Ever since Rory McIlroy sat on the celebratory dais after the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome and promised a European victory in 2025 at Bethpage Black, the anticipation for the next chapter of the biennial event has lorded over the sport.
As the chatter around player pay, Bryson DeChambeau’s fit as a teammate and potential pairings start to wind down, all we’re left with is a brilliant hype video put together by Europe and our own thoughts about what three September days at Bethpage Black can deliver.
First, the hype video.
This weekend at “The People’s Country Club” promises to deliver high drama, confrontation and, if Europe gets its way, the first road Ryder Cup win in 13 years. As is the case with every Ryder Cup, it will also likely include the unexpected. What that means is anyone’s guess. Here’s mine.
JT leads the Americans
Scottie Scheffler is the unquestioned best player in the world and just won the Procore Championship, which he played just to stay sharp for this event. Add in the fact that Scheffler and Brooks Koepka suffered a humiliating 9-and-7 defeat at the hands of Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland in Rome, and it would be fair to assume that the World No. 1 plans to put pelts on the wall this week in New York.
“I don’t know if motivation is really the right word,” Scheffler said Tuesday about what happened in Rome. “I think you can learn from your wins and your losses, and I’ve had some nice wins out here, and I’ve had some tough losses as well.
“I don’t think it can be understated how difficult of a week Rome was for us. I think we could have done better for sure. That wasn’t how I expected the week to go. I think we learned from it, and we’re as prepared as ever this time.”
I expect Scheffler to play well this week, or at least better than his 0-2-2 showing in Rome. But while Scheffler will be expected to carry Team USA, the team’s heart, Justin Thomas, will lead the way.
Thomas is 7-4-2 in his Ryder Cup career and is undefeated in Sunday singles. After finding himself in the wilderness during the 2023 season, Thomas has played like a top-10 player for the last year. He ranked sixth on the PGA Tour in Adjusted Total Strokes Gained (1.55), per Data Golf, and snapped his winless drought in April at the RBC Heritage. Thomas’ play dipped this summer, but he lives for the team events, and I expect him to be at his best at Bethpage.
JT plays four sessions and goes 3-0-1, including a singles win over Shane Lowry. Scheffler goes 2-2-1 but loses in singles to Jon Rahm.
DeChambeau has leaned into the team aspect of LIV Golf and has become more comfortable in his skin since making the jump to the breakaway league. Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and others have praised DeChambeau’s “all-in” approach to being a part of Team USA. When you factor in DeChambeau’s ability to feed off the crowd, there’s every reason to believe he’ll be one of captain Keegan Bradley’s best players this week.
Here’s where we zag.
DeChambeau and Cameron Young take a 1-up loss to Viktor Hovland and Aberg in Friday foursomes. Two more losses come for DeChambeau on Saturday and he falls to Tommy Fleetwood in Sunday singles.
An 0-4-0 record for the Crushers GC frontman.
Europe opens with haymaker, but U.S. responds with flurry
The last two times the Ryder Cup was contested on U.S. soil, the Americans opened with 4-0 and 3-1 wins in the opening foursomes matches. That set the U.S. up to lead 5-3 and 6-2, respectively, after Day 1.
Europe flips the script in front of a raucous Bethpage crowd on Friday morning, winning all four foursomes matches, including a dominant 6-and-5 win for Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood over Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.
Despite Europe’s massive opening salvo, the U.S. goes 3.5-.5 in fourballs to trim the deficit and wins Saturday’s foursomes session 3-1 to go up 6.5-5.5. Another 3-1 win in fourballs gives the U.S. a 9.5-6.5 lead heading into Sunday.
Europe storms back to win
Entering singles with a three-point lead and the crowd behind them, the Americans appear to have all the momentum as the final day at Bethpage begins.
But the tide soon turns as Rahm beats Scheffler, Hovland defeats Young and McIlroy beats Cantlay. Thomas’ win over Lowry stems the tide, but Aberg takes down Russell Henley, Justin Rose dominates J.J. Spaun and Robert MacIntyre defeats Harris English to make it 12.5-10.5. Tyrrell Hatton beats Ben Griffin and then Fleetwood takes down DeChambeau 2 and 1 to clinch the cup for Europe.
McIlroy plays all five sessions, going 4-0-1 to lead Europe with 4.5 points.
