The Ryder Cup is the biggest tournament in the sports calendar, with golf fans, and non-golf fans, tuning in to watch three days of intense action between the Europeans and Americans.
It has caused many iconic and infamous moments and, ahead of the 45th edition in what is expected to be an incredibly rowdy New York setting of Bethpage Black, there are a lot of questions and points that need discussing.
As I write and publish this piece, it's exactly 365 days until the first competitive tee shot is struck on the 'Black Course', with LIV players, captaincies and who exactly will be playing, just some of the key aspects that need to be addressed over the forthcoming months.
So, what are the key questions and what exactly could be done between now and September 26th 2025? Well, three of our writers have put pen to paper to discuss...
Will Keegan Bradley Be A Playing Captain?
The short answer to this question is ‘no’. The long answer is also ‘no’. Keegan Bradley will either make the team and relinquish the captaincy or, more likely, not make the team and not relinquish the captaincy. You simply can’t be a Ryder Cup captain and player at the same time, and I’d imagine the powers that be will have a contingency plan if Bradley continues his fine form.
I’d also expect his form to tailor off somewhat as we head into next year. The responsibilities on a captain’s shoulders are significant – from attending apparel planning meetings to monitoring potential players – and I don’t think it’s possible to undertake all that and dedicate enough time to playing and practice.
No. In order to be a playing captain he’d need to qualify in the top six as he surely would not pick himself as a wildcard considering there will likely be a good 15-18 players in contention to make the US side.
I agree with Nick that his form will tail off next year once he begins spending his days checking on hotels, being in apparel meetings and the other commitments he needs to make to be skipper.
Like everyone in the golf world, I was surprised to hear the introduction of Bradley as captain to the US side and, in all honesty, I could see the negatives and positives of the appointment. Certainly, the US needed a change of system, but was employing someone still contending and winning on the PGA Tour circuit a good idea?
There's no denying that Bradley is suited to the Ryder Cup but, given the sheer amount of effort that goes into the organisational side of things behind the scenes, I can't see how he will manage to do that and play at the same time. Personally, if the American is thinking of selecting himself, I would consider another player from the US' deep roster. They have quality in abundance and, if he were to select someone over himself, then I don't think anyone would have any qualms about it.
Will The USA'S Big Names Make A Comeback?
Jordan Spieth WILL be on Team USA next year. He’s been injured this season and it’s clearly why his form has been well off the pace. Along with Spieth, Justin Thomas, I also believe, will be on the side in 2025 given the fact that Bradley knows what JT can bring to the party.
Thomas is due a good year and some wins, with his drought stretching back to the 2022 PGA Championship. Missing the Presidents Cup will light the fire to work even harder and have a special season, you’d think.
In regards to Rickie Fowler, he had a very poor 2023 Ryder Cup after receiving a wildcard pick, losing both his matches, so probably needs to make the team automatically. That seems unlikely given his recent form.
If you look at the players missing from the US Presidents Cup side you have Spieth, JT and Fowler etc not present. However, as I've mentioned, the depth that the US side has is incredible, with the likes of Billy Horschel, Akshay Bhatia and Will Zalatoris not even getting a mention, let alone the LIV players like Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka etc.
Do I think they will make a comeback, I think Thomas could but, unless Spieth (I know he's been injured and had surgery) and Fowler start playing good golf in 2025, which they are capable of, I can't see their comeback in a playing capacity. Where I do see a comeback could be in a vice captaincy role.
I know Bradley has announced Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker as two of his vice-captains so, perhaps Fowler or Spieth could play a part like Rasmus Hojgaard did last year in Rome, which is to be present in the team room and help the players out if they need it. There's no doubt that they will be on the captaincy team in the future, so it makes sense for them to learn the ropes from those above.
Who Will The Rookies Be?
Obviously, being a year out, we don't know what form players will be in and, as Rome showed, there were a few individuals who suddenly jumped their way into contention. Therefore, if I was being conservative, I would predict both teams will have at least two or more rookies on their teams.
American-wise, Sahith Theegala is almost a banker and, if Russell Henley and Billy Horschel carry on with their form, I feel they'll make it. It's a similar story for Akshay Bhatia, who has found his form in 2024 with notable wins and performances. There's also still the likes of Davis Thompson who I watched at The Open. He is a great ball striker and not much seems to phase him, same as Nick Dunlap, who won on the PGA Tour as an amateur. They will need to stand out in '25 but, who knows, Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark suddenly found form and a spot on the US team in 2023...
European-wise, I think Matthieu Pavon, Matt Wallace and Aaron Rai have made great cases to feature in New York. Pavon is playing well and will suit the intense atmosphere, as will Wallace, with Rai being as focused as they come, so they would be great rookies to have. Even Matteo Manassero, Thomas Detry and Stephan Jaegar have found form, but I think they will need strong '25s to be in the frame.
On the European side I’d love to see Matt Wallace make the team. I felt he was desperately unlucky back in 2018 when he won the Made in Denmark – the last qualifying event – in thrilling fashion. I think he’s made for match play golf and he’d be a great addition to the European team. He also won the second qualifying event, the Omega European Masters, so he’s off to a great start.
With regards to America, I’d be delighted to see Will Zalatoris make the team. He’s a brilliant, swashbuckling player who’s sadly struggled with injuries over the last couple of years. I think he could be deadly in head-to-head golf and the format could really free him up to putt aggressively and not worry about the one coming back, even though I doubt he’ll be afforded many gimmes if he does make the US side! Birdie-machine Sahith Theegala also has a great chance to play at Bethpage Black, and keep your eyes on Nick Dunlap as a dark horse.
Aaron Rai is inside the world’s top 20 so will be on the team if he can keep up his form. I think Matt Wallace could well make his debut after a big win recently in Switzerland and his huge desire to play for Europe. Rasmus Hojgaard is another, especially after beating McIlroy to the Irish Open, after seeing his twin brother Nicolai play in Rome last time out.
Matthieu Pavon is another contender too, but he’d need to keep his incredible 2024 form going, which may be difficult. Then there’s the 10 DPWT members who will earn PGA Tour cards for 2025, and many of them will be Europeans. Niklas Norgaard and Matteo Manassero will be among that crop and what great years they’ve had. Thomas Detry will surely finally get a big win under his belt and that might push him on to win multiple times - he’s a brilliant player with experience of contending in big events for many years now.
On the US side, Sahith Theegala, Russell Henley, Billy Horschel (who keeps getting overlooked), Will Zalatoris, Akshay Bhatia and Nick Dunlap are the leading contenders while Davis Thompson looks a heck of a player that could climb up the rankings very quickly.
Which LIV Golfers Will Be On The Teams?
It currently looks like there will be four - Rahm, Hatton, DeChambeau and Koepka. Perhaps one of them will fall out but it seems unlikely. Koepka could be that man but he is very popular with the US team and will surely play better in the Majors next year. For any other LIV players to qualify they’d surely need to win a Major in 2025, or go close in multiple Majors, or at least win a couple of times in LIV. Talor Gooch won three times in 2023 and still didn’t make the team, though.
I think David Puig looks to be a star of the future so he certainly could push for the European side next year, although I don’t believe he is a DPWT member yet and isn’t in any of the Majors. Adrian Meronk is another, while Sergio Garcia has had a very good year but is no longer a DPWT member. On the US side, Caleb Surrat looks promising but isn’t in any Majors either, while we all know how good Matthew Wolff could be if he re-finds form. Patrick Reed could go on a run in 2025, but he would need a strong Masters showing to qualify for the remaining three Majors. These all seem unlikely, though, so I’d have to stick with those four first mentioned.
Straight off the bat, Rahm and Hatton will be on Team Europe and DeChambeau and Koepka will be on Team USA. For some reason, this is the most confident response I can give in this piece, as I feel all four are too good to be left out of their sides and can play an influential role on all three days.
Rahm and Hatton, well that's pretty explanatory. They're LIV teammates and, in Rome, they ham-and-egged brilliantly to be undefeated in the foursomes. What's more, they're two fiery characters who will respond to whatever the crowd has to give them.
DeChambeau and Koepka again, I feel, is almost a guarantee. Koepka was the only LIV player to get on the US team in 2023 and, somehow, DeChambeau didn't feature. Given that he has won a Major in 2024 and has now changed his image, he would be ideal for pumping up the fans in New York, so it makes sense for him to be there.
Concluding this section, another name who could be there from LIV is Patrick Reed. He would need to win the Masters in 2025, minimum, but he's another US player that suits the New York crowd. Although he can't qualify for the European Ryder Cup side due to currently not being a DP World Tour member, I feel that Sergio Garcia could have made an appearance as he has found his form again. He finished third in LIV's individual standings and that European experience would be a big asset.
Will Tiger Woods Be Involved?
The PGA of America will want Woods to be involved, but will Bradley? As a young captain it might be difficult to have such a big figure in the setup like Woods. I think he would love to work with him, though, and embrace that. He will want to pick the great man’s brain so it seems a simple decision to have him by his side.
Woods was a vice captain at the 2016 Ryder Cup win in the US and, of course, also captained the Presidents Cup team to victory in 2019. The Americans would love to play for vice captain Woods, too.
Yes, most definitely! If the Hall of Famer is fit and healthy I can't see a world where Tiger isn't at Bethpage Black. He won the US Open there in 2002, loves a Ryder Cup atmosphere and will want to be there to amp up the team.
Although he wasn't at the Presidents Cup in 2024, he has previously captained and vice captained so, if he is able to and doesn't require any more time off, he will be in New York.
