The Ryder Cup stands as one of golf’s most electrifying spectacles — a biennial clash of continents where individual stars become team warriors, and every putt carries the weight of national pride. Originally a genteel matchup between U.S. and British pros, it has evolved into a high-stakes battle between Team USA and Team Europe, blending match-play drama with raucous crowds.
The 2025 edition, the 45th overall, promises to be one of the most intense yet, with the Americans hungry to reclaim the trophy on home soil after Europe’s dominant 16.5-11.5 win in Rome two years ago. Here’s everything you need to know as the action unfolds from September 26-28 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
The Ryder Cup Skinny
Official Name: 45th Ryder Cup
Established: 1927
Managed By: PGA of America, European PGA
Format: Match Play (Singles, Team)
Venue: Bethpage State Park
Course: Black Course
Where: Farmingdale, NY
Distance: 7,468 yards
Par: 71
Architect: Joseph H. Burbeck & A.W. Tillinghast (1936)
Redesign: Rees Jones (2015)
Purse: $None
Winner’s Share: Ryder Cup Immortality
Defending: Europe
How to Follow the Ryder Cup
TV & Schedule
- Thursday, Sept. 25
- Opening Ceremonies, 3 p.m. (GOLF Channel)
- Ceremonies begin at 4 p.m.
- Opening Ceremonies, 3 p.m. (GOLF Channel)
- Friday, Sept. 26
- Morning Foursomes, 7 a.m. (GOLF Channel)
- 7:10 a.m., 7:26 a.m., 7:42 a.m., 7:58 a.m. (Four Matches)
- Afternoon Four-Ball, 12 p.m. (NBC)
- 12:25 p.m., 12:41 p.m., 12:57 p.m., 1:13 p.m. (Four Matches)
- Morning Foursomes, 7 a.m. (GOLF Channel)
- Saturday, Sept. 27
- Morning Foursomes, 7 a.m. (GOLF Channel)
- 7:10 a.m., 7:26 a.m., 7:42 a.m., 7:58 a.m. (Four Matches)
- Afternoon Four-Ball, 12 p.m. (NBC)
- 12:25 p.m., 12:41 p.m., 12:57 p.m., 1:13 p.m. (Four Matches)
- Morning Foursomes, 7 a.m. (GOLF Channel)
- Sunday, Sept. 28
- All Day Singles, 12 p.m. (NBC)
- 12:02 p.m., 12:13 p.m., 12:24 p.m., 12:35 p.m., 12:46 p.m., 12:57 p.m., 1:08 p.m., 1:19 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 1:41 p.m., 1:52 p.m., 2:03 p.m. (12 Matches)
- Trophy Presentation, 6 p.m. (NBC)
- All Day Singles, 12 p.m. (NBC)
LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Full coverage via Ryder Cup app for live scoring.
The Format: Match Play Mayhem Over Three Days
Forget stroke play, the Ryder Cup is pure match play — win a hole outright for a point, halve it for half. There are 28 matches total, worth 28 points. The first to 14.5 wins; a 14-14 tie lets defending champions Europe retain the cup.
Home captain Keegan Bradley chose foursomes to open both days, a format where the U.S. has thrived lately (6-2 in 2021).
- Foursomes (Alternate Shot): Pairs alternate shots on one ball — precision and compatibility rule.
- Four-Ball (Best Ball): Pairs play their own balls; the lower score per hole counts — aggression shines.
- Singles: Head-to-head on the final day — pure individual glory.
Captains sit four players per session (Friday/Saturday), strategizing pairings like chess masters.
Ryder Cup History
The Ryder Cup is a biennial competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe.
The Ryder Cup began in 1927 to foster goodwill between U.S. and British golfers. It is named after the British businessman Samuel Ryder, who donated the trophy. The event is jointly administered by the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe, the latter a joint venture of the PGA European Tour (60%), the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland (20%), and the PGAs of Europe (20%).
Originally contested between Great Britain and the United States, the first official Ryder Cup took place in the United States in 1927 at Worcester Country Club in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The home team won the first five contests, but with the competition’s resumption after World War II, repeated American dominance eventually led to a decision, starting in 1979, to extend the representation of Great Britain to include continental Europe.
The inclusion of continental European golfers was partly prompted by the success of a new generation golfers, particular Spain’s Seve Ballesteros and Germany’s Berhard Langer.
Since 1979, Europe has won twelve times outright and retained the Cup once in a tied match, with nine American wins over this period. Europe has since dominated the modern era, winning 10 of the last 14 contests, including seven straight in Europe. However, the U.S. has been more formidable at home, claiming the last two on American soil (a record 19-9 thrashing in 2021 at Whistling Straits and a 17-11 victory in 2016 at Hazeltine). The all-time tally favors the U.S. at 27 wins to Europe’s 15 (with 2 ties).
In addition to players from Great Britain and Ireland, the European team has included players from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. As of 2023, per International Golf Federation standards, golfers from fifty countries are now eligible to compete for Europe at the Ryder Cup.
The Ryder Cup, and its counterpart the Presidents Cup, remain exceptions within the world of professional sports because the players receive no prize money despite the contests being high-profile events that bring in large amounts of money in television and sponsorship revenue.
The current holders are Europe who won in 2023 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy by a score of 16.5 to 11.5.
The Ryder Cup was held in odd-numbered years until 1999 and then moved to even years in 2002 after being cancelled in 2001 due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It moved back to odd years again in 2021, after the 2020 event was postponed due to the COVID-19 panic.
Recent Ryder Cup Winners
- 2023: Europe (16.5-11.5) (Marco Simone Golf & CC, Italy)
- 2021: USA (19-9) (Whistling Straits, Wi.)
- 2018: Europe (17.5-10.5) (Le Golf National, France)
- 2016: USA (17-11) (Hazeltine National, Minn.)
- 2014: Europe (16.5-11.5) (Gleneagles, Scotland)
- 2012: Europe (14.5-13.5) (Medinah, Ill.)
- 2010: Europe (14.5-13.5) (Celtic Manor, Wales)
- 2008: USA (16.5-11.5) (Valhalla, Ky.)
- 2006: Europe (18.5-9.5) (K CLub, Ireland)
- 2004: Europe (18.5-9.5) (Oakland Hills, Mich.)
- 2002: Europe (15.5-12.5) (The Belfry, England)
- 1999: USA (14.5-13.5) (The Country Club, Mass.)
Ryder Cup Records
- Most Appearances: 12 – Phil Mickelson (USA)
- Youngest: 19 – Sergio Garcia (EUR), 1999
- Oldest: 51 – Ray Floyd (USA), 1993
- Most Points: 28.5 – Sergio Garcia (EUR)
- Most Foursomes Points: 13.5 – Sergio Garcia (EUR)
- Most Fourball Points: 10.5 – Ian Woosnam (EUR), Jose Maria Olazabal (EUR), Sergio Garcia (EUR)
- Most Points By Pairing: 12 – Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal (EUR)
- Most Singles Points: 7 – Colin Montgomerie (EUR), Billy Casper (USA), Lee Trevino (USA), Arnold Palmer (USA), Neil Coles (GB)
- Most Points in Single Edition: 5
- Tony Lema (USA, 5-1-0, 1965)
- Peter Alliss (GB, 5-1-0, 1965)
- Gardner Dickinson (USA, 5-0-0, 1967)
- Arnold Palmer (USA, 5-0-0, 1967)
- Tony Jacklin (GB, 4-0-2, 1969)
- Jack Nicklaus (USA, 5-1-0, 1971)
- Larry Nelson (USA, 5-0-0, 1979)
- Francesco Molinari (EUR, 5-0-0, 2018)
- Dustin Johnson (USA, 5-0-0, 2021)
The Venue: Bethpage Black
“The People’s Country Club” and Golf’s Ultimate Beast
Nestled in Bethpage State Park on Long Island, Bethpage Black is a public gem designed by A.W. Tillinghast (with input from Joseph H. Burbeck) and opened in 1936.
At 7,459 yards from the tips, it’s a brute: deep bunkers, penal rough, and lightning-fast greens that demand precision over power. A infamous warning sign at the first tee reads, “The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.”
Tee times cost just $80-160 for locals (who often camp overnight for spots), earning it the nickname “People’s Country Club.”
It joins an elite club by hosting the Ryder Cup, having previously tamed majors like the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens (where winners Tiger Woods and Lucas Glover, respectively, were among the few under par) and the 2019 PGA Championship (Brooks Koepka‘s record 63 opener).
For 2025, expect a slightly tamer setup to encourage birdies and drama — fewer knee-deep fescue traps — but the four-hole par-4 gauntlet (holes 14-17, averaging 478 yards) will test nerves.
Long Island’s rowdy fans could make it the loudest Ryder Cup ever, with President Donald Trump expected on opening day.
2025 Ryder Cup Teams
Both squads blend rookies and vets, but contrasts abound. The U.S. boasts raw power and home-soil momentum, led by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (four majors since 2022). Europe counters with continuity — 11 of 12 from their 2023 winning team — under repeat captain Luke Donald, chasing history as the first away retention since 2012.
Team USA – Firepower
- Captain: Keegan Bradley, 39 – youngest since Arnold Palmer in 1963
- Automatic qualifiers (top 6 in points): Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau.
- Captain’s picks: Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Ben Griffin, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Cameron Young.
- Rookies: Griffin, Henley, Young, Spaun (4 total).
- Key strengths: Scheffler’s dominance (qualified in June), DeChambeau’s power, Morikawa’s irons.
- Combined Ryder record: 40-28-10.
- Key Stars:
- Scheffler: (3rd), Undisputed best player in world, 2025 PGA & Open champ
- DeChambeau: (3rd), 2024 U.S. Open winner, biggest star in pro golf space, LIV powerhouse
- Schauffele: (3rd), two major wins in 2024 but struggled in 2025, steady
- Morikawa: (3rd), top iron player, down 2025 season
- Thomas: (4th), resurgent Tour season, emotional leader
- Cantlay (3rd), clutch putter, excels in Ryder Cup matches
Team Europe – Experience
- Captain: Luke Donald, 47 – back-to-back after 2023 win
- Automatic qualifiers (top 6 in points): Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Rasmus Hojgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose.
- Captain’s picks: Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka.
- Rookies: Hojgaard (1 total).
- Key strengths: McIlroy’s star power (2025 Masters win), Rahm’s leadership, 11 Rome returnees.
- Combined Ryder record: 73-43-19.
- Key Stars:
- McIlroy: (7th), 2025 Masters, 4 2025 wins, defacto leader
- Fleetwood (4th), Tour Championship winner, hot irons
- Rahm (3rd), 2024 & 2025 LIV season-long champ, global superstar, “sets the standards”
- Hovland (2nd), record foursomes with Aberg in 2023
- Aberg (2nd), Swedish sensation, Rome debut star
- Fitzpatrick (4th), U.S. Open champ, data nerd
What to Expect
A Powder Keg of Passion and Predictions
Bethpage’s rowdy galleries could drown out Europe’s experience edge, especially with U.S. President Trump expected to attend, fueling MAGA patriotism, while amping up U.S. underdogs like Young (hot Wyndham win) against vets like Rahm.
Scheffler vs. McIlroy singles? DeChambeau’s bomb-and-gouge vs. Hovland’s ball-striking?
The stakes: USA seeks a third straight home win; Europe eyes a historic road retention. Oddsmakers favor the U.S. (-145), but don’t count out Donald’s “settled and united” squad.
One thing’s certain: By Sunday’s twilight singles, friendships will be forged, hearts broken, and legends born. Tee it up: golf’s greatest show is here.
