The Ryder Cup matches will be played in two weeks and the Europeans will seek to be the first team to  attempt to win away from home in quite a few years.  In 2023, the Europeans smashed  and thrashed the American squad, which was the worst beating since Julius Caesar’s lions devoured the Christians in the Coliseum.  It was a rout leaving the American squad completely dismayed and wondering what force of nature hit them.  The matches now move from the Roman Empire to the Capital of Public Golf–Bethpage Black–labeled the most difficult course in the United States.  It is the Cathedral of Public Golf where you spend the night in your car  to book a tee time as there are no reservations.  There are no exceptions or secret back doors to the Pro Shop.  You can deposit your private membership credentials and contacts into your glove compartment.  This is raw public stuff without any of the delicacy, intimacy or class of a club venue.  The fans will be among the loudest and jingoistic in history with a special brand of bad New York crassness perhaps aided by swaths of Budweiser and Miller Lite.  Cacophony will predominate with the partisan fans cheering on their boys while howling and booing the opposition.  Both teams have became immune to this nonsense for quite a few Cups now and further demonstrates how much skill they have to tune it out (“for the most part”).

I used to really enjoy the Ryder Cup matches and had the good fortune of attending two in Europe at the Belfry (won by the US), Valderamma,  and one in the US at Oakhill CC in Rochester, NY (won by Europe).  The matches represented golf competition at its finest with respectful crowds and a modicum of mutual respect.  The US had dominated the competition over the years but with the European players added to the GB&I (Great Britain and Ireland) players, the European side was winning handily especially with the Spanish contingent of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Marie Olazabal.   The turning point toward a jingoistic atmosphere was the War by the Shore in 1991 captained by Dave Stockton at Kiawah Island.  The US was under significant pressure to win after being crushed by the Europeans in the preceding cup and the matches were packed with drama, but in the end Hale Irwin bested Bernard Langer to win back the Cup.  The affair was a bit suspect as I believe the US gallery booted Hale Irwin’s wayward drive on 18 back into the fairway from a fatal position.  Langer missed a four footer as the Americans doused themselves in champagne in the Atlantic.

It’s a new year in 2025 and another opportunity for the USA to take back the Cup.    Keegan Bradley is going to be a good captain as he has the leadership credentials, competitive nature and the right degree of emotion to motivate these players to perform.  Keegan played well enough during the current PGA season to qualify as a player himself, but has the foresight to understand the importance of leadership of the squad as a higher priority. I would argue that the Europeans have the better team and with the firm and calming nature of Captain Luke Donald, they should be labelled the favorite.  However, the USA will show up and will give it a good run aided by the home fan.   In order for the Americans to prevail:

–Scottie Scheffler will have to be dominant in these matches as his dominance will highly motivate the entire squad.  Scheffler’s has to play as World No. 1 and grind his opponents into sawdust.  He will have to go undefeated and attempt to demoralize the opposition with his putter.  Scheffler is not an emotional guy and speaks volumes when his putter is working, which was often throughout the 2025 season.

–Bryson DeChambeau has to show up and also be dominant with his driving and work well with his partners.  DeChambeau lately has been hitting  ping pong balls into paper cups on the internet and I hope this enables his iron game, which was dodgy at times during the season when we saw him in the majors to perform.

–Xander Schauffle has to rise up to the occasion as a major winner and Olympic champion–Patrick Cantlay should also do well in this situation as he has an uncanny calm demeanor to drain putts to make the moment.

I believe that guys such as Henley, Griffin and Burns will play well but its hard to see how some of the new guys such as Spaun will perform.  Morikawa and Thomas aren’t in peak form.

With all the USA firepower, the Europeans have the better team.  A team that features former No. 1, Jon Rahm, as a substitute is almost nightmarish.  McIlroy has been “so, so” after his Masters victory but this past weekend he won the Irish Open at the K Club in dramatic fashion.  He needed an eagle on the par 5, 18th hole to force a playoff and drained a 25 ft. putt to execute that eagle and force a playoff, which he would win on the 3rd playoff hole.  The unlikely win will spur McIlroy into these matches.  The Europeans always seem to have a bunch of like-minded aggressive players that pull for each other while they compete with each other during the season.  Players such as Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Terrell Hatton and Shane Lowry fit this contingent.  Scotsman, Robert MacIntyre has now joined this group with his winning ways in 2025.  Fleetwood is fresh off his first PGA Tour victory at the Tour Championship at East Lake and had a great year on tour culminating in victory.   The European contingent is also close knit with Hovland, Straka and Aberg.  The European squad has the perfect integrator through Captain Luke Donald.

None of these guys will be impacted by the catcalls from the home crowd, but I believe the home crowd is good for at least a 2 point advantage in the matches.  All of the players on these squads can stripe it so the length of the Black Course will not be a factor.  These matches as those in the past will be settled on the putting green with the backdrop of cacaphony and American flags.

I am picking a halved match with the Europeans retaining the Cup.  The Europeans have too much scar tissue, commitment and verve to pull it off under the tremendous pressure of Scheffler, Bradley and the New York crowd.