The 4 golf majors in 2025 had a mixed prize pool of $78.5 million, which makes fairly the motivation for golfers to enter their names into the respective event fields. The Ryder Cup, nevertheless, has no prize pool, but it surely nonetheless is among the most sought-after golf competitions for gamers, because it offers them the chance to characterize their nation in a crew format.
The 2025 Ryder Cup has arrived, with the biennial competitors of Staff USA vs. Staff Europe teeing off on Friday from Bethpage Black on Lengthy Island, N.Y.
The occasion consists of 28 complete matches over three days, with eight alternate shot matches cut up over Friday and Saturday, in addition to eight higher ball matches cut up over these two days. Then there are 12 singles matches on Sunday, and all 28 matches are price one level every. Because the defending champions, Europe wants 14 factors to retain the Ryder Cup Title, whereas the Individuals want 14.5 factors to win.
Whereas Europe is the reigning cup holder, the Ryder Cup alternates places between the USA and Europe yearly. Thus, when the 2023 Ryder Cup occurred, it was on European soil in Rome, Italy, as Staff Europe prevailed 16.5-11.5. One shouldn’t underestimate the occasion being again on U.S. soil in New York as the house crew has received every of the final 5 Ryder Cups, with the Individuals profitable the final two U.S.-based tournaments in Wisconsin (2021) and in Minnesota (2016).
Whereas the pairings for the primary session on Friday received’t be introduced till Thursday afternoon, the USA, because the host, did get to decide on which taking part in format would start Friday morning’s session. Staff captain, Keegan Bradley, shrewdly picked the alternate shot, or foursomes, format for the morning, leaving four-ball for the afternoon. That’s noteworthy as you, clearly, wish to get out to a robust begin, and this technique has paid off for the Individuals earlier than.
The USA has chosen to start out off with alternate shot in 5 straight Ryder Cups and holds a 12-4 report over these classes. That features going 6-2 when the USA final hosted in 2021, and even Europe is aware of how a lot of a bonus this format is because it went 7-1 throughout the alternate shot format when it started the 2023 Ryder Cup. With this competitors being only a three-day occasion, as an alternative of the usual four-day tournaments, every day means that rather more, and being the host definitely offers the Pink, White, and Blue a leg up.
As for the gamers that can comprise the 2 12-man groups, they’re overwhelmingly in favor of the USA, per the Official World Golf Rating. Seven of the highest 10 gamers on the planet are on Staff USA, together with the unparalleled top-ranked participant, Scottie Scheffler. He’s joined by the likes of Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, and Bryson DeChambeau, who’re every two-time main champions.
Staff Europe has simply three of the highest 10 gamers, highlighted by Rory McIlroy. The Irishman is joined by Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, Swede Ludvig Aberg, and Spaniard Jon Rahm, with Rahm being the lowest-ranked golfer (No. 73) within the competitors. All 12 Individuals are ranked inside the highest 23 on the planet, whereas Rahm is one in every of 5 Europeans ranked twenty fourth or worse.
The Europeans, nevertheless, do have an enormous benefit by way of prior Ryder Cup expertise because the crew has only one rookie, whereas Staff USA has 4 rookies. Staff Europe members have gathered 50 profession Ryder Cup factors from previous occasions, as McIlroy and Justin Rose have mixed for extra Ryder Cup factors (33.5) than all of Staff USA mixed (30).
Plenty of eyes can be on Scheffler after his dominant PGA Tour season, and he’s trying to translate that success right into a crew competitors, which, for probably the most half, he’s been unable to do. On the 2023 Ryder Cup, Scheffler went 0-2-2 general with the one level he attained being the second-fewest on Staff USA. A yr earlier on the 2022 Presidents Cup—which is Staff USA vs. a non-European worldwide crew—Scheffler went 0-3-1 general as his 0.5 factors have been the fewest for the Individuals. Scheffler did win the gold medal on the 2024 Summer time Olympics however that was as a person and never representing the USA as a crew member.
This can be his first time competing at Bethpage Black, and the course has been a combined bag for members on each groups. The final notable event the course hosted was the 2019 PGA Championship, received by American Brooks Koepka, however he’s not a part of Staff USA for the 2025 Ryder Cup. Patrick Cantlay, although, is, and he positioned third again in 2019, whereas Schauffele completed sixteenth. Of the three different Staff USA members who took half in that main, none completed within the prime 25.
Europe had seven members who performed the 2019 PGA Championship, with the perfect finishes being McIlroy and Shane Lowry, who each tied for eighth. Not one of the different 5 completed within the prime 25.
Bethpage Black is on the lengthy aspect with regards to distance, and it favors large hitters. That might give the Europeans the benefit, however the native crowd will, clearly, be in favor of the Individuals. The USA does have the all-time lead in Ryder Cup historical past, with 27 wins over the prior 44 editions, however Europe has been the higher crew as of late. It has received eight of the final 11 Ryder Cup competitions, together with two of these victories approaching U.S. soil.
We’ll discover out Sunday night if Europe can proceed its current success or if the USA can take again the cup and enter the subsequent version in 2027 as reigning Ryder Cup champions. The 2027 Ryder Cup will head again abroad and happen in Limerick, Eire, whereas the subsequent one on American soil, in 2029, can be at Hazeltine Nationwide Golf Membership in Minnesota.
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