Team Europe’s sensational victory over the USA in the 2025 Ryder Cup is something that will go down in history. In dominating team fashion and true grit to defend a huge charge from the USA on the final day, it was pure cinema. Captains made correct decisions, as well as some incorrect ones, some pairings worked, some didn’t, some players flew, others sank. Here are some of my main takeaways from the Ryder Cup.
Team Europe’s Cohesion
The main thing I put Europe’s victory down to is their team cohesion and love for each other – and USA’s lack of! Europe’s players were out there for each other and their captain; we saw so many moments of bonding amongst the European side that we didn’t even see glimpses of from the US camp. The Ryder Cup is a team event, and this year we saw that in its truest form. Even watching the celebrations and the team press conferences, you could really see that this isn’t a group of golfers, it’s a group of friends.
Keegan Bradley & Team USA’s Issues
One of the major things on my mind throughout the weekend, was that Keegan Bradley has been in better form than a lot of his players and he should have been out there with them. Should he have been the first captain in generations to select himself? Maybe not, but Bradley should have been playing for certain. Ditching the captaincy spot less than a year before the Ryder Cup is something that shouldn’t happen, especially to take a chance on the next captain selecting you. It’s a tricky situation that could have been avoided.
I find it hard to judge a captain after they lose a Ryder Cup. Was he a bad captain? Or were Europe just too dominant when it mattered? There were major questions asked when it was discovered that Harris English and Collin Morikawa were statistically the worst pairing of all possibilities. I don’t buy into these statistics too much, as there is so much more going on behind the scenes that we don’t and will never see, but the question is still valid.
Bradley wasn’t shy to admit that he knew he had made mistakes along the way to the Ryder Cup, one of them being the course setup. It was made known that the rough was cut significantly shorter to benefit the USA team, but does this not work both ways? Well, it clearly did work both ways, as by Friday afternoon it was clear that there was minimal danger off the tee.
The course itself was underwhelming for me at the very least, but not just because of the rough. It felt like it was lacking something. The first hole is arguably one of the most boring opening holes I have ever seen in a Ryder Cup. With the condition of the rough, almost all the players could take a big swing at the corner and be safe, because in distance terms, it really wasn’t a very tough drive for these athletes.
Whether you want to call it Europe crumbling or USA charging, the results of the Sunday singles always seemed inevitable to me. When compared to Europe’s ability to dominate in team formats, USA were always going to dominate in the singles. Although Matt Fitzpatrick had one of the most comfortable leads we saw across the weekend, as soon as Bryson DeChambeau got a sniff of momentum, it was always going to be hard. DeChambeau played like a man possessed on that back nine. Possessed by the inspiration to compete for his country and pride, as much as I hated it from a European perspective, it would have been incredible to watch as a neutral.
Many of the USA players underperformed, specifically in the foursomes and fourballs, which simply cannot happen when that is the majority of the tournament. I thought that the USA had a couple of weak links in their team that we didn’t see from the Europeans. Russell Henley had an impressive season on the PGA Tour, but it looked like the pressure of his Ryder Cup debut got to him in the end, which became really unfortunate when he left that final putt short on 18. Every golf fan worldwide said the same five words as soon as he missed that putt, “you can’t leave that short!”
Incredible Tommy Fleetwood
If one player from this Ryder Cup deserves their own section, their own spot in the headlights for the foreseeable future, it’s Tommy Fleetwood. Words cannot describe the weekend this guy had, he looked unplayable at times. It was truly gut-wrenching when he lost to Justin Thomas in the singles, but that’s just what JT does. Strangely, I do think that it would only be JT who could beat Fleetwood in the singles, as Thomas winning his singles match is one of the few things guaranteed in life.
Fleetwood had multiple verbal shots taken at him and his wife across the weekend, but he let his golf do the talking, and Tommy came out on top of that one. I would be massively surprised if Fleetwood doesn’t get another PGA Tour victory this coming season, maybe even a major! His form is incredible, and he is comfortably one of the best golfers in the world at the moment.
I would love to sit here and write thousands of words about each individual player on Team Europe, because they all deserve their praises singing. Rory McIlroy was incredible as ever, Justin Rose was on fire, Jon Rahm cannot be summed up in words, Fitzpatrick was at the peak of his form, and so much more. It was a tremendous display of golf from Team Europe.
Luke Donald – Captain, Leader, Legend
The main man of the past four years for European golf. He is without doubt one of the best, very possibly the best, European captains of all time. Just like every European right now, there is no one I would rather see steer the ship for 2027 than Luke Donald. The crop of players he inherited in 2023 when there was the impact of LIV Golf, and how he developed and trusted young players and rookies for the future. Luke Donald’s influence on European golf runs so much deeper than just two Ryder Cup wins, which alone is an incredible feat. Team Europe have a blueprint for centuries, how to play together, how to perform as a team and how to dominate. Luke Donald is a name that will be respected in golf for the rest of time. Captain, leader, legend.
Star Players Must Deliver – Some Did, Some Did Not
This is a saying that runs through all sports, in a game of football, if your best players don’t show up, you’re in for a long day. Scottie Scheffler is by far the best player in the world, and he has been for some time. He is arguably the most dominant athlete in all of sport right now, but that’s a separate conversation. He was the player that had all Europeans nervous heading into the Ryder Cup, but my word did he underperform. It was always known that he would play in all five sessions, but it wasn’t known at all that he’d only be heading home with a point. His clash with Rory was one for the ages, world number one and two going head-to-head. This win alone probably covered over a lot of the stick he would have got for his poor performances earlier in the weekend.
Xander Schauffele was USA’s main star player of the weekend. He really did look unstoppable at times. After a tough season following an injury early on, his form hasn’t been too great, but he definitely brought his A-game to Bethpage.
Cameron Young was a player who surprised the masses. Making his Ryder Cup debut and he impressed highly. Young secured his first PGA Tour win not long ago at the Wyndham Championship, which must have had a huge impact on Keegan Bradley’s selection. Young was, by far, Bradley’s best pick.
On the European side, all the stars came out. The main three being Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood. There were never any questions with this trio, they were always bound to impress across the weekend. The big players turning up and dominating was what gave Europe such a dominant lead.
Matt Fitzpatrick being Donald’s sixth pick was heavily questioned by some European supporters, but I don’t think those questions lasted long into the weekend. He was incredible. That may be the best we have seen him play since his US Open victory in 2022. As Fitz and Tyrrell Hatton both played immense approach shots onto 18 in the fourballs, Fitzpatrick’s second point of the weekend was earned.
Team Europe’s away win in New York is something that will go down in history. It had dominance, energy and passion. Those are some of my main takeaways and thoughts from the 2025 Ryder Cup.
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Fin Tait is a sports journalism graduate and emerging golf writer for Golfshake. Originally from Sheffield, he brings a fresh perspective shaped by a passion for both playing and following the professional game. Fin enjoys early morning rounds and is focused on improving his own performance, working towards consistent scoring milestones. His writing blends personal experience with a growing knowledge of courses, travel, and the evolving landscape of modern golf.
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