The 2025 Ryder Cup begins this week on the infamous Black Course at Bethpage Black in New York between Team USA and Team Europe.
Europe got the best of the Americans in Rome two years ago, winning 16.5-11.5. Now, the U.S. is looking to reclaim the Ryder Cup on home soil.
Located on Long Island and about one hour away from New York City, the Ryder Cup is sure to deliver fireworks. Here are 10 major storylines to follow as action begins on Friday.
1. What Type of Xander Schauffele Will Team USA Get?
One of the biggest questions for this Ryder Cup is how Xander Schauffele performs. Schauffele did not have his best PGA Tour season, including missing the Tour Championship for the first time in his career. Team USA’s second-best player, according to world rankings, also skipped the team’s tune-up event at the PGA Tour’s Procore Championship due to the birth of his first son.
Without playing in a tournament setting since the BMW Championship, it will be interesting to see which version shows up: the dominant 2024 player who won two majors, or the inconsistent 2025 version.
2. How Will Team Europe’s Chemistry Translate on Road Soil?
Team Europe brings tremendous familiarity from their Rome victory. Captain Luke Donald returns along with 11 of his 12 players from that triumph. The only change involves a switch in twins — Nicolai Hojgaard competed in Rome, while Rasmus Hojgaard suits up this time.
This continuity could prove crucial for the Europeans, who are trying to become the first team to win on the road since 2012. Only that 2012 European squad has captured a Ryder Cup away from home in the last 20 years.
3. Which Ryder Cup Rookies Will Stand Out?
Ludvig Aberg’s stellar rookie performance fueled Europe’s victory in Rome. This year, five first-time Ryder Cup players will compete. Europe features Rasmus Hojgaard, while the U.S. brings four newcomers: J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Ben Griffin, and Cameron Young.
Young, a New York native, should benefit from hometown crowd support. The key question for all five rookies is how many sessions they’ll play given their Ryder Cup inexperience. Worth noting: Griffin won the Zurich Classic — the PGA Tour’s only team event — last April, competing in the same four-ball and foursomes formats used at the Ryder Cup.
4. Tournament Format
The tournament begins Friday with match play competition, where players focus on winning individual holes rather than posting the lowest overall score. When one team birdies while the other pars, they lead 1 up — and not all matches reach 18 holes.
Teams earn one point for winning a match, with tied matches splitting a half-point each. The first team to 14.5 points wins the Ryder Cup.
Friday and Saturday feature morning and afternoon sessions of foursomes and four-ball, with captains selecting two-player pairings from each team.
In foursomes, teammates alternate shots and switch tee duties on each hole. Four-ball allows both players to play their own ball, with the better score counting.
Sunday’s 12 singles matches pit all 24 players head-to-head to determine the champion.
5. Team USA’s Strategic Pairings
U.S. captain Keegan Bradley, his five vice captains, and the 12 caddies are strategically planning their path to victory. Much of that strategy centers on optimal pairings — not just player combinations, but managing rest since not everyone can compete in all five sessions.
At last year’s Presidents Cup, Scottie Scheffler paired successfully with Henley, winning two of three matches. Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, a notable U.S. pairing over the years, captured their only foursomes match when teamed together.
6. Team Europe’s Proven Combinations
Donald and his staff are deploying similar strategic thinking. Their most successful pairings from Rome include Aberg and Viktor Hovland, who went 2-1 with both victories coming in foursomes. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton also dominated foursomes play with two wins, while Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose swept their four-ball matches.
Also read: Team Europe Ryder Cup Preview: Six Qualifiers Locked In, Captain’s Picks Also Look Firm
7. Dream Singles Matchups
Sunday Singles offers the rare opportunity to see elite players face off directly. Since the Dell Technologies Match Play ended in 2023, golfers haven’t competed in this format at the highest level.
The most compelling potential matchup features emotional competitors Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy. A Scheffler-Rahm pairing would recreate their 2021 Sunday Singles battle, when Scheffler — then America’s final pick — defeated the world No. 1 Spaniard.
8. The Ryder Cup: Golf’s Ultimate Mental Test
The Ryder Cup stands apart on the golf calendar because of how much pride players take in representing their countries. Before golf returned to the Summer Olympics in 2016, the Ryder Cup was golf’s premier stage for global representation. The crowd’s energy creates unmatched stakes and pressure, but players must channel that intensity toward winning.
9. What to Expect From First-Time Captain Keegan Bradley
Since becoming captain, Bradley has maintained laser focus on one goal: winning the Ryder Cup. His intensity shows through his play and media appearances, fully committed to doing what’s best for his team. He even sacrificed his own playing opportunity despite ranking 10th in U.S. team standings, avoiding the complications of becoming the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
Bradley now juggles strategic planning with players, caddies, and vice captains about pairings, course setup, and logistics — responsibilities that would have made playing captain duties nearly impossible.
10. How to Watch the 2025 Ryder Cup
Here’s the complete television schedule for following all the action:
- Thursday: 4-7 p.m. ET (Opening Ceremonies, Golf Channel)
- Friday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. ET (USA)
- Saturday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
- Sunday: 12 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
