Team USA Ryder Cup 2025 update: Who's in the running after The Open?
And after Scottie Scheffler dominated The Open, there's a lot to think about when it comes to the United States team. There are obviously six auto-qualifiers based on the standings, but then captain Keegan Bradley has some serious decisions to make with Captain's picks.
So let's take a snapshot as the mid-August deadline approaches for putting together a team that can take down the always-formidable Europeans who will play on the road at Bethpage in Long Island.
Tier 1: The current auto-qualifiers
1. Scottie Scheffler (qualified)
2. Xander Schauffele
3. J.J. Spaun
4. Russell Henley
5. Bryson DeChambeau
6. Harris English
DeChambeau's unreal final three rounds at Royal Portrush basically guaranteed him a spot no matter what happens in the next month. But this group is kind of fascinating -- English was on the 2021 team that won the Ryder Cup, Henley and Spaun would be rookies. You have to like having the world's best golfer on your squad.
Tier 2: Probably Captain's Picks
They're just outside the top-six at the moment, but you have to figure they're going to hear their names called given experience and how they've played this year.
Tier 3: Will captain Keegan Bradley pick Keegan Bradley the player?
How awkward for Bradley! He's played so well that he'd be an obvious pick for any other captain! I think he does it and becomes the first player-captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
Tier 4: In the running for Captain's Picks
An interesting mix here. You've got names with experience and some possible rookies playing in good form. If it's me, I go experience over form, with apologies to McNealy and Gotterup.
There's still a lot of golf to play, though!
Current Ryder Cup standings (top-six qualify)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
25 minutes ago
- USA Today
Bob Bubka, longtime voice of golf, dies at 83
Bob Bubka, known for his velvety voice as one of the longtime voices of golf, died on Saturday at age 83. His "Musings on Golf" podcast co-host, Kelly Elbin, confirmed that it was due to congestive heart failure. For a quarter century, Bubka was the golf correspondent for TalkSport in the United Kingdom, which is recognized as the world's biggest sports radio station, during a career that spanned six decades. "His velvety, iconic voice carried with it the passion and love that Bob had for the game and the people he covered along the way," Elbin wrote in a tribute to his friend and podcast partner on Facebook. "He was, indeed, the Voice of Golf." Bubka, who grew up in Sag Harbor, N.Y., started working in radio in 1964, covering high school football locally at WLGN in Long Island, and provided sports commentary to the station for more than 50 years. He began covering golf in the 1980s, working for Westwood One and the PGA Tour Radio Network, including his "Outside the Ropes" show. Among his many claims to fame, he was the first member of the media to interview Jack Nicklaus after he won the 1986 Masters. Bubka and Nicklaus maintained a longstanding relationship and when Nicklaus was made an honorary citizen of St. Andrews, Scotland, during the 2022 British Open, Nicklaus invited him to be his guest at the ceremony. Bubka also penned a book on the history of the Ryder Cup, and counted the biennial competition among his favorite events. He would've been particularly proud of the 2025 Ryder Cup being played at Bethpage Black in late September, not far from where he grew up. In 2000, Bubka landed a job with Talk Sport, bringing his booming New York tones to the UK sports radio station. Bubka traveled the world, covering more than 130 major golf championships. In his later years, he lived outside of Houston with partner Janis Self, the executive producer of his podcast. Bubka's Talk Sport producer Sean O'Brien recalled once asking Bubka why he kept working long hours during major championships, providing updates around the clock long past the typical age of retirement when he easily could have "sailed off into the sunset and basked in the glory of an extraordinary broadcasting career." 'You could spend every day on the beach,' O'Brien told him. 'But Sean, this is my beach,' Bubka responded. "Bob gave golf its most recognizable voice, and in return, golf gave him a sense of purpose — and he dedicated his life to covering it well," O'Brien said. For the last 25 years, Rupert Bell was Bubka's partner in crime. 'Radio is about voices," Bell said. "There is no doubt when you heard Bob Bubka speak, it just grabbed you." In recent years, he and Elbin teamed up to do a popular podcast, "Musings on Sports," which morphed into "Musings on Golf." Through their vast network of relationships in the game, they welcomed a who's who of guests from Jim Nantz to, most recently, Lee Trevino over the course of more than 150 shows. "What a thrill it was for me to partner with the guy who always called me, 'my man,'" Elbin said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ryder Cup to return to Spain in 2031
The Ryder Cup will return to Spain in 2031 after the Costa Brava resort of Camiral was confirmed as the host venue. It will be the second time the biennial event has been staged in the country, after Valderrama in 1997. The news was announced by the European Tour Group on Tuesday.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
2025 Ryder Cup: Dates, format, history, qualifiers for US vs. Europe golf event
With Scottie Scheffler's win at the British Open, the 2025 golf season is nearly over. It's almost enough to make fans of the sport cry, but then they remember they've still got the Ryder Cup to look forward to. The biggest question on every American's mind is who is going to make the team. While there are six automatic qualifiers based on standings, captain Keegan Bradley is not in an envious position having to pick from a myriad of talented golfers to fill out the final slots. With stars like Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Bryson DeChambeau, and Xander Schauffele all likely to accept auto bids, the final two spots could wind up shocking the world. Could the captain pull a Nate Scarborough and put himself in? Could Collin Morikawa be passed up for someone like Maverick McNealy? After Morikawa's poor performance at the Open Championship, perhaps giving the spot to someone else is the best option. But let's not dwell on what could or might be. With the Ryder Cup a little more than two months away, here's everything to know about this year's U.S. vs. Europe showdown: OPINION: Calling Scottie Scheffler 'boring' slights star's complete dominance When is the 2025 Ryder Cup? Day 1 of the 2025 Ryder Cup is set for Friday, Sept. 26, with the tournament scheduled to conclude on Sunday, Sept. 28. What is the Ryder Cup's format? The Ryder cup is a 12 vs. 12 tournament featuring the best players from Europe facing off against the best golfers America has to offer. It takes place every other year, alternating between courses in Europe and courses in the United States. This year, the United States will host the event at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York. Instead of strokes, the Ryder Cup is a match play competition, meaning all that matters is beating the opposing team's golfer that you've been paired up against. For example, if you birdie the first hole while your opponent pars the hole, you've won one point. If you eagle the hole and your opponent records a quadruple bogey, it's still worth just one point. If you and your opponent get the same score on a hole, then no points are awarded. At the end of the round, whoever is leading earns their team a singular point. If the golfers are tied at the end of the round, each golfer earns their team half a point. Over the course of the three-day tournament, there are 28 matchups. The first team to earn more than 14 points wins the tournament. Yes, ties are possible, but that has only happened once since 1979. The first two days see golfers compete in pairs. Day 1 has them compete in foursomes, while Day 2 has them compete in a four-ball format. Foursomes sees players on the same team share a ball, alternating shots. In four-ball, each player plays their own ball, and whoever scores the lowest on that hole, wins the point for their team. The final day of the tournament is simply singles play. Each golfer is paired against a golfer on the opposing team. They face off head-to-head, and whoever wins, earns the point. This means Day 3 of the Ryder Cup has 12 points up for grabs. Unsurprisingly, matches on Day 3 hold the most weight in determining the end result of the tournament. Ryder Cup history: Europe dominant in recent years Since 1979, Europe has a 12-9-1 record against the United States in Ryder Cup play. The U.S. has struggled even more so recently, having won only two of the last seven and three of the last 11 tournaments. That said, when the U.S. wins, they tend to do so in more dominant fashion, as evidenced by their stunning individual match record of 501-396-143. The United States has won more points overall, but has a losing record against Europe in the tournament. Who are the current automatic qualifiers for the American team? Based on current standings, these six golfers would be given automatic qualifying status for the Ryder Cup: Of these six, Spaun and Henley have never represented the United States at a Ryder Cup tournament. English was on the 2021 team that won for the U.S.
