One year to go: Ryder Cup talking points for Bethpage Black 2025
In late September 2025, transatlantic golf fans all around the world will turn their attention to New York. Boasting an unparalleled ability to create drama, intrigue and controversy, expect no different from the Ryder Cup in 2025 as we grapple with the spectacle of a playing captain, new qualification systems and lofty European ambitions.
Thirty miles east of Manhattan, the ominous Bethpage Black lies waiting to host the 2025 Ryder Cup. Renowned for its attraction of rowdy fans, the uncompromising Long Island golf course may prove to be the perfect setting for one of the most notable weekends in the golfing calendar.
In recent Ryder Cups, home advantage has been crucial as both Europe and the U.S. have each won comfortably on an alternating basis – not since the Miracle at Medinah in 2012 has the Ryder Cup seen a victory away from home. Yet, the result is far from decided, and even though we are a year away from the competition, interesting storylines are beginning to develop.
Keegan Bradley
How will Keegan Bradley perform as U.S. Captain?
Luke Donald will captain the European team as he did in 2023 when Europe triumphed in a home Ryder Cup in Italy, but the Americans have made a surprise selection for their new captain in Keegan Bradley. After Tiger Woods turned down the role, the appointment of Bradley has certainly divided opinion.
Should he maintain his current playing form – he recently claimed a shock PGA Tour win at the BMW Championship, finishing a stroke clear of Europe’s Ludvig Åberg – he will be in a strong position to qualify automatically for the United States side. It would make him the first American playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963; balancing the responsibilities of assembling a team of twelve and choosing the pairings with his own playing ambitions will be a tough ask.
The decision to select Bradley is all the more remarkable after his disappointment at being overlooked for the 2023 Ryder Cup was well documented in the Netflix series ‘Full Swing’. With some decrying Bradley’s captaincy as a selfish experiment which could derail America’s Ryder Cup ambitions, it will be fascinating to see how this story progresses.
Rasmus Højgaard
Who will qualify under the new European qualification system?
The European team have introduced a new qualification system for their Ryder Cup squad. There will now be only one Ryder Cup Points List in progress during the 2024/2025 qualification period. Points will be earned in accordance with a new ranking structure devised by Ryder Cup Europe and their captain Luke Donald.
The new Points List is essentially an amalgamation of the two lists used in previous qualification campaigns, the European Points List and the World Points List. The team will consist of the top six players from this new list and six picks from the captain Luke Donald as is normal.
The important thing to note about the change in qualification structure is that the new system rewards performances on the PGA Tour far more than in the past. In no uncertain terms, this should be considered a rebuff to the LIV Golf League. This means that John Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and other golfers who joined LIV Golf might be reliant on the six captain’s pick slots to be selected for the Ryder Cup.
The British Masters kicked off the qualification period, the Dane Niklas Nørgaard securing his maiden victory on the DP World Tour, but as it stands it’s Rasmus Højgaard that leads the way after victory in the Irish Open. Expect more drama and excitement as the continent's best golfers battle it out over the coming year.
Will the Americans learn their lessons from 2023?
There was an air of predictability as the U.S. team lost their seventh consecutive Ryder Cup competition on European soil in Rome. Nine of the twelve American golfers had not played any competitive golf since the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta in late August 2023. The European team, meanwhile, saw each member playing in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in September 2023. Zach Johnson, the 2023 U.S. captain, dismissed claims that members of his team were ill-prepared, but only Max Homa, who had played on the PGA Tour in September, scored above two points for America.
There were also surprising, and ultimately unsuccessful, selections made by Zach Johnson, most notably Justin Thomas, who had missed the cut in three majors that season. Thomas actually came away with a respectable 1.5 points, however Johnson’s other picks, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa and Sam Burns, all scored one point, while Rickie Fowler scored zero.
The major American problem at the 2023 Ryder Cup however, was the pairings. The U.S. were demolished 7-1 in the foursomes and the decision to hold Brooks Koepka back for the afternoon fourballs has aged rather poorly. In a strange move, the rookie Sam Burns was selected to play in the first match of the competition; one that he lost paired with Scottie Scheffler.
On home soil, perhaps the American team will not be as muddled this time round. Or, as previously discussed, perhaps the selection of a playing captain will only serve to further complicate matters.
How hard will it be to play at Bethpage Black?
New York’s a tough city, Bethpage Black is a tough golf course. Indeed a sign at the start of The Black Course reads: “The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers”.
It is fortunate then that the golfers at the 2025 Ryder Cup will all, one presumes, be highly skilled golfers. But spectators and fans be warned, you will see any offline shots be punished by a forced wade into a difficult rough with its long, wet grass. Getting to the green will be mostly out of the question, so hitting the fairway is absolutely essential at Bethpage Black.
Can Europe win on American soil?
Rory McIlroy recently claimed that “one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup”. That certainly seems to ring true - the last time they managed it in Medinah is remembered as one of the greatest comebacks and most exhilarating victories in all of sport.
The prospect of an away Ryder Cup played on a difficult course is daunting enough, but the strength of the American team will contribute to European concern. Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Colin Morikawa will be joined by LIV Golf stars like Bryson DeChambeau as the US look likely to assemble a formidable team.
However, the Ryder Cup is an unpredictable and strange competition, and why it remains so captivating. If the European team are within touching distance on the final day, there is every chance they could cause an upset.
