2025 Ryder Cup
American captain Keegan Bradley has announced his 6 captain's picks to complete his 2025 Ryder Cup squad for Bethpage Black course beginning on September 26th.
Qualifying 6 : Scheffler, Spaun, Schauffele, Henley, English, DeChambeau
Pick 6 : Morikawa, Thomas, Cantlay, Griffin, Burns, Young.
As I expected Bradley will stick to being captain, which despite some ill informed speculation, he had decided along, with council if he wanted it, from respected American Ryder Cup veterans (Jack Nicklaus etal).
At first glance those of you who follow the Ryder Cup will agree we already know what to expect from the regulars who play every year in this format and the Presidents Cup.
Scheffler (although he has that record 9&8 trouncing in bold italics on his CV), Schauffele, Morikawa, Thomas, Cantlay, even DeChambeau who seems to be finally growing up.
Rookies
JJ Spaun turned pro 2012, earned PGA Tour card 2016, was this far from packing it in until he won in 2022. Even at that, a middle of the pack grinder, relatively unknown around the world, until 2025 with his career year culminating in the 2025 US Open, a truly inspirational week with the 75 foot put to top it off.
*Therefore I have questions if he would even had been selected if he did not qualify.
Russell Henley is a well respected solid pro, nothing flashy or spectacular, but gets it done with the tools he has.
* I would have him in my team knowing he could hold his own.
Ben Griffin again a relatively unknown who improved his game so much he had us all looking up his stats with his stellar play in 2025 with 2 wins. (1 a bit iffy, in the 2man team event in New Orleans). Solid guy, all round game this year.
* He gets his chance here, but again unproven at this Ryder Cup level.
Cameron Young I would have picked for either team in a heartbeat, A New Yorker with a Bethpage connection on which he won the New York State Open. He is solid, hits it long, putts well had his heart set on it and will be hard to beat by anyone on the European Tour team.
* Inspired choice.
Notes re Sam Burns. He and Scheffler share their Christianity, are good friends. He is a real solid pro who leads the Tour in Strokes Gained Putting. However I followed him for 4 days at the CDN Open which he should have won.
He was unbeatable for 54 holes. He lost in a playoff to fast playing Ryan Fox after he missed a 6 footer with Fox about to shake his hand. Then flubbed a chip on the next playoff hole under pressure after Fox hit the 3 wood "of his life" to steal the win.
The the next week he led the US Open at Oakmont, again after 54 holes, went out and shot 78 on Sunday. Just keep those in mind.
Harris English is now a 36 year old veteran in his 2nd Ryder Cup, 1-2 record. Very quiet Georgian ranked #10 owgr. Have you ever heard of him ? Apparently ranked 20th in putting.
Lovely guy, but Bradley must know something we don't.
Schauffele, Morikawa and Thomas are usually rock solid members of the team.
However just beware Schauffele coming back off of injury admits he has been in "chase mode" in what has been an off year.
Morikawa is in the worst form of the 12 players, and lacks the length others have, a requirement at Bethpage.
Thomas is not ranked in top 15 in any of the 4 "metrics" in what has been at times a so so year, his one win at the RBC boosted his owgr to #5, but is a veteran member who had to be picked despite not being in great form.
Summary
So there you have it, the odds on favourites with the American media, playing at home at Bethpage in front of as rabid a crowd as they can get, with an inexperienced albeit passionate captain, who it must be said is a nervous wreck when he is playing, have an unusual number of question marks, don't they.
However, many would say so do the defending champions, who are unbeatable in nearly three decades at home, but have lost 3 of the last four in America.
This is the key, this is the secret to the Euros success.
They have always in the history of the Ryder Cup going back to 1926 been the underdogs, and especially prior to Seve and Europe arriving in 1979, when the American legends, Snead, Hogan, Palmer. Nicklaus, Trevino would just rout the relatively unknown but brave British teams. It was rarely even close, and when it was guys like Brian Barnes who beat Jack Nicklaus twice in one match became British heroes.
That is still in the DNA, still remembered, never forgotten, it is still David vs Goliath, It will be again this time around, except David now carries a lot more stones in his sling.
Bryan Angus
