The 2025 Ryder Cup promises to be dramatic, raucous and controversial.
European players will have the bit between their teeth with the news that US players will be paid to compete at the Ryder Cup in Bethpage for the first time.
$200,00 will be rewarded to players to spend how they choose. The exact opposite ethos, playing for pride, is often what has carried Europe to many victories this side of the millennium.
Bethpage is in New York where sports fans don’t need an excuse to scream, cheer and make any other noise on the golf course. How Europe cope with the ever-growing away disadvantage of the Ryder Cup is crucial.
It’s Keegan Bradley vs Luke Donald, the USA vs Europe and Rory McIlroy vs Bryson DeChambeau (very possibly).
Whether they wanted to predict how the match played out or who would make each team, the NCG gang took a punt at predicting what would happen at the 45th Ryder Cup in 2025.
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Dan Murphy
You can’t see past home advantage these days in the Ryder Cup. If you say that Medinah was a freak event, then you have to go back to 2004 for the last away win. Even more remarkably, it hasn’t even been close for quite some time, which is a concern. Anyway, that’s for another day but I can’t make a compelling case for Luke Donald to repeat his Rome success in New York.
Steve Carroll
Here is my European team prediction: McIlroy, Fleetwood, Hatton, Rahm, Lowry, Rasmus Hojgaard, Hovland, Aberg, MacIntyre, Rai, Fitzpatrick, Pavon
Keegan Bradley’s going to need to lean on his vice-captains, or I think he’ll be exposed by Donald’s tactics. How much time can he really devote to the role when he’s still a full-time PGA Tour player? There’s a good chance he will make his own team. It’s about time Billy Horschel was given a chance to play in the Ryder Cup.
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Here is my US team prediction: Schauffele, Scheffler, DeChambeau, Morikawa, Cantlay, Clark, Horschel, Bradley, Theegala, Henley, Finau, Harman.
Matt Chivers
I think Europe will win the Ryder Cup. Team USA is undergoing an existential crisis as the players find themselves stuck in a moral maze of being paid, with some players aiming their frustrations at the media for spreading this concept that is largely frowned upon.
The 2023 Ryder Cup ignited a fire in Europe and they seemed to act on a little bit of sporting hatred after the kafuffle in the car park after day two. That won’t have been forgotten when Bethpage rolls around, and Luke Donald is a fantastic leader.
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Matt Coles
All the big hitters will be there, as you would expect. Rory, Ludvig, Shane and co. will lead the line for the Europeans, while Scottie, Xander and Collin will be among those at the top of the American team.
Depending on whether LIV players will be banned or not, that might cause the European team to have several changes – with Rahm and Hatton among those missing out. Even so, there will be some new faces involved. Rasmus Hojgaard may well replace his twin brother Nicolai in making the team for the first time, having been in and around the camp in Italy in 2023.
For the Americans, the majors depend on whether the likes of Brooks and Bryson will feature, but after his recent upturn in form, I can see Billy Horschel making what would be (incredibly) his debut in the competition. Can I see Keegan Bradley as a playing captain for Team USA at Bethpage? Although he might qualify, I don’t see how he could do both, but if there was anyone to do it then Keegan’s personality is such that it might well work…
Max McVittie
We all know how hard it is to win an away Ryder Cup. Europe has only won on American soil four times, with the most recent being the Miracle at Medinah in 2012. Whilst the USA has only won twice in Europe. Despite the record books being particularly frank, I’m going to side with a European win at Bethpage Black.
I love how the European side has opted for continuity with Luke Donald remaining as captain and I think Europe’s depth of quality has grown over recent years. There have been certain points over the last decade in which the teams have been a complete mismatch on paper in the USA’s favour.
The Europeans shouldn’t feel that inferiority complex going into the 2025 Ryder Cup. They have superstar power, a range of quality young players and the leadership to pull off a Fairytale in New York. Money might be the story going into the event, but a European triumph will be the back page news at the end of play.
What do you make of our 2024 Ryder Cup team predictions? What would be your own Ryder Cup predictions? Tell us on X!
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