Is the U.S. Ryder Cup roster half-full, or half-empty? I suppose that depends on which side of the bubble you’re sitting on.
On Sunday evening, the U.S. Ryder Cup squad locked up its first six roster spots, granting a selection to each of the six automatic qualifiers selected based on their points total from over the last two years. So, who made the squad? And who’s still battling for a seat? We break it all down below.
Who’s on the U.S. Ryder Cup team (6 Players)
Scottie Scheffler
It should come as no surprise to learn the golfer who won half of this year’s major championships earned the first spot on the U.S. squad. Truth be told, Scheffler solidified his Ryder Cup spot weeks ago, and when the points-gathering was complete, he’d nearly 4x’d the remainder of his U.S. counterparts in points total.
There isn’t much to say about the World No. 1 that hasn’t been said already: He is by far the best player in the world, riding a wave of dominant play that only seems to be gaining steam. He’ll enter Bethpage as the most critical player on the U.S. team — and it isn’t particularly close.
J.J. Spaun
It would be easy to write off Spaun’s involvement on the Ryder Cup team as a product of his victory in the US Open i June where he grabbed his first major championship title. But the truth is that Spaun’s great play started long before that victory in June — he took Rory McIlroy to a Players Championship playoff in March — and continued well after it (he took Justin Rose to a playoff at the FedEx St. Jude just last week).
Spaun has been one of the best three or four American golfers alive in 2025, plain and simple, and he earned this spot on the team the hard way. Now the big question: Whether his penchant for pressure putts translates to match play?
Xander Schauffele
Xander probably isn’t spending much time celebrating his spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup on BMW Championship Sunday. A frustrating PGA Tour season ended for him on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore, with Schauffele failing to finish high enough to earn a spot in the Tour Championship for the first time in his pro career.
Schauffele’s 2025 season sputtered out of the gate after an intercostal injury robbed his first couple months, but his game has rounded into form as of late. He’s expected to be one of the U.S. heavyweights once the balls get in the air in Farmingdale, replicating the team golf performances that have turned him into one of the American side’s most vital players.
Russell Henley
Scheffler’s partner for much of the 2024 Presidents Cup and one of the most underrated players in American golf, Russell Henley punched his ticket to his first Ryder Cup on Sunday at the BMW the same way he does most things on the golf course: Lowkey.
Henley has sneaky been one of the best ball-strikers in the world over the last 24 months, and his performance alongside Scheffler in Montreal last September should provide some encouragement that he can play any role asked by U.S. Ryder Cup leadership.
Bryson DeChambeau
Arguably the most famous golfer alive, DeChambeau eked out the fifth auto-qualifier spot on the U.S. team just a month after calling for a “tsunami” of noise to join him at Bethpage in the fall.
Bryson was brilliant in his last performance at the Ryder Cup in 2021, and there’s reason to think he could be even better come this year’s journey. His game has been at its most consistent ever over the last 18 months, and he managed to qualify for an auto-bid despite not earning points while playing on LIV.
DeChambeau has said his goal is to make it to Napa, where a bunch of U.S. players are expected to tee it up in the PGA Tour fall season event in an effort to stay sharp before the big dance. It’s unlikely the PGA Tour will oblige. Oh well, that leaves plenty of time for YouTubing from Long Island.
Harris English
Another underrated player who’s had a strong season, English earned the sixth and final auto-qualifier on the U.S. side. He’ll compete in his second Ryder Cup at Bethpage, looking to build off a 1-2-0 performance at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.
Who’s out?
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley will make six “captain’s selections” to close out this year’s roster — wild cards who could be taken from anywhere in the points rankings. The two nearest misses among the auto-qualifiers figure to be strong candidates for the squad, as Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa each bring Ryder Cup pedigree and World No. 1 upside. Outside of those two, Ben Griffin made a strong push for consideration in arguably his best full season as a pro. He currently sits in ninth on the U.S. points list.
Further down the rankings is none other than the captain himself, Keegan Bradley, who remains strongly in consideration for a spot despite failing to auto-qualify. Then, further down the list, pros like Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup, Cameron Young, Maverick McNealy, Sam Burns and Andrew Novak represent six guys likely vying for three spots on the U.S. side.
There will be some hard decisions for Bradley as it relates to rounding out the roster for Bethpage, but the work of a captain around the Tour Championship is never easy. Unless, of course, you’re one of the six who already qualified. Now it’s time to sit pretty … and maybe get fitted for a tux for the gala.
