In a stunning twist for American golf, only three golfers in their prime — Brooks Koepka (5), Jordan Spieth (3), and Scottie Scheffler (3) — have claimed three or more major championships, yet two of them, Koepka and Spieth, face the real prospect of missing the 12-player U.S. Ryder Cup team for the 2025 matches at Bethpage Black, highlighting the fierce competition and unpredictable dynamics shaping Team USA’s roster.
With just two months until the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, the U.S. team is shaping up to be one of the most unexpected in recent memory, as mid-tier names like Russell Henley, J.J. Spaun, Ben Griffin, Keegan Bradley, Andrew Novak, Brian Harman, Harris English, and Maverick McNealy have surged into the serious conversation, while global superstars Koepka and Spieth languish as longshots.
The rise of these players, all solid but none considered a headliner, has raised eyebrows and sparked debate about the team’s strength as it prepares to face a formidable European squad led by Luke Donald.
The U.S. Ryder Cup qualification process awards points based on prize money, with the top six after the BMW Championship on August 17, 2025, earning automatic spots. Captain Keegan Bradley will then select six captain’s picks.
As of June 26, 2025, the top six include Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau, and Justin Thomas, but Griffin (No. 8), Bradley (9), English (10), McNealy (11), Harman (12), and Novak (13) are closing fast. This group’s lack of Ryder Cup pedigree — Spaun, McNealy, Novak, and Griffin, have never played in the event and own just (gulp!) four Tour wins collectively — has led some to label the squad as potentially the weakest in years.
Spaun, a two-time Tour winner at 34, has been the breakout story. His stunning U.S. Open victory at Oakmont in June, capped by a 64-foot birdie putt on the 18th, catapulted him to No. 3 in the standings with 6,450 points, nearly locking his spot. A year ago, Spaun was fighting to keep his PGA Tour card and contemplating retirement; now, he’s a major champion with top finishes at The Players (T2) and Cognizant Classic (T2).
“J.J.’s playing the best golf of his life,” said potential teammate Justin Thomas. “He’s fearless, and that’s what we need at Bethpage.”
Griffin, 29, is the least heralded of the bunch but has forced his way into contention with his maiden PGA Tour win at the Charles Schwab Challenge (he also won the Zurich Classic, a team event), and a T5 at the Memorial. His meteoric rise from selling mortgages in 2021 to No. 8 in the standings has raised concerns that his bubble could burst at any moment.
“Ben’s come out of nowhere, and is playing great, but he’s no blue chipper. His game could go south at a moment’s notice. That’s the concern,” said an unnamed source at PGA’s Frisco HQ.
Meanwhile, household names are fading fast, including Koepka, the winner of the 2019 PGA at Bethpage Black. The five-time major champion is No. 65 in points after missing cuts at the Masters and PGA Championship. His T12 at the U.S. Open offered hope, but his status as a LIV Golf player has basically crippled his chances. His only chance now is to win the British Open next month.
Spieth, a Ryder Cup stalwart and one of the game’s most marketable names, sits at No. 25, hampered by a wrist injury and inconsistent play, including a withdrawal at the Travelers.
The potential absence of two of the game’s biggest superstars (Koepka and Spieth), combined with the inexperience of Spaun, McNealy, Novak, and Griffin, has some questioning the U.S. team’s depth against a European side boasting Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton, and Tommy Fleetwood.
With multi-major winners in Scheffler, Schauffele, DeChambeau, Thomas, and Morikawa as anchors, the U.S. squad still has frontline firepower. It’s the names that follow where it gets dicey.
As the qualification race heats up, the golf world is buzzing about whether this ragtag group of journeymen-turned-contenders can gel into a winning unit — or if the lack of proven Ryder Cup stars will prove their undoing.
“This team’s either going to shock the world or crash hard,” said Tom Gorman, publisher of Pro Golf Weekly. “There’s no in-between.”
