We know six of the 12 Americans who will be competing at next month’s Ryder Cup.
Following the BMW Championship, these players qualified for the team via the points list: Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau.
There are a few no-brainers on that list with Scheffler, Schauffele and DeChambeau being key pieces of the team’s core. DeChambeau made the team despite only earning points in the past eight major championships.
There are also a few surprises. Spaun had a breakout year after a journeyman career to this point. Henley is an ultra-consistent analytics darling but not known for rising to the occasion in big moments. And English is the feel-good story of the year, recovering from injury to regain form.
Who else will be on the team?
We will find out Aug. 27, the Wednesday following next week’s Tour Championship, when captain Keegan Bradley announces the final six players.
There hasn’t been a ton of movement in the race to be on the U.S. team at Bethpage Black. No player has totally knocked down the door demanding to be a captain’s pick.
With that in mind, here are five burning questions about how the team will come together.
1. Will Bradley pick himself as a playing captain?
Rory McIlroy recently revealed that he has already turned down an opportunity to be a playing captain for the European team in 2027. He believes it’s virtually impossible to wear both hats.
That decision underscores what Bradley is going through at the moment.
On one hand, Bradley won a signature event this summer (the Travelers Championship) and would be a fairly straightforward pick if he wasn’t a captain. Bradley spent his college career playing endless rounds at Bethpage. He brings a certain passion to the event. And there are not 12 Americans better than him.
The Ryder Cup is about emotion. Bradley could deliver that as a player.
On the other hand, Bradley hasn’t cemented a spot with his play since that victory. If he’s on the borderline of being picked, then maybe it’s better to go with someone else at this point.
I would like to see Bradley on the team as a player. Most of his captain’s responsibilities will be over with by the time play starts—and he has vice-captains to lean on for everything else.
Whatever he decides, it will be a huge storyline going into the event.
2. Should Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay be locks based on past experience?
It would appear that the answer to this question is yes.
Thomas, Morikawa and Cantlay have cooled off this summer. Their results have been middling. A few other Americans are in better form than the three of them.
However, the Ryder Cup is an uncomfortable environment for a rookie. Experience means even more than current form when it comes to this kind of golf tournament.
At the end of the day, all three players have too much talent and experience to leave off the squad.
3. Will Ben Griffin be the easiest captain’s pick of them all?
No player deserves a captain’s pick more than Griffin.
Since the PGA Championship, Griffin has a victory and eight top-15 finishes. He is all the way up to No. 7 in the Data Golf rankings.
It is slightly concerning to choose a guy who was well outside the bubble at the start of 2025, but you have to respect the consistency of play throughout the summer.
If Thomas, Morikawa and Cantlay are all veteran picks, it’s worth it to choose Griffin as the red-hot Ryder Cup rookie.
4. Is Cameron Young’s recent push enough to get him to Bethpage?
Young is from Scarborough, N.Y., about 300 miles from Bethpage, and thus would have a passionate local following at the event. He also hits it a mile, helpful at a long course like Bethpage.
By early June, he was nowhere to be found in the Ryder Cup picture. Young has always had a ton of talent but hasn’t put it all together. It looked like 2025 was going to be another mediocre year for him.
But Young has since come alive with a T4 at the U.S. Open, a win at the Wyndham Championship and two strong showings in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Another impressive week at the Tour Championship would solidify his case but I still believe he is on the team as of now.
5. Who deserves the final pick?
If you’ve been following along here, I’ve been picking my team.
Let’s say Thomas, Morikawa, Cantlay, Griffin and Young are on the squad.
That would leave Bradley and a host of other candidates like Sam Burns, Maverick McNealy, Chris Gotterup, Brian Harman, Jordan Spieth, Kurt Kitayama and Rickie Fowler.
I think Bradley is the best option. However, if the U.S. side doesn’t want a playing captain, then it will probably come down to Burns, McNealy, Gotterup or Harman.
By the analytics, Burns is the best of these players. He is No. 15 in Data Golf after a T4 at the BMW Championship.
McNealy has played very well throughout 2025 but has never sniffed contention in a major. I’m always wary of selecting guys who rack up good results in regular Tour events but struggle in majors.
Gotterup got hot overseas at the Scottish Open and the Open Championship but I don’t think that quick sprint is enough to get him on the team.
Harman is playing well and has a good pedigree with a strong major record including a victory at the 2023 Open Championship. He is also a good match-play competitor dating back to college. The only issue is that Bethpage is a long course, not a particularly good fit for someone who’s 150th in driving distance (295 yards) on the PGA Tour.
If it’s not Bradley, I would opt for Burns. Take the best player available.
Who would be on your team if you were the American captain? Let me know in the comments.
Top Photo Caption: Cameron Young is on the precipice of making the U.S. Ryder Cup team. (GETTY IMAGES/Andy Lyons)
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