The 2025 major season is complete after another dominant performance by Scottie Scheffler and, really, what more can we say about the world No. 1?
With all due respect to the FedEx Cup playoffs, we are looking forward to the next big event on the golf calendar: the Ryder Cup. And between Scheffler being Scheffler, Keegan Bradley playing too well to just be the captain and maybe a half-dozen U.S. team members finishing in the top 10 at the British Open, the SI Golf team reconvenes one more time to consider this statement in Fact or Fiction:
Fact or Fiction: The U.S. Will Win the Ryder Cup in a Rout
Bob Harig, SI Golf Senior Writer: FICTION. I’m not confident they will win, period. Europe looks strong. The U.S. team has numerous questions. That doesn’t always mean anything given the nature of the Ryder Cup. But captain Keegan Bradley sure would like to see some players step up in the coming weeks.
John Pluym, SI.com Managing Editor: FICTION. It’s still too early to go there. There’s no doubt the U.S. team will be strong and have the home-course advantage at Bethpage. Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau are locks (captain Keegan Bradley told Sports Illustrated that DeChambeau would be on the team), so you have to like their chances to regain the Cup. Still, a lot can happen between now and the end of September.
Jeff Ritter, SI Golf Managing Director: FACT. The U.S. is going to settle a score at Bethpage, not only because the team is playing well this summer, but because it’s become so difficult for a team to win a road game. This was an encouraging week for prospective U.S. team members. Captain Bradley will have options.
Michael Rosenberg, SI Senior Writer: FICTION. The home team should probably always be favored in the Ryder Cup, and the U.S. dominated Europe at Whistling Straits in 2021. But that team included at least four players who would not instill confidence if they were on the team today: Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau and Dustin Johnson. Collin Morikawa remains in the top 10 but has not performed well at majors lately. Jordan Spieth is still not the player we came to expect. Maybe Russell Henley and J.J. Spaun will be Ryder Cup stalwarts, but who can say that now? There is the possibility of Keegan Bradley as a playing captain, with all the uncertainty that would bring.
Max Schreiber, SI Golf Contributor: FICTION. Sure, three of the four 2025 major winners are Americans (though Scheffler counts for two). The home team has an advantage, but look at the top 12 in points for the U.S. team right now compared to the Europeans. It’s pretty neck-and-neck; however, the Europeans' top 12 doesn't even include Jon Rahm or Matt Fitzpatrick. If the U.S. wins, it should be a tight one.
John Schwarb, SI Golf Senior Editor: FACT. Echoing Jeff, these matches have become home cooking to an extreme (five straight wins for the hosts) and that’s not going to change at boisterous Bethpage. And under Capt. Bradley I think there’s a chance for several new faces, from J.J. Spaun to Russell Henley to maybe Chris Gotterup, that could create some of the best U.S. team chemistry we’ve seen in a while—and that can be a recipe for a blowout.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fact or Fiction: The U.S. Will Win the Ryder Cup in a Rout.