Josh’s Ryder Cup Power Rankings

Both Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald have finalized their 12 man rosters for the Ryder Cup. With both squads now being cemented, it’s time for a fun exercise to rank the 24 players that are participating. I am taking into account a mix of overall 2025 performance, recent form, and historical Ryder Cup records. 

#1 Scottie Scheffler (2-2-2, 3rd appearance)

There’s a lot of talk about being concerned about Scottie’s Ryder Cup record. Yes, it hasn’t been great and people remember the beat down that Scottie and Brooks Kopeka took against Hovland and Aberg in foursomes, losing 9 & 7. However, Scheffler is still by far the best player in the world. Let’s also not forget a young Scottie Scheffler took down Jon Rahm in Sunday singles in 2021. He will play all 5 matches and might need to bring home 4 points for the team to win. 

#2 Rory McIlroy (16-13-4, 8th appearance)

The face of the European Ryder Cup team is poised to cement his legacy, capturing an away Ryder Cup win to his resume. He’s had this specific Ryder Cup circled on the calendar for years. With a lot of chatter about Rory’s desire to win PGA Tour tournaments since his Masters win and his antics with the media, I believe Rory will be driven to spoil Team USA’s party. 

#3 Tommy Fleetwood (7-3-2, 4th appearance)

I had no doubt in my mind putting Fleetwood third in this ranking, especially after his first PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship. He has statistically been one of the best players this, ranking 5th in total strokes gained in 2025. Fleetwood is known for his 5-0 record with Francisco Molinari back in 2018. As one of the best ball strikers in the field, he will be someone Luke Donald heavily relies on again. 

#4 Jon Rahm (6-3-3, 4th appearance)

Like Rory, Rahm lives for the Ryder Cup. He is one of the most passionate players in the game of golf and it has shown in this format. I still think he has a chip on his shoulder after joining LIV. His all-around game suits him well to play with anyone on the team. He’s been heating up with the putter, which is a scary sight for his opponents. 

#5 Bryson DeChambeau (2-3-1, 3rd appearance)

Bryson is the ultimate wild card of the Ryder Cup. In a perfect world, you would want to lean on Bryson to play all five matches, however, he hasn’t fared well in foursomes. It will be a big decision for Keegan Bradley and company if they will trout out Bryson in Friday morning foursomes. He suits this course perfectly being one of the best overall drivers of the golf ball and putters. It will be important for Keegan to get the Bryson pairing right if they want to win. 

#6 Patrick Cantlay (5-2-1, 3rd appearance)

I really wanted to sneak Cantlay into the top 5, but I couldn't slide him past Bryson given his major record this year. I believe the pendulum has swung too far on Cantlay’s play this year. Yes, he hasn’t really contended this year, but he’s playing better than his resume shows. He was the best player on the 2023 

#7 Tyrrell Hatton (5-4-2, 4th appearance)

Hatton has been one of the most consistent Ryder Cupers in recent memory. His pairing with Jon Rahm was a major problem for Team USA. The LIV teammates are projected to suit up again with each other. Hatton doesn’t have a glaring weakness in his game, which is perfect for both formats of foursomes and fourball. He is also no stranger to showing emotion out on the course. It will be interesting how Hatton combats the rowdy NY fans. 

#8 Xander Schauffele (4-4, 3rd appearance)

For lack of a better term, Xander will be the X-factor for Team USA. He still hasn’t put his game all together since his injury earlier in the year. Xander has been a staple that the team has relied on going five matches. His pairing with Patrick Cantlay in foursomes will be critical and could make or break this team competition

#9 Ludvig Aberg (2-2, 2nd appearance)

The silent assassin made a name for himself at the 2023 Ryder Cup being a rookie without much PGA Tour experience. The Hovland/Aberg pairing flourished in Rome and Luke Donald will be foolish not to have them paired together again this year. His driver will be a weapon at Bethpage as he has played well at long difficult golf courses in his career. 

#10 Justin Thomas (7-4-2, 4th appearance)

“Justin Thomas is the heartbeat of our team. This guy was born to play in Ryder Cups, and specifically at Bethpage Black” - Keegan Bradley.

As corny of a quote you might think this was, I do agree with Keegan. JT is the spark plug for Team USA and has a proven track record of being someone that the Europeans despise playing against. His record speaks for itself as Keegan will have to lean on him. It’s time for JT to silence the haters and put on a 2021 like performance. 

#11 Viktor Hovland (3-4-3, 3rd appearance)

It's been a weird year for Viktor Hovland. He won the Walspar Championship and finished solo third at the US Open, but outside of that, he didn’t make much noise. He’s not coming into the Ryder Cup with the greatest form. He played very well in 2023, putting up 3 points for the Europeans, highlighted by chipping in on the first hole with Aberg. As a Hovland fan, it’s going to be hard to repeat his last performance. 

#12 Russell Henley (Rookie)

I believe people are sleeping on Henley because he isn’t a sexy name, but he’s been a top 10 player in the world over the last two years. He finished the year finishing inside the top 20 in his last seven starts. He doesn’t particularly fit the prototypical profile you want at Bethpage, but I still believe there will be somewhat of a premium to hitting fairways. He played great with Scheffler in foursomes at last year’s President’s Cup. I doubt Keegan and team go away from this successful pairing. 

#13 Ben Griffin (Rookie)

I love Ben Griffin’s cockiness and swagger he has right now. He seems to not fear nobody and that’s the mentality you need at the Ryder Cup, specifically in match play. He’s been arguably a top 4 American golfer this year and will be motivated to be an integral part of the USA team. 

#14 Sam Burns (1-2, 2nd appearance)

I’m tired of the “only made the team because he’s best friends with Scottie” narrative. Burns earned his way onto the team, notably finishing T4 at the BMW Championship and T7 at the Tour Championship in the playoffs. To be successful in match play, you need to make a ton of putts. Burns is the best putter in the world. 

#15 Collin Morikawa (4-3, 3rd appearance)

Morikawa made this team based on his experience in this format, not on his play this season. His resume was quite weak with his only great tournament being runner-up to Russell Henley at the API. I expect him to only play in foursomes and potentially running back the successful pairing with Cameron Young from the 2022 Presidents Cup.

#16 Robert MacIntyre (2-0-1, 2nd appearance)

Bob Mac gave us a little preview of his Ryder Cup antics at the BMW Championship, where he made a big putt on the back 9 on Saturday, and shushed some American fans who got in his ear. Bob Mac is a sneaky breakout star as he is a great course fit at Bethpage Black.

#17 Matt Fitzpatrick (1-7, 4th appearance)

Since the PGA Championship and switching swing coach to Mark Blackburn, he has been one of the best players on the PGA Tour. Him slotted as the 17th ranked player is primarily due to his Ryder Cup record. His one win was with Rory in 2023 in fourball. It won’t shock me if Fitzpatrick finally figures it out with the way he is playing, but his record is hard to ignore. 

#18 Justin Rose (14-9-2, 7th appearance)

His record speaks for itself. Rose always elevates his game in this team competition. If you asked me to pick one player to make a 10 foot putt to win the match, it’s hard to not pick Rose. In 2023, every big putt in his matches, he seemed to always make. Can his magic continue at Bethpage or will it run out?

#19 Shane Lowry (2-3-1, 3rd appearance)

Lowry is one of the guys that Luke Donald will lean on to continue to bring high energy and provide sparks in the locker room. We saw him do just that after the whole Rory Joe Lacava fiasco. I would have thought his Ryder Cup record would be better than it is.

#20 JJ Spaun (Rookie)

I highly recommend rewatching his putt on the 72nd hole at Oakmont to clinch his first major victory at the US Open. That highlight right there is why I love JJ Spaun in this format and believe he is going to put on a great performance for captain Keepgan Bradley. His putter is going to be a weapon in match play. 

#21 Cameron Young (Rookie)

He really came on at the end of the year, finally breaking through for his first win on the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship. He is one of the hottest putters in the world, gaining strokes with the flatstick in 11 of his last 13 starts. We all know he hits the ball a long way with the driver. The NY native has a chance to hoist the cup in front of the raucous Long Islanders. 

#22 Harris English (1-2, 2nd appearance)

HE had a great bounce back year in 2025, winning the Farmers at Torrey Pines, and finishing inside the top 2 at the PGA Championship and Open Championship. He has a great track record in these big boy ball parks, where elite driving is emphasized. He seems like he will take on the Tony Finau role of being unselfish and playing with however the team believes is the right fit. 

#23 Sepp Straka (1-2, 2nd appearance)

Straka has one of the best PGA Tour resumes in the field, with wins at the American Express and Truist Championship, along with a couple solid T15 finishes. He had an awful majors season, missing the cut in the Masters, PGA Championship, and US Open. I expect Luke Donald to deploy Straka in foursomes due to his accuracy off-the-tee and elite iron play, however, not showing up on the biggest stage this year puts him at 23. 

#24 Rasmus Hojgaard (Rookie)

Rasmus auto qualified for the European team by finishing inside the top 2 in two of his last three DP World appearances. Rasmus fits the profile for Bethpage Black, being very long off-the-tee with the big stick. With how deep the European roster is, we most likely won’t see much of Rasmus. 

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