2025 Ryder Cup Preview: Course Breakdown, Important Players, & Favorite U.S. Rookie

Todd McGill's 2025 Ryder Cup preview covering the course breakdown, key players to watch for, and his favorite U.S. Team rookie.

After a phenomenal 2025 season that witnessed Rory McIlroy complete his career grand slam and Scottie Scheffler win two of the other three major championships, it is poetically appropriate that the game's undoubted largest two superstars are set to lead their respective sides in the upcoming Ryder Cup. With scrutiny over its actual competitiveness and the overwhelming effect of having home-field advantage, this feels like an important year for an event that has become increasingly predictable in recent years.

Bethpage Black is no stranger to big-time golf; however, this will be the first time in its rich history that a Ryder Cup will be played at the difficult track. For many, the warning sign next to the starting hole is synonymous with its reputation as one of the toughest courses in the world. It will be interesting to see how it plays in a team competition setting, where fireworks and excitement are what ultimately make the product the special treasure it is.

For funsies, I thought I'd use this piece to give some perspective on the week we have in store for us. From taking a look at the course itself, players who have performed well here throughout various other events, and my favorite talking points as we count down to the first tee balls going in the air on Friday morning. The Ryder Cup is finally here!

Course Breakdown

Anyone who's paid any attention to major championship golf over the last 20 years has most likely heard of Bethpage Black. It certainly isn't the place you go for a relaxing day on the links (unless 18 kicks to the groin sounds like an enjoyable time). But, given its place as a public-municipal facility, along with the countless number of timeless moments and figures to play here throughout its time, most of us would take those licks at least once.

Tipping out at over 7,400 yards, a long shot at a small target is the usual tale of the tape, with greens averaging 5,500 sqft in size and fairways averaging 26 yards in width (both smaller than typical PGA Tour courses). Accuracy is demanded from start to finish, but it can be a long day if length isn't also somewhat there.

Bethpage Black is ready. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Xz90tXhZEp

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) September 21, 2025

Obviously, some discretion is reserved for how Keegan Bradley and the other vice captains set things up, but the main components of what works here should remain: quality ball striking, a healthy blend of length and accuracy off the tee, and converting every opportunity possible.

The rough will be the biggest question mark, as the brutal thickness seen at the U.S. Opens and the 2019 PGA Championship is unlikely to be as pronounced. It certainly benefits the home team to have the freedom to go bombs away.

At the 2019 PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka blew away the field in strokes gained from tee to green en route to setting scoring records not seen since 1934, as he held a seven-stroke advantage at the 36-hole mark. The need for full concentration on every shot is perhaps more important than in past cup matches. Whether the level of difficulty is the right fit for this particular event remains to be seen, but it should provide opportunities for big momentum swings nonetheless.

Key Players

Rory McIlroy

With everything that has happened for Rory McIlroy in 2025, perhaps nothing would be a sweeter cap to his season than winning an away Ryder Cup, especially in front of a passionate crowd that will inevitably be heckling the 36-year-old and his European teammates. He has always been one to play into the theatrics and excitement that only these cup matches can provide, and it only helps to be at a place where his game has thrived in the past.

In four previous events at Bethpage Black, McIlroy has established a 2.022 total strokes gained average. It shouldn't come as much of a shock that he has feasted with the driver while also demonstrating strong approach play. He also ranked seventh this season in strokes gained putting (+0.597), the best of his career in this metric. As the undoubted leader of the European squad, they will go as the Northern Irishman goes, and if they are to be successful this week, McIlroy must provide a spark.

Bryson DeChambeau

We're hyped for more Bryson DeChambeau tee shots at the Ryder Cup next week. 🇺🇸🚀 pic.twitter.com/UXMBQfQu5l

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 18, 2025

Undoubtedly, the best driver of the golf ball in this year's Ryder Cup is the YouTube megastar, Bryson DeChambeau. At a course where play off the tee can almost define a round, his place on the American squad is probably more important than what most golf pundits are going to give him credit for. Finding his teammate will be a tricky song and dance, as it is every time he's on one of these teams, but whoever it is should be favored against any of their European opponents outside of a McIlroy-led unit.

His lone appearance at Bethpage is the 2019 PGA, where he missed the cut with scores of 72-74. However, that was before he added 20+ yards of distance and jumped from ending the 2019 season with an already impressive +0.421 strokes gained off the tee to +1.039 the following season. It's hard to fathom maintaining that level of consistency for the length he has, but the +1.508 average in 2025 is all the proof needed that he's even more of a threat now.

Matt Fitzpatrick

This may come as a bit of a surprise, but when you're looking at trying to win a Ryder Cup on enemy turf, it's going to take the whole collective. Matt Fitzpatrick is 1-7-0 in his three previous Ryder Cup appearances, and is the only member on the European squad to have lost the cup more than won it. Sure, this can easily be chalked up to playing more away matches than home ones, but the fact that he's barely contributed to the good at all is concerning.

Fitzy has returned to the level of ball striking prowess that made him a U.S. Open Champion over the back half of this season, posting four top 5s and three top 10s since the end of June. In that span, he's averaged +0.691 strokes gained on approach and +0.251 off the tee. Putting isn't a worry, as he's one of the better flat stick users on the PGA Tour. If Europe is to pull off a win this week, the 31-year-old has to improve his resume.

Xander Schauffele

Given the season he had in 2024, many expected this to be a year littered with seeing more of Xander Schauffele competing for wins. That wasn't quite the case, as he only managed three top 10s among a slew of so-so weeks. It is certainly not what anyone expected after winning two major championships and climbing to second in the world golf ranking the prior year.

The X-man finished T16 here at the 2019 PGA Championship, where he gained strokes across the board. However, he finished with a troubling -0.016 strokes gained average around the greens and -0.184 strokes gained putting this season, while nearly ranking outside the top 150 in driving accuracy (53.83%). The good news is that he hasn't lost any of the pop in his bat, and his iron play continues to be his saving grace. It would be nice to think he's one of our heaviest hitters, but it also wouldn't be surprising to see him outside the ropes this week more than he's inside them. How he's used could have large ramifications.

“Go out there and play like you have the country on your back– because you do.” #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/Tg4PxlDuLK

— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 22, 2025

Favorite U.S. Rookie

Where the European team has basically kept the same lineup from two years ago, the American squad has added several new faces making their Ryder Cup debut. Bethpage Black may not be the most sought-after place to play in such a pressure-cooker environment, but at least they have the advantage of being on home soil. For the U.S. to be successful, Captain Keegan Bradley needs some new blood to step up.

Cameron Young is the most fascinating of the four, with his blend of incredible length off the tee mixed with a fantastic putter. He ranked fifth on the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained putting (+0.642) and 30th in strokes gained off the tee (+0.317). What's most intriguing is that the iron play that's plagued him most of the year has made a drastic turn since his win at the Wyndham Championship.

Growing up roughly an hour from Bethpage, there is so much to root for this week for the 28-year-old. And if the level of play he closed the regular season with travels home, he could be one of the biggest contributors of the week. When firing on all cylinders, he has more of a polished game than any of the other three rookies.

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