Golfers Who Could Play in The 2027 Ryder Cup

How the Europeans held off that USA charge, I may never know. I think all Europeans will agree with me when I say that that was a little bit too close for comfort. Team Europe retained the Ryder Cup in a fashion that was hard to define. Displays of pure dominance on Friday and Saturday, followed by some disappointing singles results, leaving it to a half point from Tyrrell Hatton to secure the victory at Bethpage Black.  

With that out the way, let's get a countdown started to Ireland 2027, because I already cannot wait. It's never too soon to speculate and ponder on who could feature in the Ryder Cup teams in two years’ time. Here’s who I think could make a return, who could make their debut or a long awaited comeback and who is, quite frankly, nailed on to be there.  

Let's pick out some European potential returners... 

Justin Rose 

At the start of this season, I was completely unsure whether Rosey would be heading to New York for this year's Ryder Cup, however he grafted and secured his spot as an automatic qualifier. But I'm not quite convinced it will be the same story for the Englishman in two years’ time. Justin Rose had a very impressive weekend on the whole, coming up with some incredibly clutch putts when needed. This year's Masters alone showed that the old dog still has steam left in the tank, but if it will be enough to get him back to another Ryder Cup, only time will tell. For me, he's a potential returner - and could even succeed Luke Donald as captain.

Matt Fitzpatrick 

Just like Rosey, I was very unsure that Fitz would be able to claim a spot in the team after a tremendous drop in form. In true Sheffield grit fashion, however, Fitz found his form and grafted his way to the captain's final pick. Fitz proved all the doubters and questioners wrong this past weekend, picking up two great points. A disappointing crumble against DeChambeau in the singles from five up wasn't the finish he will have been hoping for, but regardless, a great display from the Englishman. If this form carries on over the coming seasons, there is no doubt Fitz will be one of the first names on the team sheet in 2027. 

Rasmus Hojgaard 

I do have some doubts that he will be a guaranteed returner in 2027. Rasmus has showed signs of pure brilliance over the past two years, but as young players do, he has shown inconsistencies in his game. Being 24 there is no doubt that he has huge potential, and he could very easily secure another automatic selection in 2027. For me, though, I don’t think he is at all close to a guaranteed his spot in Ireland.  

What about some European potential newcomers...

Harry Hall 

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

What a year this guy has had, and what incredible potential he carries with himself as well. This year Hall showed some tremendous form that stood out among all the European players on the PGA Tour, having not missed a cut since the Players Championship back in March. If Hall carries on this form across the next two seasons, I have minimal doubt that he will be making his way to Ireland.

Marco Penge 

Another player who was desperately close to making his Ryder Cup debut this year but fell bitterly short alongside Hall. Penge picked up a couple of wins on the DP World Tour this season, but his most notable performance has to be his T2 finish at the Scottish Open. Currently sat in second place in the Race to Dubai standings, it looks extremely likely that we will see Penge competing on the PGA Tour next season. If so, competing against the best of the best every weekend will give him the platform to prove himself worthy of a Ryder Cup spot - as long as he carries his form into the new season.  

Matt Wallace 

How Matt Wallace is yet to make his Ryder Cup debut is, honestly, quite surprising. Many believe he should have been a guaranteed selection in 2018, and when you look at some of the numbers you can see why. He won three events on the European Tour and battled for a T3 finish in the PGA Championship, however it wasn't to be for the Englishman. He came desperately close to securing a spot in this year's team as well, but Luke Donald opted for Matt Fitzpatricks experience instead. Matt Wallace has said he will never give up on the Ryder Cup, so maybe his time will come in 2027.  

Here are guaranteed returners for Europe...

Rory McIlroy 

There is absolutely zero doubt from myself that Rory will be at the Ryder Cup in 2027. On the back of his huge career grand slam achievement, Rory hit the ground hard in New York, despite the efforts from the American supporters. He shows absolutely no signs of slowing down or stopping anytime soon and I think there's a good chance he wins another major before the next Ryder Cup. At the moment I struggle to vision a Ryder Cup team that doesn't feature Rory McIlroy.  

Tommy Fleetwood 

How good was Tommy Fleetwood this weekend, wow! His record speaks for itself really. Off the back of an in-form season on tour where he finally secured his first career victory, Fleetwood brought nothing but confidence and pure class to Bethpage Black. It was truly devastating to see Tommy lose on Sunday to Justin Thomas, but regardless, he had one of the best weekends of all. I have no doubt at all that Tommy will run even further with this form, bringing him straight back to the team in 2027. 

Tyrrell Hatton 

Maybe not as guaranteed as Fleetwood and McIlroy, but still a great deal of confidence that he will return to Team Europe in 2027. Hatton led the team out on Friday morning, teaming up with Jon Rahm in a comprehensive victory against Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau. Hatton truly demonstrated his ability to compete on golf’s greatest stage this weekend, and there is a very high chance he will get the opportunity to do so once again.  

What about some potential USA returners?

Russell Henley 

Henley losing out on a full point on 18 to Shane Lowry sums up his weekend I would say. A perfect approach shot from the bunker, but the putt just fell short. He showed glimpses of promise over the weekend, but ultimately, he underperformed. Henley had some very impressive performances throughout the season, including a top tier win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Should this form carry on across the next two years, then it is more than likely that he will return to Team USA in 2027. 

Sam Burns 

Burns had a fairly inconsistent year on the tour this year, but when things didn’t shine so bright for the USA, he showed some real glimpses of top quality golf at Bethpage. If he takes the golf he played this weekend onto the PGA Tour next season, I would be quite surprised if he doesn’t pick up his next tour win and bag himself on a plane with Team USA. 

Cam Young  

This New York native headed to Bethpage to make his Ryder Cup debut, and he walked away having impressed the masses worldwide. USA’s late charge became all too real as he birdied 18 to defeat Justin Rose in the Sunday singles. Young was undoubtably one of the best performers for Team USA across the weekend, and he will carry some serious momentum into the new season. 

We could also see a few potential newcomers and even comebacks.

Akshay Bhatia 

One of the younger players from the US currently making his rise to glory. The left handed hitter already has two PGA Tour wins to his name, alongside a collection of impressive finishes. Without doubt he is a name that should be watched by a close eye across the next two seasons.  

Maverick McNealy 

Another name from the US who seemed to burst onto the scene in the very recent years. McNealy already has one PGA Tour win to his name, with the potential to claim many more in the coming seasons. Since the season began in 2024, McNealy rose from 188th to 10th in the world rankings, now currently sat at 19th. I am very confident saying that I think McNealy will be a huge contender for the Ryder Cup in 2027, where he would be making his debut.  

Jordan Spieth 

Jordan Spieth is a name that was once an absolute staple of a USA Ryder Cup team, but at the moment, he is really quite far off. Spieth and JT is a partnership I long to see at the Ryder Cup again, and maybe 2027 will be the time. Spieth has a long journey back to his top form, but in this game, absolutely nothing is impossible. 

And some players are just going to be there.

Scottie Scheffler 

Maybe the most certain name on this entire list, Scheffler is the most dominant golfer in the world at the moment, he has been for some time, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down at all. Presuming there are no injuries involved in the next two years, I have zero doubt that Scottie Scheffler will be playing in 2027. 

Xander Schauffele  

Schauffele had a challenging season on tour, battling with an injury early on, but he demonstrated his true powers at Bethpage this weekend. Defeating Jon Rahm in a heavyweight title clash for the ages, Xander Schauffele is truly back to his top form. The man who won two majors in one season just over a year ago is a real force of Team USA, and there is no doubt he will be bringing the heat to Ireland in 2027. 

Bryson DeChambeau 

Playing on LIV, it’s hard to get a real representation of where DeChambeau would sit in the world rankings, but I would say he is comfortably in the top 5 right now. DeChambeau’s chase down of Matt Fitzpatrick is something that golfers will remember for a long time, unfortunately for European supporters. His long bombs off the first tee in front of that humongous crowd are something I will definitely not miss this week, that’s for sure. I would be extremely surprised should DeChambeau not be playing at the next Ryder Cup.  

As Rory McIlroy said, winning the Ryder Cup away from home is one of the hardest things to do in golf, and Team USA will have a major job on their hands heading to Ireland in 2027.

Who do you want to see feature in the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor?

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