there's the temperament. Donald motivates and burns with a library voice, staying unemotional and steady. This is probably what you want going into a feisty arena full of New Yorkers antagonizing your players, where responses and engagement only add fuel to the fire.

Experience. Continuity. Commitment. Temperament. He is the ideal captain to pull this off. There are many nice words about his performance as captain. Will it matter? I’m skeptical. It’s certainly not the most critical component to winning, but the Europeans are as dialed as they possibly can be on the matter, however peripheral, of captain. -Brendan Porath

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 2

Data Golf Ranking: 2

Ryder Cup Experience: Seven appearances (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023)

Overall: 16-13-4

Singles: 4-2-1

Foursomes: 7-5-1

Fourball: 5-6-2

The strength of the Ryder Cup is that it is less dependent on stars, and more so on the infrastructure of the competition, to succeed. It’s a sudden stage for lesser-known Patrick Reed (2014) or Tommy Fleetwood (2018) to become fixtures. Ian Poulter’s professional identity can be built here. But to the extent there is a main character for this Ryder Cup, it’s Rory McIlroy. He’s the game’s most popular player. He brings the rare combination of most experience – Bethpage is his eighth straight Ryder Cup going back to 2010 – and most talent, flying high in form and far from some old warhorse hanging on with a captain’s pick. His skill sets up well everywhere, but especially Bethpage Black, where he will bomb away as the best driver in the world.

He has also proclaimed that winning an away Ryder Cup remains one of the biggest accomplishments in golf, telling the assembly in Rome, “That's what we're going to do at Bethpage.” He repeated the same level of Joe Namath-style guarantee in a recent pep talk to the GB&I Walker Cup team, saying, “I know we’re going to beat them at Bethpage.” It means everything to him this year and he is putting it on the line. 

Rory was ferocious in Rome, but left the last stateside Ryder Cup with a tearful interview, just one point, and a level of inconsistency that actually had him sitting down for a session. That feels like ages ago given his current form and maturation as a strategic player and player-leader in the world golf and for this generation’s European team room. He’s seen it all, including the Hazeltine hostilities, and is one of only two who have actually experienced an away win. A recent win at the Irish Open is encouraging following his post-Masters summer haze

So you have the game’s most popular player strutting into an event with an opportunity that is a massive motivator for someone who has achieved just about everything. Expect him to go all five sessions and be the star of the show. -Brendan Porath

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 9

Data Golf Ranking: 20

Ryder Cup Experience: One appearance (2023)

Overall: 2-0-1

Singles: 1-0-0

Foursomes: 0-0-0

Fourball: 1-0-1

Robert “Big Shot Bob” MacIntyre was the final auto-qualifier for Team Europe’s roster in 2023, with many expecting him to be a one-and-done Ryder Cupper and a great pull in any future “Remember Some Guys” conversation. It’s understandable how you’d think that – he was 140th (!) in Data Golf’s ranking going into the event and had his hand held around Marco Simone by veteran Justin Rose. Rosey dragged him to a massive half point late on Friday, ensuring that the Americans wouldn’t secure a single win in the afternoon session. Unfortunately for those who wrote him off, though… MacIntyre has written back.

In the two years since the 2023 Ryder Cup, MacIntyre had a two-win season in 2024, winning a star-studded Scottish Open in front of his home crowd, and a 2025 with two major top-10 finishes. He came out of nowhere on Sunday at the U.S. Open at Oakmont and held the clubhouse lead before J.J. Spaun’s heroics. Despite not adding to his win total in 2025, MacIntyre was a factor late in big events – yes, he melted at the BMW Championship with Scottie Scheffler breathing down his neck – and proved he belongs in the upper tier of European golfers. He’s an emotional lad who will be fired up for his first road Ryder Cup. If he’s playing well, this is a “villain” that will gladly send the Bethpage fans into a tizzy, something we’ll surely need more of. -PJ Clark

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 6

Data Golf Ranking: 3

Ryder Cup Experience: Three appearances

Overall: 7-3-2

Singles: 1-1-1

Foursomes: 4-0-0

Fourball: 2-2-1

Whether or not Tommy Fleetwood is the first name that comes to your head when you think about the 2025 PGA Tour season, he is your FedEx Cup champion. All hail the king. Fresh off his first career victory on Tour, Fleetwood returns for his fourth appearance at the Ryder Cup, where he holds a 7-3-2 record.

Tommy Lad has proven to be a foursomes stalwart in the team matches, boasting a 4-0-0 record in the format, and is undoubtedly one of the veteran presences that will be heavily leaned upon in the team room. At No. 3 in the Data Golf Ranking, he’s playing the best golf of anyone on the European side and has a +2.3 SG/Round average over his last 50 rounds. The only other time in his career that he eclipsed a 50-round moving average of +2.0 SG/Round or more was in the fall of 2023, leading into the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Perhaps more importantly, Tommy is a fan favorite for just about everyone in golf, including Americans. Now, I do think the New York crowd will still be able to turn against the lovable Englishman, but it’s going to require a serious effort to turn him into an actual villain. - Will Knights

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 14

Data Golf Ranking: 53

Ryder Cup: Six appearances (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2023)

Overall: 14-9-3

Singles: 2-3-1

Foursomes: 7-2-1

Fourball: 5-4-1

The eldest statesman! At 45, Justin Rose is seven years older than Shane Lowry, the second-oldest competitor in this year’s Ryder Cup. In an era where players are performing best between ages 27 and 36, Rosey’s ability to hang on to competitive relevance well past his prime has been nothing short of brilliant. 

Justin was a fabulous Rory McIlroy wedge away from winning the Masters back in April, ultimately losing to McIlroy in a playoff. He found the winner’s circle at another strong field in Memphis in August after birdieing four of his final five holes to force a playoff with J.J. Spaun. In between those results, Rose’s form varied, including a five-tournament stretch that featured a withdrawal and three missed cuts. 

After Rose’s aforementioned win at TPC Southwind, he said, “I know when it matters, I've still got it. I kind of feel better and better and better as it gets more important.” Inconsistent play is understandable at Rose’s age, but Team Europe will need him to rise to the occasion to pull off a road victory over the American side. 

At the 2023 Ryder Cup, Rose took rookie Robert MacIntyre under his wing, teaming up to win a match and halve another, both in fourball sessions. Given Justin’s age and his form not being on par with the strongest members of Team Europe, he may see limited action at Bethpage, but he could still prove to be a valuable asset and confidence-inspiring veteran presence both on the course and in the team room. -Joseph LaMagna

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 57

Data Golf Ranking: 50

Ryder Cup Experience: Rookie

Please join me at conspiracy corner for a moment. Nicolai Hojgaard made the 2023 European Ryder Cup team, and Rasmus Hojgaard made the 2025 European Ryder Cup team. What if the Europeans have been quietly putting in place the greatest strategic advantage in the history of the event, but no one considered the implications until now? Think of how hard it would be for the United States to prove the Europeans weren’t swapping one identical twin out for the other, depending on form or fatigue? We’ve basically got a real-life Parent Trap situation unfolding right before our eyes, and no one is talking about this. Things didn’t really crystallize for me until Rasmus missed the cut at the BMW at Wentworth, but what would stop Luke Donald from subbing in Nicolai in the first session? How would Keegan Bradley even begin to make an accusation that he thought it was the wrong Hojgaard playing? Imagine how embarrassed he would be if he raised the issue and then got it wrong? Think of the New York Post backpage! It would be the greatest scandal (or caper, depending on your perspective) in the history of sports, like a Ron Shelton movie with Christopher Nolan directing. It would fill up hours of TV debates, and would be the first golf story to truly break into the mainstream since Tiger. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to wish something into existence more. 

—Kevin Van Valkenburg

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Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 25

Data Golf Ranking: 32

Ryder Cup Experience: Three appearances (2018, 2021, 2023)

Overall: 5-4-2

Singles: 1-2-0

Foursomes: 2-1-0

Fourball: 2-1-2

I’ve never really had an appetite for sports betting, but if I could place a wager on whether or not Tyrrell Hatton might get punched by a fan — or throw a punch at a fan — during the Ryder Cup, I would be extremely tempted to take out a second mortgage on my house on this as part of some parlay. Shane Lowry might be Team Europe’s bouncer and enforcer, but Hatton is the closest thing they have to The Joker, a man who thrives in chaos and mayhem. He was stellar in Italy as Rahm’s partner, so I’d expect to see that pairing once again, and I suspect the pairing will be a magnet for Long Island knuckleheads. 

It’s easy to view Hatton as kind of a modest talent, at least compared to the elite players in the world. His distance off the tee is average and his putting this year was the worst it’s been since 2019. His +1.09 Strokes Gained: Total number suggests he might be Europe’s weakest player, despite the fact that he was an automatic qualifier. But funny things happen in match play. If nothing else, he’ll likely continue to be one of the event’s best quotes, in victory or defeat. When he found out he’d made the Ryder Cup team for the fourth time, he and Rahm got so hammered in the hotel bar, Hatton woke up covered in his own puke. “God, it was aggressive. It was horrible. But I mean, it was funny at the time,” Hatton said. —Kevin Van Valkenburg

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 24

Data Golf Ranking: 39

Ryder Cup Experience: Two appearances (2021, 2023)

Overall: 2-3-1

Singles: 0-1-1

Foursomes: 1-1-0

Fourball: 1-1-0

Team Europe’s bouncer returns after holding Rory McIlroy back in Rome and becoming the focal point of Joe LaCava confrontations. Lowry is a class player, but also makes his waves in these Ryder Cups as an emotional centerpiece. 

Despite competing at the highest levels of world golf for a decade-plus now and winning a major, he has played in only two Ryder Cups. But there was never any uncertainty about his selection this year as a pick, as he got as high as 10th in the world this spring. There has not been much in the way of results, however, since the spring. The form did the early work, and the continuity and camaraderie of past cups made him an obvious choice.

In Wisconsin, he played fourball sessions only, pairing with Rory and Tyrrell Hatton. In Rome, he played only foursomes, pairing with Sepp Straka for an intimidating off-the-bus combination looking to establish the run game up front.

Lowry is a very slight course misfit for Bethpage due to his relatively modest driving distance. But he remains an elite iron player who can be flexible with a handful of partners. Europe is full of firebrands and Lowry is one of them. He is a prime candidate, should things get chippy or hostile with the crowd, to find himself in the center of it all again. -Brendan Porath

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 73

Data Golf Ranking: 4

Ryder Cup Experience: Three appearances (2018, 2021, 2023)

Overall: 6-3-3

Singles: 1-1-1

Foursomes: 4-0-0

Fourballs: 1-2-2

Heading into the 2023 matches in Rome, Jon Rahm was pretty widely considered the best player on the planet. He was the reigning Masters champion, had four wins to his name that year, and was riding into Marco Simone with Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland as a part of a three-headed monster who was ready to devour the Americans. They did exactly that. Two years later, Rahm is certainly still seen as one of the best in the world, but his true form is a bit unknown. His final-round charge at Quail Hollow saved his 2025 major season from being completely forgettable, and he was self-effacing about his LIV Golf top-10 streak. Thankfully for the Euros, all of that means next to nothing for team play.

Ever since Rahm burst onto the scene at Arizona State and then at Torrey Pines, he’s been one of the most intimidating figures in golf. His fiery demeanor, imposing presence, and all-around game play well in individual events and make him a draw that few players can stand up to in match play. -Will Knights

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 15

Data Golf Ranking: 36

Ryder Cup Experience: One appearance (2023)

Overall: 1-2-0

Singles: 0-1-0

Foursomes: 1-1-0

Fourball: 0-0-0

Straka will be making his second appearance at the Ryder Cup after being a fixture at the top of the FedEx Cup standings in 2025. The big Austrian who calls Valdosta, Georgia, home will bring a Southern drawl to the Euro team room and look to improve on his 1-2-0 record at the 2023 Ryder Cup. Known as the Sepptic Tank to some, Straka’s large presence is misleading as he is more of a precision than power player. 

In 2025, Straka had a strong year, winning the American Express as well as the Truist Championship, a PGA Tour signature event. On top of the wins, the Tank also notched 10 other top 15 finishes and ranked in the top 10 on the PGA Tour in birdie percentage thanks to this well-rounded game. In recent weeks, Straka and his family have been coping with the premature birth of their second child, which led to a disappointing FedEx Cup run. -Andy Johnson

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 11

Data Golf Ranking: 14

Ryder Cup Experience: Two appearances (2021, 2023)

Overall: 3-4-3

Singles: 1-0-1

Foursomes: 2-2-0

Fourball: 0-2-2

He burst on the Ryder Cup scene at Whistling Straits in 2021 and has lived up to expectations as one of Europe’s future stalwarts. This will be the 27-year-old Norwegian’s third Ryder Cup and second on foreign soil. The European star will look to avenge his 0-3-2 record at Whistling Straits with a performance more akin to Rome, which saw him go 3-1-1. 

In 2023, Hovland and Ludvig Aberg created a formidable pairing that led to a couple dominant wins in foursomes. It is expected to see the Scandinavian duo early and often at Bethpage. 

The 2025 season was an up-and-down year for Hovland, highlighted by his win at the Valspar Championship but also mired in inconsistent week-to-week performances. It’s a stark contrast from his form in 2023 when he had won the FedEx Cup and was ranked fourth in the world. This year, Hovland enters 15th in the world and is a bit of a question mark for the European team.   -Andy Johnson

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 16

Data Golf Ranking: 15

Ryder Cup Experience: One appearance (2023)

Overall: 2-2-0

Singles: 0-1-0

Foursomes: 2-0-0

Fourball: 0-1-0

It’s been an interesting year for Ludvig Åberg. First, the positives: he finally won a signature event, taking home the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines just weeks after an illness ruined his weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. He then had a chance to win the Masters for the second straight year, holding a part of the lead on the 16th hole on Sunday before going down in a blaze of glory. The negatives? He missed the cut at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open and didn’t have a single top-five finish after his win at the Genesis. He popped a little during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, finishing in the top 10 at the first two postseason events.

A late (but incredibly deserving) addition to the 2023 European roster, Åberg paired with Viktor Hovland in Rome to form what will likely be the latest in a long line of famous Team Europe pairings. The two notably destroyed Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler in Saturday foursomes with a 9-and-7 win that literally sent Scheffler into tears. Koepka got him back in Sunday singles, but Åberg is a better player now than when he was just fresh out of college. Would it really surprise anyone if he ended up as the five-match horse that Luke Donald rides to a road victory? -PJ Clark

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 29

Data Golf Ranking: 8

Ryder Cup Experience: Three appearances (2016, 2021, 2023)

Overall: 1-7-0

Singles: 0-3-0

Foursomes: 0-3-0

Fourball: 1-1-0

Chicago’s favorite golfing son appeared to be on the outside looking in during the middle of the 2025 season. Fitzpatrick had ballooned to 85th in the OWGR following the Truist Championship and was a far cry from the player who won the 2022 U.S. Open. From there, Fitzpatrick turned it around and finished the season as hot as any player in the world not named Scottie Scheffler.  In his twelve worldwide starts after the Truist, Fitzpatrick notched seven top-10 finishes and flew up the world ranking and European Ryder Cup points list. 

Fitz was likely Luke Donald’s final selection for the team and will look to improve on his putrid Ryder Cup record (1-7-0) over three matches (2016, 2021, 2023). Fitzpatrick entered the 2023 matches having never secured a point for the Europeans, a streak that ended with a fourball win with Rory McIlroy over Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa. 

The one-time Northwestern star is among the most in-form Europeans on the roster and it will be interesting to watch how much captain Luke Donald employs Fitzy. In all of his Ryder Cups, Fitzpatrick has never played more than three times, a streak that seems unlikely to change in 2025. -Andy Johnson

Keegan Bradley waited a decade to get back to the Ryder Cup, but this is not how he would have envisioned it. As he has stated, it’s an incredible honor to captain the team. He was also one of the best 12 American players and deserved a roster spot. But the off-the-wall PGA of America decision to select Bradley as captain – in part due to his snub from the 2023 roster depicted on Netflix and a depleted bench of options due to Phil Mickelson’s LIV departure and Tiger Woods’s refusal – made it difficult for Bradley to choose himself. It would have been a significant risk, and the entire debate created a circus for much of this summer. That wasn’t entirely fair to Bradley, but now it’s over.

What remains is an emotional leader and figurehead who has inspired a certain amount of loyalty and respect from his team following the selfless decision to pass over himself for them. Strokes Gained: Run Through a Wall for Your Coach, however, does not exist. He is young and green, and his team room of assistant captains is as well, aside from Jim Furyk. Unlike Donald, he will absolutely engage and play into the crowd. Will it matter? As with Donald, it’s peripheral. But there are many more unknowns with Bradley as captain than there are with Europe’s leader. -Brendan Porath

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Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 1

Data Golf Ranking: 1

Ryder Cup Experience: Two appearances (2021, 2023)

Overall: 2-2-3

Singles: 1-0-1

Foursomes: 0-2-0‍

Fourball: 1-0-2

It’s very funny to think back to the last Ryder Cup on American soil, and remember a bit of the discourse about who the final pick should be. Steve Stricker opted to take a 25-year-old Scottie Scheffler with his final captain’s pick, even though the Texan had not yet won on the PGA Tour. It would probably be inaccurate to call it truly controversial, as most rational actors saw it as a logical pick. But it is funny to go back and read some of the commentary. Kevin Kisner, the last man left off the squad, declared the process “too political” while also suggesting that he did not give a shit either way. Scheffler responded by going 2-0-1 at Whistling Straits, and then (as you may have heard) went on a generational heater, winning on the PGA Tour 19 times, four of them major championships. He also snagged a gold medal and a pair of Hero World Challenges. He’s finished outside the top 10 in a major just four times. 

There are obviously plenty of statistics I could cite to accentuate Scheffler’s greatness, but what happened to Scheffler in Italy at his next Ryder Cup is far more interesting. It was there we saw him on the wrong end of a historic beatdown, when Zach Johnson panic-paired him with Brooks Koepka and the duo lost, 9 and 7, to Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg. The moment was interesting for a couple reasons: It was the last time we saw Scheffler look even remotely mortal. But it was also evidence that Scheffler is not built like the previous generation of American golf royalty, who seemed to treat repeated Ryder Cup failures with indifference. Scheffler wept on the back of a golf cart while his wife, Meredith, tried to comfort him. With apologies to Kisner, it was refreshing to see what it looks like when someone truly does give a shit. —Kevin Van Valkenburg

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 7

Data Golf Ranking: 11

Ryder Cup Experience: Rookie

Calling J.J. Spaun’s 2025 a “breakout year” may be underselling it a little bit. The 35-year-old had five top-three finishes this year, qualifying for the American side with the second-most points this cycle. Spaun was the solo 54-hole leader at The Players and just missed a putt to win on the 72nd hole before losing to Rory McIlroy in a Monday-morning playoff. He rode that mid-March momentum into a career year, peaking with a come-from-behind win at the U.S. Open for his first major championship. He made the cut at the other three majors and showed some clutch putting from distance in a playoff loss to Justin Rose at the FedEx St. Jude in August.

Statistically, Spaun is an accurate driver who excels as a ball-striker, ranking seventh in SG: Approach in 2025. Despite the two playoff losses to Team Europe stalwarts, he’s proven he’s able to keep up with the best players in the world and shown off some real mental fortitude after a front-nine 40 on Sunday of the U.S. Open. Despite a horrific start, Spaun stayed in the game and birdied the last two holes to rip a major out of Robert MacIntyre’s hands. He’ll need that dog in the fight for three days at Bethpage, and it would behoove him to keep making some bombs on the greens, too. – PJ Clark

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 3

Data Golf Ranking: 9

Ryder Cup Experience: Two appearances (2021, 2023)

Overall: 4-4-0

Singles: 1-1-0

Foursomes: 2-2-0

Fourball: 1-1-0

For the sake of the American squad, it would be nice if the 2024 version of Xander Schauffele showed up at Bethpage, because the 2025 version has been, to put it nicely, aggressively average. Injuries have certainly played a role, but the cold facts speak for themselves. He hasn’t finished in the top five once, and his putting (arguably his greatest weapon) has been the worst of his career. When it comes to Strokes Gained: Total, he’s been slightly worse than Patrick Fishburn, Jesper Svensson, and Sam Ryder. While he’s still an excellent iron player, the rest of his game remains trapped in amber back in 2024, when he won two majors. 

If you’re a fan of pure entertainment, however, any outcome that results in Xander’s father, Stefan, getting in front of a microphone is a win for the content game. Stefan Schaffle has taken a bit of a step back from the spotlight over the past year and says he won’t be attending the contest this year in New York because of how boorish he believes the fans will be. But the Ryder Cup remains one of his favorite topics of discussion. I was chatting with him in Italy when he demanded the PGA of America open its books and suggested the teams play for $2 million awarded to each of the winners, and zero going to the losers. He also called Jay Monahan “a soft egg” in a playful rant about the PGA Tour commissioner’s incompetence. Just a few months ago, in an interview with The Times of London, he claimed American fans at Whistling Straits called Shany Lowry’s wife “a whore” in front of him, then said that Rory McIlroy “behaved disgustingly” in his dust-up with caddie Joe LaCava. “It ruined my appetite for the Ryder Cup,” Stefan Schaffele said. 

Whatever the outcome, please get this man on the phone, on a podcast, or on Sky Sports at some point during the competition. —Kevin Van Valkenburg

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 4

Data Golf Ranking: 6

Ryder Cup Experience: Rookie

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world Keegan Bradley was the biggest snub of the 2023 Ryder Cup. Players like Bradley and Cameron Young deserved serious consideration to tee it up in Rome, but Russell Henley never seemed to receive much consideration despite playing steady, high-level golf throughout 2023. You could make a compelling case that he was the biggest snub in 2023, and you could make the case today that he’s the most underrated player in the world relative to public perception. 

Henley will be the shortest-hitting golfer at distance-demanding Bethpage Black, clocking in at a sub-170 ball speed. What he lacks in speed he makes up for in supreme precision, top-notch iron play, and proficiency on and around the greens. At 36, he enters his first Ryder Cup playing the best and most well-rounded golf of his career. 

Last fall, Henley paired with Scottie Scheffler in three of the four partner-based formats at the Presidents Cup, winning two matches and losing one. If groupings at the Procore Championship are any indication, we could very well see Henley pair with Scheffler once again at Bethpage, which would make for a lethal foursomes team. -Joseph LaMagna

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 10

Data Golf Ranking: 22

Ryder Cup: One appearance (2021)

Overall: 1-2-0

Singles: 0-1-0

Foursomes: 0-0-0

Fourball: 1-1-0

The adult in the American teamroom, Harris English is playing in his second consecutive home Ryder Cup after missing the trip to Rome in 2023. He’s not playing quite as well leading into Bethpage as he did ahead of Whistling Straits, but he figures to be a steady piece in the American locker room.

While English likely won’t be the main character of the 2025 Ryder Cup, he provides an unflappable presence to a team that has many players (and a captain) who run hot and cold on emotion. On the contrary, English’s gate is as consistent as can be, and he won’t rush a shot or get out ahead of himself in front of a raucous crowd. - Will Knights

Status: Automatic Qualifier

World Ranking: 21

Data Golf Ranking: 7

Ryder Cup Experience: Two appearances (2018, 2021)

Overall: 2-3-1

Singles: 1-1-0

Foursomes: 0-2-0

Fourball: 1-0-1

The most popular YouTuber in the field, Bryson DeChambeau will make his third appearance in the Ryder Cup. Bryson will be the only LIV Golf member of the U.S. team and is one of the strongest course fits for Bethpage Black because of his immense power. 

So far in his Ryder Cup career it has been a tale of two stories with a dismal 0-3-0 record at Le Golf National in 2018 and a 3-0-1 record at Whistling Straits, where he electrified crowds by driving greens and using his supreme power advantage with regularity. The big question heading into Bethpage will be centered around how Keegan Bradley uses him and which player (or players) on the American squad will team up with the Crusher. Bryson is a natural fit for the fourball sessions because of his ability to overwhelm a golf course, particularly one like Bethpage Black. His unique game, equipment, and personality make foursomes (alternate shot) a more interesting question. Bryson’s particularity with his golf ball, among many other things, would likely create a situation where any pairing would have to adapt to his ball.

On pure skill and talent, Bryson is among the three best players on the United States team. It will be interesting to see if Bradley deploys him as such or if his quirks keep him sidelined for a few of the partner sessions. -Andy Johnson

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 5

Data Golf Ranking: 23

Ryder Cup Experience: Three appearances (2018, 2021, 2023)

Overall: 7-4-2

Singles: 3-0-0

Foursomes: 2-3-0

Fourball: 2-1-2

Is Justin Thomas a great player? It’s a reasonable question to ask as JT completes his 12th professional golf season. He’s currently the fifth-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking and, at age 32, should be playing the best golf of his career. 

Since the start of 2023, however, Thomas’ results have been inconsistent. He won earlier this April in a strong field at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town and has seven other top 10s on the PGA Tour this year. He also has just one top-30 finish in his last 14 major championship appearances. Inconsistency off the tee has been his Achilles’ heel, as he ranks near the bottom of the PGA Tour in Driving Accuracy, a weakness that could prove problematic at Bethpage Black. 

Still, JT has been described as the “heart and soul” of the American roster, boasting a 7-4-2 record in the event. He is a fixture of the American team, one who brings unrivaled passion and flair to the competition. Surely, it’s a high priority for JT to be involved in American team rooms beyond his playing career. The 2025 Ryder Cup is a prime opportunity for Justin Thomas to show where his game stacks up against the world’s best and build the case that he should be a voice of American leadership for decades to come. -Joseph LaMagna

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 8

Data Golf Ranking: 31

Ryder Cup Experience: Two appearances (2021, 2023)

Overall: 4-3-1

Singles: 0-1-1

Foursomes: 2-1-0

Fourball: 2-1-0

Here is a potential piñata for the American side. Morikawa shockingly enters the 2025 Ryder Cup as perhaps the weakest link on the U.S. roster. He’s not won on the PGA Tour in almost two years, and that was in a limited-field fall event in Japan. And that’s his only win since the 2021 Open Championship. The lack of wins over the last four years belied his true form; he consistently contended on Tour and had a statistical profile to back up his great play.

Morikawa’s iron stats remain strong, but there’s almost nothing to hang your hat on since March. The results have been poor, and there’s been nothing close to serious contention. Add in some squabbles with the media, a revolving door of caddies, moodiness, and distress finding his game throughout the summer, especially at the last major, and the projection for Bethpage isn’t great. Perhaps the most interesting question is whether he will change caddies again in between sessions. 

Three of his four career Ryder Cup points came via an electric Dustin Johnson pairing during the Whistling Straits whitewash. Morikawa made the team off a captain’s pick because he was higher on the points list from results earlier in the cycle and his status as a two-time major winner and American veteran. It’s not crazy to suggest he was the weakest choice, but he was almost certainly going to make the team. 

He is not an all-five-sessions guy this year. The trend line is down, especially over the last three months. And yet… here’s a clean slate to do something for three days in New York. -Brendan Porath

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 13

Data Golf Ranking: 5

Ryder Cup Experience: Rookie

Arguably the biggest wild card for U.S. captain Keegan Bradley is Ryder Cup rookie Ben Griffin. A two-time winner in 2025, Griffin finished the year with 11 top-15 finishes in his last 13 starts and cemented his place at Bethpage.

The breakout player of 2025 undoubtedly has the bona fides to play a role on this team. What remains to be seen is how he will gel with his teammates in both foursomes and fourball matches. Griffin isn’t a PGA Tour fixture and hasn’t participated in any team events to this point in his career. His skill profile isn’t well-suited for Bethpage, and he ranks outside the top 50 in birdie average. Still, his ball-striking can pair well with a big driver. But will the fact that he plays a Maxfli golf ball limit his potential partnerships? - Will Knights

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 20

Data Golf Ranking: 13

Ryder Cup Experience: Rookie

Even in a Ryder Cup full of history-making players, few (if any) can truly hold a candle to Mr. 1,000. After being the highest-ranking player on the American points list to not make the trip to Rome, Cameron Young earned a captain’s pick this year with a heater to close the season. Since the beginning of June, Young had five top-five finishes in 10 starts, including a T-4 at the U.S. Open and a runaway victory at the Wyndham Championship. It was the inverse of his 2023 campaign, flipping a switch late and vocally advocating for his inclusion on this American roster following repeated strong performances.

A native New Yorker, Young became the first-ever amateur to win the New York State Open with a 2017 win at Bethpage Black. At age 20, he shot a then-course record 64 in the final round, a mark that stood until Brooks Koepka’s 63 on Thursday of the 2019 PGA Championship. As a bomber, he’s an obvious course fit – ranking 18th in Driving Distance and 30th in SG: Off-the-Tee this season – but now he can putt, too. Young had an elite season on the greens, ranking sixth in SG: Putting, a new career high. He won’t bring much in the way of outward emotion, but maybe his match play experience as the “Legend Killer” of TGL will aid him in his Ryder Cup debut. He did once beat Rory McIlroy at the WGC Match Play, after all…. -PJ Clark

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 22

Data Golf Ranking: 16

Ryder Cup Experience: Two appearances (2021, 2023)

Overall: 5-2-1

Singles: 2-0-0

Foursomes: 2-2-0

Fourball: 1-0-1

Is it No-Hat Pat or the Pat-in-the-Hat? The deadpan, unemotional Patrick Cantlay became the center of controversy in Rome with the reports of his hat protest, fan heckling, and caddie confrontation with Rory McIlroy that resulted from the mini-drama. Whether he was protesting for more pay or not, Cantlay himself remained uninvolved. 

He also remains a match-play killer for the American side in both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. He’s never lost a Sunday singles match in either competition and has won almost 70 percent of his points in Ryder Cups. There are the records on paper, and then there are the shots and putts in real time. His performance in recent matches during their most pressurized points has pushed him to the status where, if you had to choose someone from the U.S. side with it all on the line late in a match, he would likely be first. 

Money seems to be a clear motivating factor for Cantlay, whether it’s rumors of him asking for more for Ryder Cup participation or Wyndham Clark creating a side bet for a little bit of extra motivation in Rome. But his performance in matches speaks for itself, and while it was a winless season, he finished strong and in the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Total, far from a crash. For pace-of-play and other reasons, Cantlay may not be a fan favorite many weeks of the year. But he’s precisely who you want on your side for a match play event. There won’t be JT rah-rah antics, but more of that deadpan serial killer vibe and a record to stand on. He’s a blast to root for in these cups. -Brendan Porath

Status: Captain's Pick

World Ranking: 23

Data Golf Ranking: 10

Ryder Cup Experience: One appearance (2023)

Overall: 1-2-0

Singles: 0-1-0

Foursomes: 0-1-0

Fourballs: 1-0-0

Tommy Fleetwood earned his first career PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship after a summer of gut-wrenching close calls. Cameron Young similarly etched his first win in August while holding the title for most active runner-up finishes without a win on the PGA Tour. Time and time again, players contending late in tournaments have proven to be one of the strongest indicators of future success. The best way to win is to consistently put yourself in the mix. 

Though Sam Burns already has five PGA Tour victories to his name, his winless 2025 season has seen its share of close calls. Back in June, Burns lost in an emotional roller coaster of a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open, missing a short-range putt to take home the tournament. One week later, he held the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open at Oakmont, only to struggle to a T-7 finish amidst the wet conditions on Sunday.

The former LSU standout has played consistently solid golf dating back to April, in no small part due to a nuclear-hot putter. Burns leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting for the season and has a strong claim to the title of best putter in the world. If you needed a player to step up and drill a 12-footer to extend a match at Bethpage, you’d be hard-pressed to find better options than Sam Burns. The key question is whether or not his ballstriking can be solid enough to match his stellar putting. -Joseph LaMagna