How golf balls are causing a big problem for Team USA at the Ryder Cup
The stage is set for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. All that’s left now is for the captains to pick their pairings. Team Europe looks much easier to pair up solely based on what golf ball each player uses, so how is this going to affect Team USA?
Every golfer playing in this year’s Ryder Cup is playing with one of the best golf balls in the game, but they’re not all playing the same model.
Ahead of the Irish Open, Luke Donald was asked how much of a factor the golf ball influences his decision-making when it comes to picking his foursomes pairings.
“It can be. I think certain players are very particular about what ball they play,” said the European Captain. “Some players are quite good at adjusting… It’s certainly one of the factors we have to look at, and it can make a difference.”
With that in mind, could Donald’s captain’s picks also have been influenced by which golf ball each player uses?
I’m under no illusion that it’s the only factor, but when you take a look at how well the players can be paired, based on which ball they play, it certainly seems to have entered the European captain’s thought process.
Which golf ball does each player on Team Europe use?PlayerGolf BallRory McIlroyTaylorMade TP5Tommy FleetwoodTaylorMade TP5xJustin RoseTitleist Pro V1xTyrrell HattonTitleist Pro V1xLudvig AbergTitleist Pro V1xMatt FitzpatrickTitleist Pro V1xViktor HovlandTitleist Pro V1Robert MacIntyreTitleist Pro V1Jon RahmCallaway Chrome Tour XRasmus HojgaardCallaway Chrome Tour XShane LowrySrixon Z-Star XVSepp StrakaSrixon Z-Star XV
Given how well the European players can be paired, let’s take a look at the possible pairings if Donald matches players up solely based on their golf balls.
Team Europe Ryder Cup pairings based on golf ball
Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood – TP5x / TP5
McIlroy and Fleetwood don’t play the same model, but they are both familiar with the TaylorMade TP5x. Both players settled on the TP5x when TaylorMade first launched the five-piece models in 2021, and McIlroy was using TP5x until he switched to the TP5 earlier this season. Fleetwood continues to use TP5x, and it was in play for his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Tour Championship.
At the 2023 Ryder Cup, McIlroy and Fleetwood played together in both foursome sessions, and the pair won both of their matches 2&1. At Marco Simone, both players were in TP5x, and even though they no longer use the same ball, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them paired together at Bethpage given their familiarity with the TP5x.
Tyrrell Hatton & Justin Rose | Ludvig Aberg & Matt Fitzpatrick – Titleist Pro V1x
Team Europe have four players using the Titleist Pro V1x – Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, Tyrrell Hatton, and Matt Fitzpatrick. None of these four players have ever been paired together in a team event, so why would that change at the 2025 Ryder Cup?
It might not. But, there’s also a chance that it might.
With four players using Pro V1x, there are a possible 12 pairings. I think Hatton & Rose and Aberg & Fitzpatrick are the two most likely pairings. The latter played in the opening two rounds of the BMW PGA Championship, which could be a hint that they are expected to be paired together at Bethpage. Although I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple of these players mixed in with the Pro V1 users.
Bob MacIntyre & Viktor Hovland – Titleist Pro V1
Titleist Pro V1 users MacIntyre and Hovland weren’t paired together at Marco Simone. Hovland was paired with Aberg in both foursome sessions, and MacIntyre’s partner was Rose in both fourball sessions.
At the 2023 Ryder Cup, MacIntyre was playing with a different golf ball than he uses now – the TaylorMade TP5x. Given that the Scotsman has changed ball, and he’s playing in his second Ryder Cup, he might not need to be taken under Rose’s wing (same case for Aberg with Hovland), and that could free him up to play with Hovland.
Ahead of the BMW PGA Championship, Donald said, “He’s [MacIntyre] become a much better player in the last two years. I didn’t see a similar option for foursomes, but there is potential this time around because of the way he plays the game now.”
This hints at the idea we will see the Scotsman playing with someone other than Rose at Bethpage.
Jon Rahm & Rasmus Hojgaard – Callaway Chrome Tour X
Same name, new partner for Rahm?
At the 2023 Ryder Cup, the Legion XIII captain played a fourball session with Rasmus’ twin brother, Nicolai, who just so happened to use the same Callaway Chrome Tour X golf ball. Rasmus also uses that same model, so is that enough of a reason to suggest the two could play together in foursomes?
Probably not. But Rahm was the experienced player Donald paired with Rasmus’ rookie twin brother at Marco Simone, so what’s to say he won’t do the same again with the younger Hojgaard twin?
Even if they play together in fourballs (like Rahm did with Nicolai), not foursomes, Rahm and Rasmus can share information about how the ball is reacting because they play the same model.
Shane Lowry & Sepp Straka – Srixon Z-Star XV
Like McIlroy and Fleetwood, Lowry and Straka played together in both foursome sessions at Marco Simone. At the 2023 Ryder Cup, the pair won one game 2&1 but lost the other 4&2. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Irishman and Austrian team up once again in the foursomes at Bethpage.
I think the main driving force behind this pairing is the golf ball. Lowry and Straka both use the Srixon Z-Star XV, and they’re the only two members of Team Europe who are familiar with this model.
The golf ball problem facing Team USA at the Ryder Cup
Team Europe looks to be in a great position heading into the Ryder Cup, purely based on which golf ball each player uses. If Donald is struggling to figure out his best pairings, he can easily lean on the fact that so many players share the same golf ball with at least one other player.
Sadly, this isn’t the case for Team USA Captain, Keegan Bradley, and it appears to be playing on his mind, “I think foursomes is obviously the tougher format to pair because there’s so many more factors. There’s the golf ball…”
Given that the primary factor Bradley mentions as to why picking pairs for foursomes is tough is the golf ball, let’s take a look at potential Team USA pairings based on which ball each player uses, and what headaches it could cause them.
With Team Europe, it’d be pretty easy to pair players up solely based on their golf ball. However, that’s not the case with Team USA. Five of the players use a unique golf ball, and seven players use Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x (including CPOs).
Which golf ball does each player on Team Europe use?PlayerGolf BallScottie SchefflerTitleist Pro V1Harris EnglishTitleist Pro V1Russell HenleyTitleist Pro V1xPatrick CantlayTitleist Pro V1xJustin ThomasTitleist Pro V1xBryson DeChambeauTitleist Pro V1x Double DotCameron YoungTitleist Pro V1x Double DotXander SchauffeleCallaway Chrome TourSam BurnsCallaway Chrome Tour XJJ SpaunSrixon Z-Star DiamondCollin MorikawaTaylorMade TP5Ben GriffinMaxfli Tour X
This could make it difficult for Bradley to pair players together if they aren’t willing to use a different golf ball than what they’re used to. It can also rule some players out of foursomes completely, which is far from ideal.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Team USA. There are still some obvious possible pairings based solely on golf ball. So let’s take a look at the potential pairings Team USA could field at Bethpage.
Scottie Scheffler & Harris English – Titleist Pro V1
As the only two Team USA members to use the No.1 ball in golf, there’s a strong chance we might see the World No.1 paired with English.
Both players debuted in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in 2021. They weren’t paired together that year, but there is a chance they will be at Bethpage, given they both use the Pro V1.
If there’s any Team USA player who is capable of playing with anyone and using any golf ball, it’s most likely Scheffler, so we can’t rule him out of being paired with any of the other 10 guys on the team.
Justin Thomas & Patrick Cantlay – Titleist Pro V1x
There are three Pro V1x players on Team USA – Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, and Russell Henley. However, I’m expecting Henley to be paired with Scheffler over JT or Cantlay based on the 2024 Presidents Cup pairings.
At the 2024 Presidents Cup, Scheffler was paired with Henley in both foursome matches and in one of the fourball sessions. Speaking ahead of the Ryder Cup, Henley addressed the challenges he faces in finding a suitable partner, “It is a big deal. I think especially into the greens, if you’re seeing a different spin rate.
“Like me, who really emphasizes controlling the ball with my irons, if I don’t know how much the ball is spinning – if it’s spinning way less – it’s going to be really tough for me to figure that out. Absolutely, it makes a big difference.
“You don’t get the consistency. The spin really is huge.”
Thomas and Cantlay have played together before in fourballs at the 2021 Ryder Cup, where they finished their match all square. They also play on the same team in TGL – season one winners, Atlanta Drive GC. Given that both players use Pro V1x, I don’t think it’d be unlikely to see them team up once again at Bethpage.
The only player I can see preventing Cantlay from being paired with JT is Xander Schauffele. Cantlay and Schauffele have played together in every foursomes session of the Ryder Cup since 2021 and Presidents Cup since 2019 (barring one) with a winning record of 6-3. The pair have also played in four fourball sessions with a 1-3 losing record.
I think it’s likely to see Cantlay and Schauffele paired together for foursomes, but I think we could see a Thomas and Cantlay pairing for fourballs.
Bryson DeChambeau & Cameron Young – Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot
This pairing makes the most sense to me of any for Team USA. They are the only two players who use the Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot, which Young won with in its debut tournament on the PGA Tour.
DeChambeau has been very vocal about his issues in finding the perfect golf ball, but he seems to have settled on the Pro V1x Double Dot… for now.
If we are to see DeChambeau feature in foursomes, I can only see it being if he can play his own ball, and given that it’s the same ball as Young, this seems like a perfect pairing.
Young was paired with Morikawa for both foursome sessions at the 2022 Presidents Cup, but I don’t think they’ll team up again at Bethpage.
Xander Schauffele – Callaway Chrome Tour
I think it’s highly likely we see Schauffele paired with Cantlay in foursomes – or not play in them at all. Schauffele is the only American who uses the Callaway Chrome Tour, which doesn’t completely rule him out of foursomes like some other team members’ golf balls could, but I don’t think it makes sense for him to be paired with anyone other than Cantlay, given they have a winning record in foursomes and they’re very good friends.
Bradley is likely looking to rely on friendships when it comes to picking his foursomes pairings. Speaking at the Procore Championship, Team USA Captain said, “You really want to match up the personalities with foursomes because it is a way tougher format.”
Sam Burns – Callaway Chrome Tour X
I don’t think the fact Burns uses the Callaway Chrome Tour X has any influence on who he will be paired with at the 2025 Ryder Cup, because I don’t think it has in previous years, or at the Presidents Cup. Burns’ most common partner in foursomes has been Scheffler, but they have a losing record (0-3), and I think that’s a reason they weren’t paired together at the 2024 Presidents Cup.
I can see Burns being somewhat of a floater in this year’s Ryder Cup. Like with Schauffele, I don’t think anyone will be put off by Burns if they have to use the Callaway Chrome Tour X, and I also don’t think he’d snub the chance to play with anyone else if he has to use their ball.
JJ Spaun – Srixon Z-Star Diamond
The 2025 US Open Champion is making his Ryder Cup debut in 2025, and given that he uses a golf ball that no one else on Team USA uses, I think that rules him out of foursomes.
I might be completely wrong, but based purely on the fact Spaun uses the Srixon Z-Star Diamond, and no other member of Team USA is familiar with that model, I think he will be kept fresh for fourballs.
Collin Morikawa – TaylorMade TP5
I mentioned previously that English could be freed up to play with someone else if Scheffler is paired with Henley. That someone else could be Morikawa. English and Morikawa played together in the opening two rounds of the Procore Championship. Is that coincidental, or did Bradley have a say in the groups?
Morikawa is the only member of Team USA who uses the TaylorMade TP5, and that might rule him out of foursomes, although he has played with both Young and Burns in foursomes at the Presidents Cup.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Morikawa left out of the foursomes sessions and paired with English in the fourballs.
Ben Griffin – Maxfli Tour X
Ben Griffin uses the Maxfli Tour X, and he’s won on the PGA Tour with it.
Like Spaun, Griffin is another rookie for Team USA at the 2025 Ryder Cup, and while that alone isn’t enough to rule him out of a possible foursomes pairing, I think his golf ball is.
I’m not saying the other 11 Team USA players turn their noses up at playing a Maxfli, but it’s not a golf ball any of them will be familiar with, and for me, that’s a good enough reason to believe Bradley will keep Griffin fresh for fourballs.
How golf balls will influence the Ryder Cup
Solely considering golf balls used by Team Europe and Team USA players, I think it’s advantage Donald. The European Captain has a much easier task when it comes to picking his pairings, especially for foursomes.
If each team pairs players based on their golf balls, Europe have five possible pairings (six if you consider that McIlroy is very familiar with TP5x) where no one has to compromise. Whereas USA only have three, which means they’ll need to have at least one pairing in the foursomes with one player compromising on the golf ball.
I’m not going to go as far as to say this guarantees a win for Team Europe, but in a Ryder Cup, every little helps.
About the author
He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.
James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.
You can contact James via email for loads more golf equipment insight.
