Millions of golf fans will be tuning in to the 45th Ryder Cup at the Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, NY, from Sept. 26-28. The competition between the top golfers from the United States and Europe never fails to spark controversy, entertainment and some of the best golf of the year.
The Ryder Cup takes place every other year, alternating between golf courses in Europe and the US. It began in 1927 and is a competition between teams of 12 from Europe and the US, playing in a match-play format over three days. This year at the Bethpage Black Course, golf fans are in for a treat. Bethpage Black is renowned for its challenging fairways, extreme length and punishing rough, ranking it among the toughest courses in America.
The first two days of the tournament will feature groups of four playing four-ball team matches, and the final day will be a singles event. The United States announced its roster decisions on Aug. 27, with Captain Keegan Bradley announcing his six picks of Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Ben Griffin, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Cameron Young.
Six US golfers also got automatic bids to the roster. These golfers were Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau.
On the European side, Captain Luke Donald announced his six picks on Sept. 1. These picks included Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka.
The six Europeans who received automatic bids included Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton and Rasmus Højgaard.
The United States is considered the clear favorite to win this year’s Cup. Between having the ESPN number 1-ranked golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, on their team and competing on home turf in New York, it would be hard to see Team Europe take the trophy back across the Atlantic.
However, Team USA has only won two Ryder Cups since 2008, and its last came in 2021. Team Europe also has 2025 Masters winner Rory McIlroy and Tour Championship winner Tommy Fleetwood on their roster. The underdog European team is hungry to win this year’s cup, but Team USA wants its trophy back.
The question is, why has the US not won as many Ryder Cups as of late? According to golf fan BJ Nolek, Team USA does “not have the same camaraderie as Team Europe.” Nolek added, “I think it is due to the Tiger Woods effect. He was a great golfer, but the flipside is that the Americans were jealous since he won about 33% of his tournaments. Since that was where the press was, I think it killed that ‘team’ mentality.”
Gone are the days of the solo superstar like Tiger Woods, but the scar remains with the USA team aspect. Team Europe is always supporting each other, according to Nolek. “Everyone likes Justin [Rose], he is like their leader. There are more friendships on the European side than American side,” Nolek said.
The Americans are still full of poise and talent. They feel as if this is finally their year, especially USA and LIV Golf superstar Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau was interviewed at the US Open and asked what he hopes to bring this year to the Ryder Cup. His response was one of boasting confidence: “I hope I can bring a lot of energy to a tsunami of USA fans. This year is no joke…we’re tired of [losing]” (LIV Golf).
With all the commotion surrounding one of golf’s most prestigious events, is this the year the USA gets its trophy back and starts a new dynasty, or will Europe prevail once again and prove that they are a continent of winners? The answer to that will come on Sept. 28, live from the beautiful state of New York.