The Perfect Composite 2025 Ryder Cup Team

There has been plenty of debate since the Ryder Cup teams of America and Europe were finalised.

Everybody has an opinion about the captain’s picks and who should have been selected. But, for better or worse, the teams are locked in.

We will know soon enough who made the right decisions. But what if you could pick the cream from both teams? Who would you select?

This team for the ages would take some beating.

The first two names on the team sheet require no debate and no justification. Step forward Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

Scheffler has a poor Ryder Cup record but is a very different animal from the man we saw in Rome two years ago. He is a machine who simply loves winning and is head and shoulders above every player on either team. McIlroy is a Ryder Cup veteran who has shed tears in triumph and defeat. He is the beating heart of my team, the golfer everybody looks to for inspiration.

Next come two Americans who needed captain’s picks - Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay.

Thomas wins my undying admiration for battling through a shocking slump in form. He is a wonderful putter and is impervious to pressure. Indeed, he thrives on it.

Cantlay is a hugely divisive character and makes my team even though I detest the pace at which he plays the game and despite not winning a tournament for three years. He possesses a glorious swing and has a great Ryder Cup record. But he only gets in my team if he agrees to wear a cap!

You want some fire in the belly of your players and that explains the inclusion of Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre.

Hatton is one of the most passionate golfers on the planet, an individual who wears his heart on his sleeve and who never gives anything less than 100%. I am not a fan of his antics but I would want him in any team I was leading. Hatton is a winner. 

Two years ago MacIntyre played for Europe as a rookie at Marco Simone and finished the week unbeaten. He is now twice the player he was then, having won the Canadian Open and the Scottish Open in 2024 and come within a whisker of claiming this year’s US Open. He is a fabulous putter and a man who simply hates to lose - check out his reaction to finishing second to Scheffler at the BMW Championship if you have any doubts about that.

Next on the roster is Bryson DeChambeau, a player who is pure box office and a huge crowd favourite wherever he plays. You never quite know what you are going to get and he would definitely be sitting out the foursomes but he is capable of producing stunning shots from the unlikeliest of places. And the galleries would love him.

I like a fighter, so next is Ben Griffin. It is not so long ago that the American was seriously considering quitting the sport. He took time away to work as a mortgage adviser and his future looked uncertain, to say the very least. But he worked his socks off, ground his way back to the PGA Tour the hard way and was rewarded with a victory this year and a string of high finishes. Guaranteed not to let anybody down.

You want a bit of experience, somebody who provides the glue that holds the thing together and who has experienced the pressure - and that means Justin Rose most definitely gets the nod. He has had a superb season, nearly winning The Masters before losing in a playoff to McIlroy, and defeating JJ Spaun in a playoff to claim the FedEx St Jude. He may be the oldest player on either side but he remains fiercely competitive.

Shane Lowry may appear to be a controversial choice for the perfect team but he lives for competition like this. He has a wonderful touch on and around the greens and is the man you just know is going to hole a crucial chip or bunker shot when it matters most.

Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Aberg complete the line-up. Aberg has the perfect golf swing - it is a thing of beauty, the sort of action that stands up to the greatest of pressure. He is also blessed with a wonderful temperament and has ice flowing through his veins. If you wanted somebody to hole an eight-foot putt to win the whole shooting match, Aberg is probably the man you would choose. The Ryder Cup brings the best out of Fleetwood and, of course, he heads to Bethpage having finally broken his duck on the PGA Tour. He is also probably the most popular player on either side with the crowds.

So that’s five Americans and seven Europeans. And I am going to redress the balance by naming Keegan Bradley as my captain. I have to say that I was massively impressed by his decision not to play, putting the needs of his team and his fellow players first. It was a move that both surprised and impressed me.

Derek's Combined 2025 Ryder Cup Team

Scottie Scheffler (USA)

Rory McIlroy (Europe)

Justin Thomas (USA)

Patrick Cantlay (USA)

Tyrrell Hatton (Europe)

Robert MacIntyre (Europe)

Bryson DeChambeau (USA)

Ben Griffin (USA)

Justin Rose (Europe)

Shane Lowry (Europe)

Tommy Fleetwood (Europe)

Ludvig Aberg (Europe)

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