Ryder Cup 2025: How Scottie Scheffler faces Staff USA ‘burden’ and ‘strain’ as star man for Keegan Bradley’s facet at Bethpage Black

When Staff USA final celebrated Ryder Cup success, Scottie Scheffler held a really completely different position to the expectation he faces on this yr’s contest at Bethpage Black.

Scheffler has received 19 PGA Tour titles – together with 4 majors – over the previous 4 seasons, having beforehand used the Ryder Cup as a springboard to turn into the dominant pressure within the males’s sport.

He made his Ryder Cup debut throughout the USA’ record-breaking 2021 victory at Whistling Straits, the place he was handed a captain’s decide regardless of – at that stage – sitting exterior the world’s high 20 and having by no means received on the PGA Tour.

“I think it was fairly obvious I was probably the last guy on the team,” Scheffler admitted forward of this yr’s contest, reside from September 26-28 on Sky Sports activities. “I hadn’t won on Tour, I was the youngest member of the team and I remember getting the phone call.

“I did not know if he [Steve Stricker, captain] was going to name me and provides me actually unhealthy information or actually excellent news. It is bizarre getting ready for one thing you do not know if it’ll be wonderful or if it is simply going to utterly break your coronary heart. Nevertheless it was a terrific telephone name – I used to be very emotional.”

Scheffler took full benefit of his rookie look for Staff USA, forming an unbeaten fourballs partnership with Bryson DeChambeau earlier than thrashing the then world No 1 Jon Rahm – who had been unbeaten within the first two days – within the Sunday singles.

These 2.5 factors from three matches helped them safe a 19-9 win over Europe, the most important victory margin within the fashionable period, with Scheffler taking the plaudits for his position in regaining the trophy for Staff USA, forward of him having fun with particular person success within the years to come back.

Scheffler made his PGA Tour breakthrough title the next February and received three of his subsequent 5 occasions – together with a maiden main title at The Masters, quickly pushing him to world No 1 and making him the celebrity of the American group heading into the subsequent Ryder Cup.

He did not reside as much as his pre-event billing in Rome, returning only one level from his 4 matches in Staff USA’s 16.5-11.5 defeat, the place he was lowered to tears for his record-breaking 9&7 loss alongside Brooks Koepka to Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg within the Saturday foursomes.

“I think anytime you have tough losses, it can go one of two ways,” Scheffler admitted. “It can be something that you can use for something good, or it can kind of break you down.

“Over time, enjoying skilled golf, you are going to have nice wins and you are going to have nice losses. After I look again on the 2023 Ryder Cup, I feel I halved two matches and misplaced two, so I left there with out successful a single match and that harm.

“It hurt a little bit because I didn’t feel like I was as prepared as I could have been. So going into this [2025] Ryder Cup, I’ve put a lot of work into my game over the last couple years to get ready and to go play this event.”

Scheffler has been ever-present as world No 1 since that Ryder Cup loss, successful 9 instances worldwide the next season and claiming two main titles – amongst 5 PGA Tour titles – to this point this yr.

The 29-year-old will look to take his continued constant brilliance into the Ryder Cup, the place captain Keegan Bradley is assured his ‘generational expertise’ can embrace the strain to carry out for Staff USA.

“When you’re the best player on their team, when you’re Rory [McIlroy] or you’re Tiger [Woods] or Phil [Mickelson] or whoever, you carry a big burden for your team,” Bradley mentioned. “I feel that occurs with Michael Jordan, Tom Brady.

“These guys are built for it, and I think that they, in a sick way, they look forward to it. They want that pressure – and not everyone wants that. People can say they do, but not everyone wants it.

“Scottie, I feel he would hope that it comes right down to him in singles. I wager he like desires about it. That type of separates Scottie from the remainder of the fellows.”

Bradley has publicly praised the four-time major champion’s willingness “to do actually no matter it takes for us to win the Ryder Cup,” and his significance within the group room, though Scheffler has performed down having any extra accountability.

“My role on the team in 2021 is the same role as it is now,” Scheffler insisted. “When my number gets called and it’s time to go out and play, my job is to go out and win a point and I think that’s how we approach things.”

Can Scheffler preserve delivering?

Scheffler has completed no worse than eighth in his final 15 worldwide begins and heads into the Ryder Cup off the again of a formidable victory on the Procore Championship, the place he was considered one of 10 Staff USA gamers that includes, with the duty now to take that week-to-week brilliance right into a group setting.

“I know he got beat 9&7 in Italy, but Scheffler is just something a bit ridiculous,” Dame Laura Davies advised Sky Sports activities. “He’s a generational player and that’s the pressure, isn’t it? You also found with Tiger Woods.

“Tiger by no means actually was a terrific Ryder Cup golfer due to that mantle of ‘nicely, I’ve received to win 5 out of 5’, or ‘if I solely play 4, I’ve received to win three and a half or 4 factors’ from that. You are enjoying in opposition to world-class gamers and it isn’t as simple.

“I mean, over 72 holes, Scottie Scheffler’s by far the best this year, or the last three years. But over 18 holes, you could shoot eight under and lose. That’s why the Ryder Cup and match play is so exciting, because it levels out the playing field to a certain extent.”

The final 5 Ryder Cups have seen the house facet win by 5 factors or extra, though a tighter contest is anticipated this time round. A vociferous pro-American crowd in New York will likely be calling for Scheffler to ship.

How can I watch the subsequent Ryder Cup?

Sky Sports activities will proceed to be the house of the Ryder Cup, with all three days of the 2025 Ryder Cup solely reside and prolonged reside protection from daily of Ryder Cup week

Dwell build-up to the opening day’s motion will start reside from 9am from Friday September 26 on Sky Sports activities Golf, with full protection from noon forward of the primary tee shot at 12.10pm. Not received Sky? Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.