The 2025 golf major championships racked up an impressive prize pool totaling $78.5 million, enticing golfers to put their names in the hat. Yet, contrary to the lucrative allure of these tournaments, the Ryder Cup stands apart, compensating its valiant competitors not with cash, but with national pride and the thrill of team competition.
As anticipation builds, the 2025 Ryder Cup unfolds this Friday, featuring the age-old rivalry of Team USA versus Team Europe, this time at the storied Bethpage Black on Long Island, New York.
This competition spans three days and consists of 28 matches: eight alternate shot matches split between Friday and Saturday, paired with eight better ball matches across the same days, culminating in 12 singles matches on Sunday. Each match carries a point, with Europe, the defending champions, needing 14 points to retain the title, while the Americans must secure 14.5 points to claim victory.
The last Ryder Cup hosted in Europe was a triumph for Team Europe, which won decisively with a score of 16.5-11.5 in Rome, Italy. The tradition dictating a rotation between the two continents has bestowed the next cup upon American soil. Historically, the home team has prevailed in each of the last five Ryder Cups. The U.S. has emerged victorious in its last two home tournaments held in Wisconsin (2021) and Minnesota (2016).
While the first session’s player pairings are yet to be unveiled, Team USA, as hosts, has opted for an alternate shot format to kick off the competition. Captain Keegan Bradley made this tactical choice on Thursday, a decision that reflects a strategy aimed at seizing an early advantage—something the U.S. has embraced successfully in recent years.
Team USA has now kicked off each of the last five Ryder Cups with alternate shot matches, boasting an impressive record of 12 wins against just 4 losses in these formats. Indeed, during their last hosted Ryder Cup in 2021, they secured victory in six out of eight alternate shot matches, garnering awareness of how critical this setup can be. Time is of the essence in this condensed three-day event, further emphasizing the significance of a strong start.
Per the Official World Golf Ranking, the American team features seven of the world’s top ten golfers, including the indomitable Scottie Scheffler. Other notable mentions include two-time major champions such as Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas.
On the European front, Rory McIlroy leads a team comprising a mere three players among the top ten, including Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Aberg, and Jon Rahm, whose current ranking is an eyebrow-raising No. 73. Interestingly, while all twelve Americans are nestled within the top 23 rankings, five Europeans find themselves ranked 24th or lower.
Experience could tilt the match in Europe’s favor, featuring just one rookie as opposed to four in the American lineup. Historically, Team Europe boasts 50 career Ryder Cup points, with McIlroy and Justin Rose alone securing more points (33.5) than Team USA’s entire roster combined (30).
All eyes will also be on Scheffler, eager to convert his phenomenal individual performance into team success after a mixed experience in prior team competitions. At the 2023 Ryder Cup, he recorded a disappointing 0-2-2, achieving only half a point, while the 2022 Presidents Cup yielded another lackluster 0-3-1. His individual Olympic gold medal win in 2024, however, showcased his talent, albeit outside of the team context.
This will mark Scheffler’s inaugural experience on the famously challenging Bethpage Black course. It has proven to be a double-edged sword for players in both camps. The last major event there, the 2019 PGA Championship, concluded with Brooks Koepka lifting the trophy, although he is notably absent from this year’s U.S. team. Nevertheless, fellow Team USA member Patrick Cantlay secured third place in that championship.
In contrast, Europe had seven players featured in the 2019 Championship, with McIlroy and Shane Lowry tying for eighth as their highest results of the day.
Characterized by its length, the Bethpage Black course tends to favor powerful hitters—traits traditionally associated with European players. However, the home crowd will undoubtedly bolster the American team, as history shows. The all-time Ryder Cup scoreboard favors the U.S. with 27 victories over 44 editions, yet Europe has recently established dominance, clinching eight of the last eleven cups, including two on American turf.
The finale on Sunday will reveal if Europe will continue its reign or if the U.S. can reclaim the cup and head into the 2027 Ryder Cup as champions. The next Ryder Cup will relocate to Limerick, Ireland, while the U.S. will host again in 2029 at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota.
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