FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The 45th Ryder is a mere hours away, and our SI Golf team made predictions on how the event will play out. Out of five members of our team, three see the U.S. winning and two call for a European upset.
Bob Harig’s Ryder Cup Prediction
Winner: USA, 15-13. This is admittedly quite difficult. The home team advantage ultimately is the deciding factor here, but there’s certainly reason to doubt the Americans. Top players such as Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele have been off their games for the entirety of 2025. But this is where the stars have to shine. That trio needs to step up as does Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau. An under-the-radar guy like Russell Henley will also factor. And ultimately, the home-course advantage will help with momentum.
Top player: Bryson DeChambeau. This is situation is made for DeChambeau. The love of the American fans. A big venue where he can unlease massive drives. And the knowledge that he’s been among the best player in the world for the past two years. If ever there is a player built for going all five matches, it's Bryson.
John Pluym’s Ryder Cup Prediction
Winner: Europe, 15½–12½. The European team is better. They’re solid across the board, and they know how to win. I think having Justin Rose is a massive advantage for the Euros, too. He’s money under pressure. For the U.S., I believe captain Keegan Bradley should have played. He earned the right to play. He shouldn’t have let the media or pressure from outside sources determine whether he should play. He’s better than four or five players on the team. That decision alone could come back to haunt him.
Top player: Justin Rose. I love the way he plays. He’s solid off the tee. He has a great iron game. And when he gets hot with his putting, look out. More than anything else, he seems to thrive under pressure. Rose is 14–9–3 across 26 Ryder Cup matches, and he also has a strong foursomes record (7–2–1). He will be the difference in this Ryder Cup.
Jeff Ritter’s Ryder Cup Prediciton
Winner: U.S, 17-11. Europe is bringing a veteran team, and many of us would love to see a close competition … but I actually think some new blood might’ve served Europe better in this unique road game. The U.S. has a big edge in the 8th- to 12th-best players on their roster compared to those on Team Europe, and those points will add up. Toss in what could be the wildest home crowd in the event’s history, and I can’t pick against the home team to continue its winning trend this week.
Top player: Bryson DeChambeau. He should play at least four sessions and he might head out early on Friday, ignite the crowd by attempting to drive the 1st green and let it rip from there. Remember how the crowd rallied behind DeChambeau as he won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst two years ago? The support he received that Sunday will pale in comparison to what’s coming this weekend.
Michael Rosenberg’s Ryder Cup Prediction
Winner: Europe, 14½–13½. So many factors can determine a Ryder Cup, but my pick came down to the simplest one: I think Europe’s team is a bit better. There is no Scottie Scheffler, but Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland have all played exceptional golf at times this year, Jon Rahm’s game rounded into form, and the Europeans are deep, too.
Top player: Tommy Fleetwood. One weird aspect of Fleetwood’s inability to win a PGA Tour event was that he has delivered in the Ryder Cup. He would say he has benefited from playing with great partners. I say his game is built for this. The Ryder Cup is not about delivering one big shot under pressure. It’s about consistency through three days of pressure. Now that Fleetwood has won a Tour event, he should be even more confident in the Ryder Cup.
John Schwarb’s Ryder Cup Prediction
Winner: USA, 15–13. The home-team win streak isn’t going to end in New York. Captain Keegan Bradley’s passing on playing galvanized his squad, Patrick Cantlay is wearing a hat and this should be a drama-free U.S. triumph. I mean drama-free in terms of inside the team room; Europe returns its near-identical stout team from 2023 and will make this interesting well into Sunday afternoon.
More Ryder Cup Coverage on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Our Predictions for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
