FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The 2025 Ryder Cup is in the books. What was a snoozer and beatdown the first two days turned into an exciting finish, as Team Europe won for the first time on foreign soil in 13 years at Bethpage Black, holding off a valiant American charge in Sunday Singles. There were a lot of incredible performances on the week, but one of the big storylines didn’t even contain happenings on the course.
The countdown is now on to Adare Manor in Ireland, site of the 2027 Ryder Cup.
Here are a few parting thoughts from someone who covered his first Ryder Cup, starting with …
Luke Donald should Ryder Cup captain a third time
Continuity is a big reason why the Europeans have become so dominant since the worst loss in modern Ryder Cup history (since 1979). Donald has brought stability and incredible leadership to the captaincy for the Euros and Sunday joined Tony Jacklin as the only European captain with two Ryder Cup wins. If he’s interested, he should absolutely return for a third stint at Adare Manor. As Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch wrote this week he has more than earned it. And if not Donald…
Justin Rose primed for his shot as Ryder Cup captain
How in the world the 45-year-old keeps doing this, I have no idea. In his seventh Ryder Cup appearance, Rosie was the best putter in the field, “I wish I knew. I wish I could be a bit more selfish and know that 25 weeks of the year,” he jokingly said, but he also was pivotal in securing two four-ball points with Tommy Fleetwood and was a thorn in the USA’s side once again. Sure, he could make his eighth appearance on Team Europe in Ireland, but if Luke Donald doesn’t return, Justin Rose is going to make an excellent captain if it’s his time.
Bethpage Black doesn’t shine
As far as course conditioning, it couldn’t have been any better. But U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley said he made a mistake with how he set up the course, which played extremely easy with short rough and wet conditions, making the greens slow and soft. It was the farthest thing from Bethpage Black that fans have grown accustomed to and will look completely different from how it will play in the 2033 PGA Championship. A great public venue, but certain factors took away from how good of a course it is.
The fans get an F
Where do I start? I can’t even type half the things the fans said to members of the European team because of how vile they are. Sure, New York fans are about as harsh as they come, but this week was different. Most fans were fine, but there were way too many who were too comfortable crossing the line. Add that into the crowd didn’t have any juice until the U.S. started making its push Sunday (better play early on would’ve helped), the crowd underdelivered from what I was expecting a Ryder Cup crowd should be.
Scottie Scheffler’s struggles at 2025 Ryder Cup
What can you take from the world No. 1 going 1-4? He said Saturday was the lowest point of his professional career. Beating Rory McIlroy in Sunday singles is a great finish to the week, but the best player can’t lose four matches and get only one point. That’s a big reason why the U.S. lost. As for his continued struggles in team events, perhaps it’s because Scheffler is so good in his little bubble with Ted Scott that he doesn’t adjust well to playing with a partner. Whatever it is, he has to get it figured out to help the U.S. more in the future.
Cameron Young is a star
I think this week could be a similar moment for Cam Young that it was for Scheffler at the 2021 Ryder Cup. Young, in his native New York, was the best player on the U.S. team, going 3-1 and topping Rose in the leadoff singles match. Young finally got his first PGA Tour win last month, and now he has starred on one of the biggest stages in the game. It’s hard to imagine his confidence won’t be sky high going into 2026 and beyond, and time to see whether he’ll capitalize.
Keegan Bradley as a captain was …
Not bad, but not great. People instantly questioned lineup decisions he made, especially the Harris English/Collin Morikawa pairing in foursomes not once, but twice, when it was ranked as the worst possible lineup combination for the U.S. He also said he messed up the course setup and was open and honest after the loss, taking the blame on himself with Justin Thomas among those coming to his defense. Was it a better captaincy than Zach Johnson? Without a doubt. Was it as good as it could’ve been? No, but that’s not all Bradley’s fault (Looking at you, PGA of America).
Bryson DeChambeau deserved his spot on U.S. team
His record shows 1-3-1, but in terms of total Strokes Gained, Bryson DeChambeau was the fifth-best player in the Ryder Cup and second-best American behind Young. His record can probably be blamed on some poor pairings, but he also lost in fourballs with Scottie Scheffler as his partner. No one lived off the crowd as DeChambeau did this week, but going back to an earlier point about the fans, not even his strong play could keep fans riled up to support the U.S. But if one thing’s clear, he proved he’s still one of the best in the world.
Looking forward for the Americans
One of the big discussions on social media and even on-site last night was where do the Americans go from here? It’s a good question. The USA has lost 11 of the past 15 Ryder Cups and lost five of the last 10 at home. But the way it’s going is not working. How does a team that constantly have a more talented roster on paper get beat?
The finger has to be pointed toward the PGA of America and how it handled the USA team. It’s beyond time to tear it down and build up from the bottom, like USA Basketball did, something Kyle Porter suggested earlier this year that has recently gained a lot of traction after the Bruising at Bethpage.
