The Ryder Cup is finally back after two years. The 12 best players from Europe will take on the 12 best players from the United States from Sept. 26-28 for bragging rights. The United States will be home for the first time in four years, with the hope of putting the embarrassment of losing at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in 2023 behind them The United States looks to defend home soil and reclaim the Ryder Cup for the 28th time. Bethpage Black will be the site for the 2025 Ryder Cup. Known for its mental toll, Bethpage Black will challenge the players to keep a good mind while focusing on the shot at hand. The PGA of America has set up the course with long rough and fast greens, putting driving accuracy with long irons in play, along with confidence in lag putting.

The United States

The United States will tee up with four rookies: U.S. Open Champion J.J. Spaun, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young and Russel Henley. The United States will look for eight Ryder Cup veterans to balance out the inexperience. The United States brings in three of the four major winners, with Scottie Scheffler winning the PGA and The Open Championship, and J.J. Spaun winning the U.S. Open. Captain Keegan Bradley will be counting on their major-winning form play this week.

Team Europe

Team Europe heads into the Ryder Cup with 11 out of the 12 having played at Marco Simone in 2023. Rasmus Højgaard is the only rookie on the team, taking the spot of his brother Nicolai, who played on the team in 2023. Europe only has one major winner from this past year, with Rory McIlroy winning the Masters. Europe and Captain Luke Donald will look for the steady head of his 11 Ryder Cup veterans to retain the Ryder Cup.

Home Field

Historically, the team that is on home soil tends to win the Ryder Cup,with the away team winning only four times since 1993: once by the United States in 1993, and three times by Europe in 1995, 2004 and 2012. The New York crowd will play a factor in determining the winner, as being able to block out the negative comments and taunts could ultimately determine if Europe retains or loses the Ryder Cup.

What to Look Out For

The value of home-field advantage cannot be overstated; however, many worry that the New York crowd may go too far. Tournament organizers are urging the fans to be as rowdy as they want, but not to affect the actual play on the course.The European team led by their star Rory McIlroy, will do their best to turn the hostile environment into a motivating factor.

LIV and Let Live

The controversy over the emergence of the LIV tour and the defection of many well-known golfers to the rival tour has been widely reported. Each team will have a LIV presence on its roster. The U.S. Team’s Bryson DeChambeau will have a big presence, both with his personality and with his play. DeChambeau’s aggressive play and long drives will get both his teammates and the crowd going. With the European Team’s Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton having past experience in the Ryder Cup, it could provide Europe with enough experience to prevail against the hostile crowd. If the LIV players perform poorly or if they outshine their PGA teammates, the dynamics in the team room could change quickly and it could make it extremely hard for their respective captains to pair up and could have a major effect on who wins the Ryder Cup.

Final Score

Playing on home soil is a massive advantage for the United States; however, the team’s inexperience with four rookies and not being as fresh as the Europeans will ultimately help Europe retain the cup with a final score of 15.5 to 12.5.

All stats from Ryder Cup, PGA Tour and LIV Golf as of Sept. 24.

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