Ryder Cup 2025 Preview

It is almost time for the talking to stop. The most eagerly-anticipated Ryder Cup clash in years finally gets under way at Bethpage Black on Friday, 26th September, with Keegan Bradley’s American team thirsting for revenge after taking a hiding in Italy two years ago.

Europe have not won on American soil since Medinah in 2012 and Luke Donald’s men are going to face a febrile US gallery as they attempt to retain the trophy. Donald has not put a foot wrong since initially being appointed for that encounter at Marco Simone and he will be delighted to be going into this with a team that includes just one rookie, Rasmus Hojgaard, who replaces his twin brother Nicolai in a team that is otherwise unchanged.

Donald will be hoping that experience counts but I can guarantee that most of the team will never have experienced an atmosphere quite like the welcome the home fans have in store for them this week. It is to be hoped that they do not overstep the mark but I have a feeling that is highly unlikely.

European talisman Rory McIlroy will have a huge role to play in New York. He once described the Ryder Cup as little more than a glorified exhibition match. That was before he had played in one. His attitude now is very different. It reduced him to tears after a poor week at Whistling Straits in 2021. He cried again at Marco Simone, but this time for a very different reason.

The Ryder Cup brings out the best in McIlroy and Donald and his team will be looking to hm to lead from the front once again.

There are several other European players who were made for the Ryder Cup - Robert MacIntyre, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm in particular. 

MacIntyre made his debut in 2023 and took to it like a duck to water. He is a proud and passionate Scot who has taken his game to the next level since making his debut at Marco Simone, and I expect him to have a huge part to play this week. He hits a lot of fairways, is sneaky long and is the best putter on the European team. He also has ice running through his veins. I believe this week will bring out the very best in him.

Hatton and Rahm both have plenty of fire in their bellies. They are golfers who wear their hearts on their sleeves. I am not a fan of the way Hatton conducts himself on the golf course but the European team is most definitely stronger for his inclusion. Ian Poulter was known as The Postman for his ability to deliver points when it really mattered - Hatton is cut from the same cloth and any crowd hostility that comes his way will only serve to fire him up. The fans wind him up at their peril.

After finally ending his victory drought at the Tour Championship, Tommy Fleetwood will still be full of confidence. Nobody who witnessed it will ever forget his incredible partnership with Francesco Molinari at the 2018 contest at Le Golf National. He may appear to be a fairly reserved character but the Ryder Cup brings out the best in him and he will feed off the energy of the crowd.

And exactly the same can be said of Patrick Cantlay. He is a player who divides opinion and was at the centre of controversy in Rome after refusing to wear a Team USA cap. You will recall that his caddie Joe LaCava overdid the celebrations when Cantlay holed an outrageous putt on the final green on Saturday afternoon, an incident that led to McIlroy seeing red. Cantlay’s form has been patchy and he is without a win in more than three years.

There are no such concerns over Scottie Scheffler, who is a winning machine. He will almost certainly play five times and Bradley will be hoping for a maximum return, especially after his sixth win of the year at the Procore Championship - his 15th success in 20 months!

But two years ago he ended up in tears after he and Brooks Koepka were demolished 9&7 by Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland. There is no Koepka in the American team this time, but there is every chance that Scheffler and Sam Burns could end up facing Aberg and Hovland at some point. As strong a character as Scheffler is, he would not be human if that humiliation did not pray on his mind.

Hovland and Aberg both had to rely on captain’s picks. While both have won on the PGA Tour in 2025 it has to be said that their overall form has been less than stellar. Hovland was one of the most consistent players on the planet when he first emerged but tinkering with his swing after winning the FedEx Cup was not the best idea he ever had and although he has gone back to what he knows best you never quite know what you are going to get. Aberg is one of the best ball strikers on the planet but he would have expected to have won more than twice on the PGA Tour by now.

Although Matthew Fitzpatrick has finally emerged from a slump, it is difficult to overlook his Ryder Cup record - in three previous appearances he has scored just one point. In eight matches he has lost seven times. This would be the perfect time to put that right. Given that Donald gave him a captain’s pick, we will probably be seeing plenty of him and he is most definitely the perfect foursomes partner given his incredible short game and the number of fairways he hits.

However, I believe that Bradley has more to worry about than his European counterpart.

Cantlay has not won since the 2022 BMW Championship, Burns’ last win came at the WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay, Collin Morikawa started the year in wonderful form but had the stuffing knocked out of him by Russell Henley at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and many believe he was fortunate to get a pick. 

Hojgaard is the only European rookie - Bradley has four in his team. Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, JJ Spaun and Henley may all be world-class golfers but they have never experienced pressure such as they will at Bethpage Black. 

Young is a New Yorker and will have plenty of vocal support. It could inspire him to great heights, but he could also freeze. Remember that this is a golfer who finished second seven times before finally crossing the winning line. 

Spaun holed a 60-foot putt to win the US Open when it might have been easier to take three putts. He is not a man who displays much emotion on the golf course. As a major champion he should be just fine but that opening tee shot has reduced better golfers than Spaun to shuddering wrecks. 

Bryson DeChambeau did incredibly well to qualify for the team based entirely on his performances in the majors. As a LIV golfer, he is unable to play in PGA Tour events. He is a sensationally-talented golfer but Bradley will surely have some concerns about how little competitive golf he has played in recent weeks. He could either rip Bethpage Black to shreds or be made to look rather foolish by a course that is brutal. His wayward hitting from the tee means that picking for the foursomes is a massive gamble.

But perhaps the biggest concern for Bradley surrounds the form of Xander Schauffele. He was an automatic qualifier but this was based entirely on what he achieved in 2024, when he won the US PGA and The Open and looked capable of challenging Scheffler at the top of the rankings. He suffered a wrist injury early in the year and has looked a shadow of the player we all know him to be.

Who is Playing For Team USA?

• Sam Burns 

Age: 29

World Ranking: 23

Ryder Cup Appearances: One (2023), 1-2-0

Sam Burns had a poor Ryder Cup debut in 2023 and has not won an individual title for more than two years. He is a close friend of Scottie Scheffler and although the pair were well beaten in Rome, expect to see them paired together again. He was in the hunt for a first major win at the US Open and had a tied fourth and tied seventh finish in the final two FedEx Cup Playoffs. A quiet and unassuming character.

• Patrick Cantlay 

Age: 33 

World Ranking: 22 

Ryder Cup Appearances: Two (2021, 2023), 5-2-1

Cantlay divides opinion but he holed a 30-footer on Saturday two years ago to beat Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick when the atmosphere was at its most hostile. Has had a poor year but finished second at the Tour Championship. Has not won for more than three years. Cantlay has won both of his singles matches he has played and is undefeated in fourballs. The big question is: will he be wearing a team cap this time?

• Bryson DeChambeau 

Age: 32 

World Ranking: 21

Ryder Cup appearances: Three (2018, 2021, 2023), 2-3-1

DeChambeau amassed enough points to qualify automatically for the US team from just eight events. He is a real crowd pleaser although his Ryder Cup record is not the best and Bethpage Black may not suit him. His first major win came at the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot before he lifted his national title for a second time after breaking McIlroy’s heart at Pinehurst in 2024. He drew a blank on his Ryder Cup debut in Paris in 2018 before finally opening his account at Whistling Straits in 2021. 

• Harris English 

Age: 36 

World Ranking: 10 

Ryder Cup appearances: One (2021), 1-2-0

Unassuming character who possesses a beautiful golf swing. He is a five-time PGA Tour winner, his most recent of which came at the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. His record in majors had been pretty unremarkable but he finished second to Scheffler at the 2025 PGA Championship and Open, form that saw him move into the top 10 of the world for the first time.

• Ben Griffin 

Age: 29 

World Ranking: 11 

Ryder Cup Appearances: Rookie

Griffin nearly gave up the game, working as a mortgage loan officer for a time. But after taking a break he has enjoyed a new lease of life, winning twice in 2025. Despite dropping out of the automatic qualifying spots, he got the nod from Bradley. Griffin said: "Four years ago I wanted to give up the game forever. I have the strongest team around me that brought me back, and now I’m going to give it all to help this team win at Bethpage."

• Russell Henley 

Age: 36 

World Ranking: 3

Ryder Cup Appearances: Rookie

Henley is a hugely consistent performer and in 2025 he picked up the biggest win of his career, beating Collin Morikawa by a shot at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. That was Henley’s fifth PGA Tour victory. He won three of his four matches after receiving a captain’s pick for last year’s Presidents Cup. Unlikely to strike fear into his European opponents but they underrate him at their peril.

• Collin Morikawa 

Age: 28 

World Ranking: 8 

Ryder Cup appearances: Two (2021, 2023), 4-3-1

Morikawa is a two-time major winner but then his game went off the boil and has had a strange year. He started it in magnificent form but never recovered from losing the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He missed the cut at both the Scottish Open and The Open, but did enough to make it to East Lake for the Tour Championship. Seen by many as a weak link in the US team so will feel he has a point to prove.

• Xander Schauffele 

Age: 31 

World Ranking: 4 

Ryder Cup Appearances: Two (2021, 2023), 4-4-0

Schauffele made the team entirely on the back of his play in 2024, when he won the US PGA and The Open. Has struggled with injury in 2025 and has looked like a shadow of the golfer who played so well last season. May also be a little ring-rusty after missing the Procore Championship following the birth of a child.

• Scottie Scheffler 

Age: 29 

World Ranking: 1 

Ryder Cup Appearances: Two (2021, 2023), 2-2-3

Scheffler is the dominant force in our sport. Started the year slowly but won the US PGA and the Open in style. Now only needs the US Open to complete the career grand slam. So he should be looked at as somebody who guarantees a five-point return. However, in Rome, the American was reduced to tears after he and Brooks Koepka were thrashed 9&7 by Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland. He was winless in 2023 - and that could be bad news for Europe this time.

• JJ Spaun 

Age: 35 

World Ranking: 6 

Ryder Cup Appearances: Rookie

Spaun lost in a playoff to Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship before a remarkable triumph at the US Open, where he holed a monstrous putt on the final green to win his first major and defeat Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre. He has continued to play consistently well all year and deserves his Ryder Cup debut. Will be fascinating to see how he copes with the pressure and the atmosphere in New York.

• Justin Thomas 

Age: 32 

World Ranking: 5 

Ryder Cup Appearances: Three (2018, 2021, 2023), 7-4-2

Thomas is a two-time major champion, a former Players champion, and although he endured a difficult 2024, he is back among the world’s top 10. He clearly relishes the atmosphere of a Ryder Cup and always rises to the occasion. It seems to bring out the very best in him and he will surely thrive as the verbal American gallery do their thing at Bethpage. 

• Cameron Young 

Age: 28 

World Ranking: 20 

Ryder Cup Appearances: Rookie

Young didn’t make the team automatically but his selection surprised few. He finally won his maiden PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship before following that up with 5th, 11th and tied-4th finishes in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He won the 2017 New York State Open at Bethpage as an amateur and says he loves the course. If he can manage the nerves and expectations he could be a key player.

Who is Playing For Team Europe?

• Rory McIlroy

Age: 36

World Ranking: 2

Ryder Cup Appearances: Seven (2010, '12, '14, '16, '18, '21, '23), 16-13-4 

Locked in his place before anybody else. McIlroy won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Players Championship and a Green Jacket to complete the career Grand Slam. The world No. 2, who is playing in his eighth straight Cup since 2010, once described the Ryder Cup as a glorified exhibition match - he has a different view now. After a poor run he returned to winning ways with a grandstand finish to win the Irish Open.

• Robert MacIntyre

Age: 29

World Ranking: 9

Ryder Cup Appearances: One (2023), 2-0-1

The Scotsman is playing for a second straight time. MacIntyre, 29, won twice last year on the PGA Tour, including the Scottish Open. This season, he finished second at the US Open and BMW Championship. In Rome, MacIntyre had a record of 2-0-1 and beat Wyndham Clark in singles. He secured his place after finishing second place behind Scottie Scheffler at the BMW Championship. Captain Luke Donald said of him: "Bob has put in some big performances on both sides of the Atlantic this season, and that fine form combined with his experience from 2023 will be invaluable in New York." 

• Tommy Fleetwood

Age: 34

World Ranking: 7

Ryder Cup Appearances: Three (2018, '21, '23), 7-3-2

The Englishman has been a key man on the past three European Ryder Cup teams since making his debut in Paris in 2018. Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari formed a winning team, known as Molli-wood, in 2018, and Fleetwood scored the clinching point in Rome when he defeated Rickie Fowler in singles. He has had a season to remember after finally landing his first PGA title at the Tour Championship after near-misses at the Travelers Championship and FedEx St Jude.

• Justin Rose 

Age: 45

World Ranking: 14

Ryder Cup Appearances: Six (2008, '12, '14, '16, '18, '23), 14-9-3

The veteran Englishman is playing in his seventh Ryder Cup. He lost a sudden-death playoff to McIlroy at the Masters but found the winner’s circle at the FedEx St Jude Championship, beating J.J. Spaun in a playoff. Rose was the only player aged 40 or older to win on the Tour this season. Has been a talisman for Europe in the Ryder Cup and is likely to be an important player for Donald.

• Tyrrell Hatton 

Age: 33

World Ranking: 25

Ryder Cup Appearances: Three (2018, '21, '23), 5-4-2

The Englishman qualified for his fourth Ryder Cup after two victories on the DP World Tour - at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Dubai Desert Classic. He also racked up points for a runner-up finish at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and a tie for fourth at the US Open in June. It’s even more impressive given that he played mostly on LIV Golf. But he’s been a fixture in the team since 2018, and went 3-0-1 playing alongside Jon Rahm, his LIV teammate, in team matches. 

• Rasmus Hojgaard

Age: 24

World Ranking: 58

Ryder Cup Appearances: Rookie

The Dane was the last man in and did not secure his place until the completion of play at the British Masters. He needed to earn 13.7 points or more to overtake Shane Lowry. That required a tie for 29th or better at The Belfry to vault past Lowry and Sepp Straka. He finished tied 13th. He celebrated by finishing tied second at the European Masters the following week. Hojgaard won the 2024 Irish Open, his fifth career win on the DP World Tour. He will be the only rookie on the European team.

• Shane Lowry

Age: 38

World Ranking: 24

Ryder Cup Appearances: Two (2021, ‘23), 2-3-1

Was determined to secure one of the automatic places and will be disappointed that he has had to rely on a captain’s pick. Lowry has played some wonderful golf in 2025. He went toe to toe with Rory McIlroy at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The former Open champion said that playing for Europe at Marco Simone was just about the best experience of his career. Passionate individual who is made for the Ryder Cup.

• Sepp Straka

Age: 32

World Ranking: 15

Ryder Cup Appearances: One (2023), 1-2-0

It is hard to believe that a golfer who won twice on the PGA Tour in 2025 did not qualify automatically. When he is good he is almost unbeatable but there are times when he struggles for consistency. His recent form has not been the best. He played poorly at the FedEx St Jude, sat out the BMW Championship for personal reasons and struggled during the Tour Championship.

• Ludvig Aberg

Age: 25

World Ranking: 16

Ryder Cup Appearances: One (2023), 2-2

Aberg was considered by many to be a left-field pick by Donald two years ago but it paid off in spades. He was expected to be a shoo-in for Bethpage Black. The only surprise is that the gifted Swede failed to claim one of the automatic spots. It is even more surprising that he has managed just one PGA Tour victory this year. Contended at The Masters again but his form has been patchy.

• Viktor Hovland

Age: 28

World Ranking: 12

Ryder Cup Appearances: Two (2021, ‘23), 3-4-3

The Norwegian returned to the winner’s circle in 2025 but, like Aberg, would have hoped that he did not have to rely on a captain’s pick. When he first burst on the scene he seemed to contend every week. He won the FedEx Cup and, inexplicably, decided to change his swing. He lost his game before deciding to go back to what had served him well. But the inconsistency remains an issue.

• Jon Rahm

Age: 30

World Ranking: 73

Ryder Cup Appearances: Three (2018, ‘21, ‘23), 6-3-3

Although he defected to LIV and has played pretty poorly in the majors in 2025, there was never any doubt that the Spaniard would get the nod from Donald. Failed to win on the LIV Tour this year but since joining the breakaway tour he has never once failed to finish in the top 10. And even in 54-hole tournaments with restricted fields, that is a remarkable level of consistency.

• Matthew Fitzpatrick

Age: 31

World Ranking: 29

Ryder Cup Appearances: Three (2016, ‘21, ‘23), 1-7-0

The former US Open champion all but lost his game in 2024 but he is a tireless worker and there have been plenty of encouraging signs of late. He failed to make the field for the Tour Championship and was encouraged by Donald to return to Europe and play on the DP World Tour. Looked like winning the British Masters until a disappointing final round but he is back to something like his best.

Who is Going to Win The Ryder Cup?

On paper, the Americans have the stronger team but as has been proved many times, world rankings mean nothing when it comes to this contest. Much will depend on how both captains use their players. There will be some breathtaking golf, but there will also be some awful shots. We can expect to see approach shots holed, massive putts drained. We will also witness fluffed chips and tiddlers being missed. It may all come down to a moment of brilliance. Heroes will emerge on both sides - and it could come from some unlikely quarters.

All logic dictates another home win but if Europe (11/8 on Betway) can get their noses in front on day one I expect them to win by the narrowest of margins. 

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Which Team Has Dominated The Ryder Cup?

In the all-time standings, Team USA have 27 wins, Team Europe/GB&I 15 wins, and there have been two ties.

However, since 1985 it is a very different story: Europe 12, USA 6, with one tie.

How to Watch The 2025 Ryder Cup

Friday, September 26, Sky Sports Golf,11.30am; Saturday, September 27, Sky Sports Golf, 11.30am; Sunday, September 28, Sky Sports Golf, 4.30pm.

This 2025 Ryder Cup preview article was written in collaboration with Betway