18 Things We Learned at The 2025 Ryder Cup

The sign on the way to the first tee warns that Bethpage Black is a very difficult course. Not if you are a European though.

As the dust settles on a truly astonishing Ryder Cup, what have we learnt?

Preparation is Everything 

European captain Luke Donald left absolutely nothing to chance. He got his players to Bethpage early so they knew the course. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. There was a huge amount of analytical data provided by Edoardo Molinari and that meant Donald knew his players inside out and knew who would complement one another in both foursomes and fourballs. There was also the virtual reality headsets that prepared the team for the reception they would get in New York. And then there was the fact that 11 of his players had enjoyed success in Rome two years ago.

It’s All About The Team

More than ever, there is a sense that the American side consists of 12 individuals. It cannot have escaped anybody’s attention that they only produced their best when it came to the singles, when they were out there as individuals. It cannot be a coincidence that they struggle so often in fourballs and foursomes. The Europeans are a proper team who enjoy each other’s company. Egos are parked at the gates. The Europeans seem to genuinely like one another and have clearly formed real friendships on and off the course. It is a recipe for success.

A Captain Can Win or Lose it For You

While Luke Donald knew his pairings, it seemed like Keegan Bradley was making it up as he went along. Harris English and Collin Morikawa looked like a foursomes disaster waiting to happen and were duly thrashed on day one. So can somebody please explain to me why he sent them out again on day two and why he would be surprised when they lost again?

Getting Course Set-Up All Wrong

Oh dear! Keegan Bradley made a huge mistake in opting to have the rough cut back. Bethpage Black was target golf and Bradley seemed to forget that most of the European team play on the PGA Tour and experience this form of the game almost every week. The course set-up may have been Bradley’s biggest blunder - and he admitted as much.

Provoking Rory McIlroy is Not a Good Idea

The fans who thought it was a good idea to wind up McIlroy clearly know nothing about him. Making him angry only served to make him play even better. Schoolboy error!

That Matt Fitzpatrick is Back! And Has a Short Memory!

It was heartwarming to see Fitzpatrick playing some of his very best golf in the heat of battle. He came to Bethpage with a dreadful Ryder Cup record. He leaves New York with his head held high.

You Can’t Play Into Form

Collin Morikawa has struggled all year. If Bradley thought the Ryder Cup would inspire him he was sadly mistaken. This is a pressure-cooker event.

Overpriced Tickets Don’t Buy You a Class Gallery

Rooting for your team is all well and good but the behaviour of many New York fans most definitely crossed the line. They targeted European players and officials alike. It wasn’t just what was said - it was the fact that it happened as players were preparing to hit shots. This is not the Phoenix Open. Such behaviour has no place at the Ryder Cup. It is worth singling out Justin Thomas, who tried to quieten the crowd when McIlroy and Shane Lowry were being abused.

US Fans Lack Imagination

Can they really come up with nothing better than "USA! USA! USA!"?

Money Down The Drain

Did any player on the American team justify the money they were paid to represent their country? An unpaid European team most definitely claimed another victory on this front.

Luke Donald is No Soft Touch

He may seem like an unassuming character but by leaving out a struggling Rasmus Hojgaard on day two he proved he was not afraid to make difficult decisions.

That Fans Can Turn on Their Own Players

Did you ever imagine that you would hear home fans telling Scheffler to turn up? Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson both had poor Ryder Cup records. Scheffler has won two majors and dominated the PGA Tour in 2025 but he had a Ryder Cup to forget - and not for the first time. Go figure!

The Cameron Young Conundrum

Cameron Young is a local boy and arrived at Bethpage in terrific form. Why, oh why, did Bradley not play him right from the start? If he had gone out in the first foursomes match on Friday and played well he would have lifted the gallery and the result just might have been very different.

That Jon Rahm Loves Foursomes

The Spaniard went 2-0 in the foursomes and played some spellbinding golf. It didn’t matter where he found himself, he was still able to produce the goods when it mattered.

That Tyrrell Hatton Will Still Swear

It wasn’t just the American fans who were guilty of excessive use of the f-word. Yet again, Tyrrell Hatton used it liberally,. Mind you, he wasn’t the only one - McIlroy, Lowry and Justin Thomas were just as guilty.

That The Best-Laid Plans Can Come Undone

Sometimes you need a Plan B. Bradley obviously had something in mind but when it all started to go wrong he seemed to be unable to adapt and change things.

That You Can Never Take Anything For Granted

Just ask Luke Donald! It all looked to be done and dusted on Saturday night. All talk was of a record European victory. But this is the Ryder Cup. There were times on Sunday when many Europeans, myself included, wondered where on earth the winning points were going to come from.

That Europe Were Deserved Winners

Despite that American fightback, this needs no explanation! Europe won because they were better in every department. 

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