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Written by Will Gray
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – It will be remembered as the comeback that almost was.
The U.S. Ryder Cup team fought valiantly Sunday at Bethpage State Park, but ultimately had too steep a hill to climb. The trophy is going home with the Europeans, the first road win by either team in the biennial competition since 2012.
For bettors, there were plenty of units to be won over the past three days at Bethpage – but also some takeaways that can be spun forward into future profits. Here’s a look at five betting lessons from the 2025 Ryder Cup, ranging from players to watch in the coming months to betting strategy for the next Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in 2027:
Europe has built a Foursomes firewall
It’s difficult for the Americans to build a path to victory while ceding such a huge chunk of points to their opponents in one specific format. The Europeans took six of eight possible points in Foursomes this week, winning both sessions by 3-1 margins. It’s the third time in the last four editions of the Ryder Cup that the Euros haven’t just had an edge in the alt-shot format, they’ve dominated – taking six of eight points in France in 2018 and seven of a possible eight two years ago in Italy. As it turned out, they needed every bit of that head start on Sunday.
Part of that success is the veritable firewall they have built with the pairings of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, along with Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. Those four have combined to win four straight matches in Foursomes play, and American fans can expect to see plenty more of them in Adare Manor in 2027.
Rory McIlroy plants wedge for birdie at Ryder Cup
For U.S. players, it’s a difficult mindset knowing that they need to slay not one but two collective dragons in order to gain an edge in Foursomes – which they did at Whistling Straits, going 6-2-0. For bettors, it’s a reminder that oddsmakers may underprice pairings whose camaraderie and success can sometimes surpass strokes gained data or the inherent variance of match play.
Unlike in stroke play, there’s value fading Scottie Scheffler in team competitions
Scheffler’s dominance over the last two years in standard tournament play has led to some eye-popping betting lines. Look no further than the Procore Championship, where he was listed at +260 pre-tournament, a nearly unbettable price, but still went on to win.
Given his stature as world No. 1, oddsmakers also put their thumb on the scale when he tees it up in these team competitions. Despite losing their opening Foursomes match, Scheffler and Russell Henley were still -200 at DraftKings to win on Saturday morning. (They did not.) It was Scheffler, not Rory McIlroy, who was the betting favorite in the marquee Singles match pitting the heartbeat of the European team against a shaken American star looking to avoid going 0-5. Scheffler got the job done, but it went down to the wire.
Scottie Scheffler responds with huge birdie putt at Ryder Cup
Scheffler’s difficult week, which he called one of the lowest points of his career, drops his all-time record in the Ryder Cup to a surprising 3-6-3. His record in the Presidents Cup, 3-5-1, isn’t much better. He’s not the only star to struggle in these settings – Tiger Woods famously went 13-21-3 and competed on just one winning Ryder Cup team, the 1999 comeback at Brookline. Scheffler still has plenty of time to figure it out, but in the interim, it’s clear that the gravitas he carries, which can often translate into match lines and betting markets, doesn’t match his output in these team match-play events.
Rory McIlroy can climb mountains – just not every week
What a year for the Ulsterman. Completing the career Grand Slam, then successfully calling his shot with a road Ryder Cup win in hostile territory. It shows once again that, when everything is firing, he’s among the best if not at the summit of the professional game.
But for bettors, there’s info to be gleaned from the summer run that followed his Masters triumph. McIlroy had a figurative exhale, releasing the pent-up emotions from conquering such a focal point. It lingered through his next few starts: He was a non-factor at the next major at one of his favorite hunting grounds, Quail Hollow, and he couldn’t keep pace with Chris Gotterup in Scotland. He got back into the winner’s circle at the Amgen Irish Open, but that was nearly five months after his Augusta victory.
Rory McIlroy shows his emotion after birdie at Ryder Cup
How much golf he’ll play this fall remains to be seen, but don’t be surprised if there’s an emotional hangover from Bethpage just like there was from Augusta National – one that oddsmakers and casual bettors may not sufficiently factor.
Xander Schauffele may be on the upswing
This has largely been a year to forget for Schauffele, at least inside the ropes, as his 2025 campaign was slowed by injury at the outset and ended without a TOUR Championship berth for the first time in his career. After winning two majors last year, Schauffele hasn’t won a single tournament this year and barely factored on the biggest stages.
While he didn’t get a chance to light a victory cigar at Bethpage, he did show some promising signs of form despite missing action over the last few weeks while at home with his wife and newborn son. Schauffele finished the week 3-1-0, starting alongside Patrick Cantlay while securing the lone U.S. point in the opening Foursomes session and ending with an emphatic Singles win over Jon Rahm as the American comeback reached its peak.
Xander Schauffele pours in electrifying 41-foot eagle to tie match
Schauffele still sits at fourth in the world, but in major championship futures markets, he’s no longer in the same stratosphere as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. While the U.S. didn’t win at Bethpage, Schauffele’s personal performance could salvage a bit of positivity from an otherwise underwhelming year – one that could lead to victories soon that could see those futures prices dwindle in a hurry.
The season of Fleetwood continues
For the second time in four Ryder Cups, Tommy Fleetwood went undefeated in team match play en route to a 4-1-0 record. It was good enough to be the top point scorer on either team at Bethpage Black, and it came on the heels of his breakthrough win last month at the TOUR Championship.
Fleetwood was largely quiet during the post-round press conference featuring the entire European squad, as most of the questions went to McIlroy, Luke Donald or Shane Lowry after his Cup-clinching putt on the 18th hole. But make no mistake, Fleetwood has entered a new level at the top of the professional game over the last few months – one that could carry over into more success (and trophies) in 2026.
Tommy Fleetwood rattles flagstick, nearly holes out from fairway
The Englishman raced through the FedExCup Playoffs and now got a monster injection of confidence from playing a pivotal role in Europe’s drought-breaking success on Long Island. No longer facing questions of when he’ll win in the U.S., he can instead let his game do the talking – just as he did amid boisterous crowds all week at Bethpage. Don’t expect him to fall back into old habits of near-misses anytime soon.
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