5/27/25

The Ryder Cup is rapidly approaching, as Bethpage Park’s Black Course is getting closer to hosting the biennial competition. There have been some changes inside the top 15 over the last month, as we take another look at where things stand, one month closer to the Ryder Cup. The players in bold are in the automatic qualification spots, which are the six players who accrue the most points.

Team Europe

Captain: Luke Donald
Vice Captains: Edoardo Molinari, Thomas Bjørn, José Maria Olazabal

1. Rory McIlroy 
2. Shane Lowry
   
3. Rasmus Højgaard
4. Tyrrell Hatton
5. Sepp Straka
6. Tommy Fleetwood
7. Justin Rose
8. Ludvig Åberg
9. Matt Wallace
10. Thomas Detry
11. Niklas Norgaard
12. Robert MacIntyre
13. Thorbjørn Olesen
14. Viktor Hovland
15. Laurie Canter

Rory McIlroy will continue to be a lock for Team Europe for at least the next decade. His three wins this year have proven that not just the fire is there, but the execution continues to be world-class. His good buddy, Shane Lowry, has quietly put together a solid season, despite not finding the winner’s circle. He will look to win another major at Royal Portrush at The Open in July, the site of his lone major title, which came in 2019. Rasmus Højgaard has been playing very well and consistently this year, and is in a prime position to make his first Ryder Cup team. Tyrrell Hatton and Sepp Straka have been very impressive, but didn’t have good showings at the PGA Championship. Hatton and Straka are playing like top 10 players in the world and should be key contributors in September for Team Europe.

Tommy Fleetwood was one of the heroes in the 2018 Ryder Cup and will look to rekindle that in New York. Justin Rose and Ludvig Åberg are just outside the top six that automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup, but they should each be Captain’s Picks, should they stay outside the top six. Matt Wallace isn’t a household name, but he’s been very good on the DP World Tour, earning his PGA Tour card, and now seems to be hitting his stride. Viktor Hovland, after the 2023 Ryder Cup, seemed like a lock for a long time on Team Europe. This year, he will, in all likelihood, need a Captain’s Pick to be back with Team Europe, after being one of the best, if not the best, player in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. Jon Rahm is 24th because of not accruing points with his results on LIV. However, Rahm is a top 10 player in the world and, unless he’s hurt, should be a Captain’s Pick to once again be a leader for Team Europe.

Team Europe does everything with a purpose and meticulously. There’s no stone unturned when it comes to preparation for the Ryder Cup, which is why the Europeans have been able to win on foreign soil, while the Americans sometimes appear to fly by the seat of their pants on foreign soil. It’ll be a raucous environment at Bethpage Black, but all of the behind-the-scenes work could help them overcome any and all obstacles to pull off another road win.

Team USA

Captain: Keegan Bradley
Vice Captains: Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker

1. Scottie Scheffler
2. Xander Schauffele
3. Bryson DeChambeau
4. Justin Thomas
5. Collin Morikawa
6. Russell Henley
7. Harris English
8. Andrew Novak
9. Maverick McNealy
10. Brian Harman
11. J.J. Spaun
12. Patrick Cantlay
13. Ben Griffin
14. Daniel Berger
15. Tony Finau

Team USA should be very top-heavy, with the top five in points all being superstars in the sport and multiple-time major champions. Scottie Scheffler is the unequivocal number one player in the world. Xander Schauffele won two majors last year and is rounding into form after suffering an injury earlier this season. Bryson DeChambeau could easily have three major championships in the last 13 months. Justin Thomas has been a top 10 machine this year, seldom finishing outside the top 10. And Collin Morikawa is probably the best iron player in the world, despite not having his best stuff in the last month.

The rest of the team for the Americans should put some golfers in a new spotlight they’ve never experienced. Russell Henley won the Arnold Palmer in March and has been consistent while trying to make his first Ryder Cup team at the age of 36. Harris English was on the Ryder Cup team of 2021 that was victorious in Wisconsin and has flown up the rankings recently. A T-2 at the PGA Championship and T-12 at the Masters have fueled his charge, but his experience of winning on home soil could be very valuable. Andrew Novak, who hosts an NFL Podcast, has had a near-perfect passer rating over the last two months. His lone blemish was a missed cut at the PGA Championship, but Novak went toe-to-toe against Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage, and the 30-year-old is making his presence felt in the professional golf world.

The last spots on the team will be interesting to see how Captain Keegan Bradley chooses to fill them out. Bradley himself has been playing very good golf, winning the BMW Championship last August, and recently finishing T-8 at the PGA Championship. Bradley could choose himself as a playing Captain, which really could spice up this year’s Ryder Cup. Brian Harman won the 2023 Open Championship, but other than his win at the Texas Open and a T-3 at the RBC Heritage, he hasn’t been in the top 10 all year. Maverick McNealy and J.J. Spaun are looking for their first Ryder Cup teams and have certainly earned to legitimately be in the conversation. McNealy and Spaun have frequently been in the top 10 on the PGA Tour, and Spaun dualed with Rory McIlroy at the Players before falling short in a playoff.

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