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 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.
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
The Ryder Cup is unlike any other tournament in golf and the atmosphere is something that every golf fan should experience. The experts at Golfbreaks.com can help with all aspects of your Ryder Cup experience, from accommodation and ticket packages to hospitality and travel and playing some of the fantastic nearby courses.
