The Ryder Cup is quickly approaching, and once again there is some movement in the top six of both teams. The top six players on both Team USA and Team Europe automatically qualify for their respective teams in the Ryder Cup. These points are accumulated throughout their play in various events. The remaining six spots are selected by the Captains of the teams, and can be the deciding factor in who wins the Ryder Cup.
Team Europe
Team Europe is led by Captain Luke Donald, who was the Captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup when the Europeans clobbered the U.S. in Rome. Donald’s Vice Captains are Edoardo Molinari and Thomas Bjorn, two players with Ryder Cup experience.
(Players in bold are in top six automatic qualifier positions):
- Rory McIlroy
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Justin Rose
- Rasmus Hojgaard
- Shane Lowry
- Ludvig Aberg
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Thomas Detry
- Matt Wallace
- Niklas Norgaard
- Laurie Canter
- Viktor Hovland
At the top of Team Europe is no surprise to anyone, Rory McIlroy. McIlroy has been on the last seven Ryder Cup Teams and is practically a lock at this point to be on his eighth straight team. McIlroy is coming off his Masters win and has been very good in Ryder Cups of the past. Only once has he scored less than two points in a Ryder Cup, in 2021. In 2023, he had a career-high four points in the Ryder Cup. On American soil in 2012 and 2016, McIlroy had three points in each year. McIlroy will be another key player the Europeans lean on if they want to retain the Ryder Cup and win in the United States for the first time since 2012.
Second in the rankings is Tyrrell Hatton, who over the last two years has been thriving on LIV. Hatton has been very solid in major championships, making the cut in every major since 2022 but one. Hatton is a proper player and can be a force in the Ryder Cup. Justin Rose is in third, and Rose brings experience, wisdom, and fire. Rose will be on the team, whether it’s a Captain’s pick or by automatic qualification, it’s just a matter of how he’s on the team. Rasmus Hojgaard is fourth, and Hojgaard has been very successful on the DP World Tour, while navigating his first year on the PGA Tour. Hojgaard is only 24 years old, and has a lot to learn, but his talent will be valuable to the Europeans, as he should be on the team regardless of being an automatic qualifier or not.
Shane Lowry and Ludvig Aberg are separated by 35 points and hold the last two spots at this time. Lowry and Aberg are playing some fantastic golf, and also fall in the category of if they don’t auto-qualify, they will be Captain’s Picks. Both players can solidify an automatic spot should they win a major this year, and they are trending in a direction to contend in some more majors.
Tommy Fleetwood still somehow hasn’t won on the PGA Tour, but is still a consistent player who contends fairly regularly in tournaments. Sitting in seventh, Fleetwood will, in all likelihood, be a Captain’s Pick and playing for the Europeans once again in the Ryder Cup. Jon Rahm is 26th in the standings, but wouldn’t be a shock to be a Captain’s Pick. Rahm is used to playing in Ryder Cups and is too good to be left off the team. The rest of the team might be full of players who aren’t as well-known, but the Europeans are very strategic and purposeful in filling out their teams, which is why they are capable of winning on foreign soil.
Team USA
After being snubbed by Captain Zach Johnson in 2023 for the Ryder Cup, Keegan Bradley takes the reins as Ryder Cup Captain. Bradley, currently playing on the PGA Tour, is sitting 31st in the FedEx Cup Standings. Team USA’s Vice Captains consist of Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, and Brandt Snedeker.
(Players in bold are in top six automatic qualifier positions):
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Collin Morikawa
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Russell Henley
- Justin Thomas
- Maverick McNealy
- Brian Harman
- J.J. Spaun
- Patrick Cantlay
- Andrew Novak
- Harris English
It’s safe to say, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, and Justin Thomas are all locks for Team USA. Justin Thomas jumped up into the top six with his win at the RBC Heritage last week, and his solid season this year. DeChambeau has been magnificent at everything but the Open, winning the 2024 U.S. Open and having multiple top ten finishes in major championships recently. Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Scottie Scheffler are all top-five players in the world, so no doubt they will be playing in the Ryder Cup and probably many future Ryder Cups.
Russell Henley has been a very consistent and solid player. The U.S. usually has a player of that caliber who might not be the household name, but is a contributor to the team due to a hot stretch of golf that lasts at least a year. Henley should be in New York this September, representing the United States in either a Captain’s Pick or an automatic qualifier. Maverick McNealy is sitting in the top ten of the OWGR and is another quiet but consistent player. He might be the biggest surprise on Team USA, should he make it. Andrew Novak has jumped up the rankings, as Novak has found himself in the final group on Sunday three different times on the PGA Tour this season. Novak moved up 13 spots this week in the rankings to put himself on Keegan Bradley’s radar. Keep an eye on Patrick Reed, who’s been solid on LIV, showing up in majors, and has experience being “Captain America” on prior Team USA appearances.
www.elisportsnetwork.com
