Many of the best golfers on the planet have invaded Long Island for the 2025 Ryder Cup, one of the most anticipated golf tournaments in a long time — perhaps ever.
That might sound hyperbolic, but it’s hard to remember this much excitement entering the international showdown. A return to the United States always ups the ante with boisterous crowds dominating much of the conversation. There’s even more anticipation given just how even these two teams look on paper with a proper and insanely difficult test awaiting them at Bethpage Black.
Before getting to some picks, first, a look at the odds and a deeper dive into the host course.
Winner
Team USA (-155)
Team Europe (+170)
Tie (+1000)
(Team USA is -152 to hoist the trophy, and Europe is +124; because Europe won in 2023, they retain the Ryder Cup if it’s a tie.)
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, as of Sept. 24.
What to know about Ryder Cup host, Bethpage Black
Bethpage State Park – Black Course
Par: 70 (35-35)
Yardage: 7,352 yards
Notes: It’s a brute of a golf course. Host of three major championships (2002 and 2009 U.S. Open, 2019 PGA Championship), this public course on a state park is best suited for elite golfers — just ask them. … When the best in the world come to town, it’s usually tricked up even more, with tight landing areas and “peanut butter” rough waiting to penalize errant tee shots. … As is the case with most top tests at the highest level, distance will be rewarded this week. The PGA of America, as the host, is responsible for course setup and presumably will lean into the distance even more. It could also trim down the rough some to take away some of that penalty to allow players to lean even more to gripping and ripping it.
Ryder Cup 2025 Picks
Tournament foursomes winner: Team USA (+105)
The narrative is that the Europeans are the better foursomes player, and sure, if you just look at some of their home wins recently, it appears they’re much better. Europe routed USA 7-1-0 at fourballs in Rome in 2023, and they went 6-2-0 in 2021 in Paris. But here’s the thing: The home team almost always wins foursomes. In fact, the home team has won the alternate-shot competition in the last nine Ryder Cups. This American is the deeper, more balanced of the two, and it should hold serve on that trend.
Top points scorer: Tommy Fleetwood (13-1)
You gotta have at least one longer shot, right? Fleetwood is on his way to becoming a more likable version of Ian Poulter as a Ryder Cup killer from England. He’s won 67% of his potential points in three appearances, going 7-3-2 over 12 matches. In his one Ryder Cup on American soil, he did go winless but managed to salvage a point with two draws in a colossal Team USA beatdown. There’s some game theory here, too. Fleetwood is going to play a lot.
The best guess is he’ll go out with Rory McIlroy, as he did in 2023, and they won both of their matches. If they play three of the four team matches and find a way to win all of them, you’re getting plenty of value on Fleetwood (13-1) vs. McIlroy (9-1) in this market going to Sunday singles. Fleetwood has been arguably the most consistent player all year not named Scottie Scheffler.
Europe wins Ryder Cup (+170)
Kind of feels written in the stars at this point. McIlroy basically guaranteed it moments after winning in 2023, and this would be a fitting end to his storybook season. More importantly, this European team is really good at the top of the lineup, which should help them in four-ball over the first two days. At that point, going into Sunday as a toss-up for the first time in a long time, Team USA gets tight, and the closely knit Europeans become the first road team to win since they did so in 2012 at “The Miracle at Medinah.”
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