It’s time to revisit the hottest topic in golf: the state of Team USA as we look ahead to the Ryder Cup. I’ve thought a lot about how the team currently stands today and feel confident that the below graphic is the correct illustration of how the American side should be viewed.
A few notes:
I try to consistently remind myself and readers that the word “lock” is thrown around far too casually in Ryder Cup conversations. Resist the urge to use that word liberally. I last did this specific exercise on April 30th. My tiers from April have aged well, but you can still see how much things have changed over the last three months. Neither Ben Griffin nor Chris Gotterup was on the Ryder Cup radar in April, and now both golfers have strong cases for making the team. The event is two months away. More will change. However, as things currently stand, I think it’s appropriate to use the word “lock” on nine names.
My official Keegan Bradley stance is that we should stop freaking out about the whole situation until at least after the BMW Championship. At the current moment, he is one of the 12 best American golfers. If he is one of the best 12 players a few weeks from now, he should play in the Ryder Cup. If he plays, he should have as close to zero captain responsibilities as possible, even if he retains the title of captain, which he should. Making decisions on the fly while also competing is a recipe for disaster. Yet, I find some of the media uproar over this “controversy” to be extremely overdramatic and premature. Is this really a distraction right now? Can we at least wait a couple of weeks to see what happens before we freak out? Everyone calm down.
My hottest Ryder Cup take is that Captain Keegan should be prepared to leave Collin Morikawa off the team if he struggles mightily over the next few weeks. I don’t expect this scenario to materialize, but Morikawa looked completely lost at Royal Portrush. Also, he hasn’t done much of anything since April, a T-14 at the Masters. Though I’ve labeled him a “Lock” above, largely because I don’t think Keegan will leave him off the team no matter what happens, I would not be afraid to leave the sixth-ranked player in the world off the team if his performances in the Playoffs are ugly.
Relatedly, I have concerns about Justin Thomas and his inability to hit a driver. My way-too-early call is that the Ryder Cup could very well come down to Bradley’s willingness to bench at least one of JT and/or Morikawa for much of the competition.
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My Cameron Young admiration is well-established. However, I’m not going to be obnoxious and advocate for him unless he truly deserves it. My expectation is that Young will leave no doubt over the next few weeks that he belongs on this team. His improved putting in 2025 paired with the return of his elite-level ball-striking starting back in May makes for a dangerous combination, one that has propelled him to two T-4 finishes and a win in his last six starts. I’m expecting him to contend in at least one playoff event, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win in Memphis this week.
I have 13 players listed above the bottom row in the above graphic. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if someone from the bottom row ends up with a strong case to be on the team. Yes, including Brian Harman, who I could see playing well in Memphis this week. Wyndham Clark has somewhat quietly pieced together four very solid finishes in his last five starts, too. If nobody from the bottom row makes a strong statement between now and selection day, then the top 12 will likely come from the top four rows. That said, it’s golf. Anything can happen.
Ok, that’s all for this week. Monitor the website and social feeds for an extensive piece about another player in the tiers coming later this week. As always, shoot feedback and questions to me at joseph@thefriedegg.com!
