Sunday 15th June will go down as a special day for JJ Spaun, as not only is it the day he claimed a first Major title, but also the day he, likely, wrapped up a spot on the US Ryder Cup team.
Vaulting up 10 spots in the US Ryder Cup Rankings, now sitting in third position, Spaun is in with a great chance of making it to Bethpage Black at the end of September.
Six players will automatically qualify for the team event following the BMW Championship in mid-August, with another six then selected by captain Keegan Bradley.
Throughout 2025, Spaun has been one of the stand-out American players, finishing runner-up at The Players Championship and then claiming the US Open in tough conditions at Oakmont.
There's still be plenty of golf to be played between now and the Ryder Cup cut-off in mid-August, but is Spaun now a shoo-in for a spot on the US team?
Well, given his position in the rankings, and the golf he is playing this season, he will likely be one of the rookies in New York, especially when you bring other players' form into the equation.
Sitting sixth in the FedEx Cup standings, Scottie Scheffler, who has already qualified, Justin Thomas and Ben Griffin are the only players above Spaun.
What's more, in the Ryder Cup standings, Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are first and second, leaving Spaun third, meaning just four players are, theoretically, above him in the two rankings.
Another plus for Spaun is that a reigning Major champion hasn't been left off the team since John Daly in 1995 and, as an example, 2023 saw Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark claiming The Open Championship and US Open in Ryder Cup years, with both going on to secure a spot in Rome.
To showcase the evidence even further, the list of winners on the PGA Tour in 2025 makes for pretty grim reading for the US team.
Aside from Scheffler, who has three wins, and Bryson DeChambeau, who has impressed in the Majors and on the LIV Golf League, there aren't many Ryder Cup regulars notching up victories throughout the season.
Thomas, who has played in three Ryder Cups, claimed the RBC Heritage in April, while Harman and Harris English, who have both played a sole Ryder Cup each, secured victories at the Valero Texas Open and Farmers Insurance Open.
The only other American players to win this season who, realistically, have a shot at making the team in September are Russell Henley, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Griffin, a two-time PGA Tour winner in 2025.
Elsewhere, Schauffele and Collin Morikawa have shown glimpses of their form in 2025, but have yet to win, with it being a similar story for the likes of Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay, who have all been regulars at the last few Ryder Cups.
Even looking at the Presidents Cup team from 2024, Sahith Theegala is sidelined with injury, Max Homa and Clark's form have fallen off, while Tony Finau has registered just one top 10 on the PGA Tour throughout 2025.
The drop off in form from the Americans leaves the door open for Spaun, who is comfortably placed inside the top six spots of the Rankings.
Behind him, you have DeChambeau, Morikawa and Thomas, who will be guaranteed captain's picks if they don't automatically qualify, with Henley, Griffin, Maverick McNealy, English and Andrew Novak the next five players.
Certainly, captain Bradley, who could still well select himself into the side, has a hard task ahead if US players don't start performing.
One thing that is for certain though, is that Spaun will be one of those players at Bethpage Black and, very likely, one of a handful of rookies.
US Ryder Cup Team Rankings
*correct as of 17th June 2025
Position |
Player |
Points |
1st |
Scottie Scheffler (Q) |
26841.93 |
2nd |
Xander Schauffele |
12430.45 |
3rd |
JJ Spaun |
11911.85 |
4th |
Bryson DeChameau |
10318.00 |
5th |
Justin Thomas |
9457.69 |
6th |
Collin Morikawa |
9410.01 |
7th |
Russell Henley |
9406.85 |
8th |
Ben Griffin |
8072.91 |
9th |
Maverick McNealy |
6873.90 |
10th |
Harris English |
6786.52 |
11th |
Andrew Novak |
6220.90 |
12th |
Brian Harman |
5901.26 |
13th |
Patrick Cantlay |
5570.83 |
14th |
Sam Burns |
5256.19 |
15th |
Cameron Young |
4340.05 |
