2025 Ryder Cup Team Predictions: the likely shocks and guaranteed locks

Anticipation is slowly building for the 2025 Ryder Cup matches.

At this point in the cycle, European captain Luke Donald will be quietly confident with how his team is taking shape. 

With six months to go, he has seen seven PGA Tour events won by Europeans.

His talisman, Rory McIlroy, picked up a convincing win at Pebble Beach and also added a second Players title to his CV before the 2025 Masters.

Ludvig Aberg, Sepp Straka and Thomas Detry also vaulted up the European Ryder Cup rankings with their respective victories. 

Viktor Hovland has essentially been in the wilderness since the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy but stepped back into the winner's circle at the Valspar Championship. 

Elsewhere, Jon Rahm continues to be a top-10 machine on LIV Golf. Fellow LIV recruit Tyrrell Hatton is also in good form. 

And Sergio Garcia, it has to be said, needs to be considered if he can show Donald there is still life in the old dog yet at this year's majors.

Europe's record points scorer has placed on record his desire to represent the blue and gold one more time. 

There are also a few potential rookies emerging. Aaron Rai, Rasmus Hojgaard, Laurie Canter, Matt Wallace and Niklas Norgaard could also cause Donald a few headaches. 

Meanwhile, it could be argued that Donald's counterpart, Keegan Bradley, has a lot more to think about. 

Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele both sustained injuries and are yet to be firing on all cylinders. 

Jordan Spieth ebbs and flows with his form. Likewise Justin Thomas. Max Homa looks completely lost and doesn't look like he will find form anytime soon. 

A lot will be written over these next few months but just for a bit of fun GolfMagic's editorial team of Andy Roberts and Ben Smith have decided to stick their necks on the line by having a crack at their own predictions. 

Related:

• European Ryder Cup rankings
• U.S. Ryder Cup rankings

Before we unveil our picks, it goes without saying that there are some dead certs on each side. 

Scheffler and Schauffele will be wearing the red, white and blue. 

And you'd also argue the same can be said for Collin Morikawa. 

McIlroy is, of course, Europe's leader. 

You would also assume the Northern Irishman will be joined by Rahm, Hatton, Aberg, Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood. 

But beyond that? It gets a little bit interesting, doesn't it?

A lot can happen. 

A lot will happen. 

Let's dive in...

Yes that's right, I'm going with three LIV Golf League players in Luke Donald's Ryder Cup team, writes GolfMagic editor Andy Roberts.

Rahm and Hatton are absolute locks in the side, and I don't think Donald will be able to resist the urge to take record points scorer Garcia, who has been playing some terrific stuff on LIV Golf of late.

Garcia has already picked up two wins on the breakaway tour and he will need to show a bit of form in the majors, but I am confident he will be punching a ticket to New York next September. 

McIlroy is of course a banker to make the team, and I fully expect Aberg, Fleetwood, Hovland, Lowry, and MacIntyre to retain their places in Donald's team.

I initially picked Matthew Fitzpatrick but I have changed my mind given his poor form.

As for the final two players in the team, I'm going to pick Aaron Rai and go for the experienced Justin Rose. 

Rai - who claimed his maiden PGA Tour win at the Wyndham Championship last season - has evolved into an extremely solid golfer and I think he would be a key asset for Donald's team away from home. 

He also doesn't miss fairways. 

What else is there to be said about Rose?

To me, Rosey still has the pedigree to knock off a major championship and can be trusted to deliver more points for Team Europe in September. 

Bradley's U.S. team is much more straightforward.

The first six names on my list essentially pick themselves, and I have no question marks about any of them.

Clark, Theegala, Burns and Henley should also make the team, just as they did at the Presidents Cup last September, but they are definitely not certainties.

Billy Horschel will also be desperate to play in the Ryder Cup and I believe Bradley will pick him. 

As for the final pick, I think Thomas will be more determined than ever to get back into the team having missed out on the Presidents Cup.

Thomas might have endured a big dip in form in recent seasons but he's a proven match player and someone who will fire up the New York crowds. 

Thomas otherworldly 62 at The Players and his near miss at the Valspar is evidence that he's on the right track. 

It seems weird to look at a Ryder Cup team these days and not even give Dustin Johnson any consideration, but we've just seen nothing at all from him of late to make me think he'll return.

There's a lot of speculation about whether Bradley will make the team as a player, but I don't think he will. 

I say that because I can't see him making the automatic top six spots, and he's already confirmed he will not be picking himself, so I think he'll remain as just the captain. 

The top order of Donald's side looks very much settled, writes GolfMagic news editor Ben Smith. 

McIlroy is Europe's beating heart and you could see just how much the contest means to him in Rome. 

Make no mistake, other than completing the career grand slam, one of McIlroy's remaining career goals is to win an away Ryder Cup. 

In the immediate aftermath of Europe's victory in Italy, McIlroy declared Europe would become the first side to win an away Ryder Cup since the Medinah fluke. 

Donald will be counting on McIlroy to deliver and you wouldn't bet against the Northern Irishman improving on his 16-13-4 record. 

Jon Rahm has irked me with his approach to Ryder Cup qualification. 

I've already written about it before, but the fact he was willing to put his space in the team in jeopardy was baffling, especially considering he knew before he joined LIV what was required. 

Still, it's clear that Europe need Rahm. The same can be said for Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg.

It looks as though the Norwegian and the Swede will be a powerful pairing for years to come. 

It also seems improbable that Tyrrell Hatton won't be involved. 

Hatton has an overall record of 5-4-2 and, more importantly, has already demonstrated that he is not overawed by the occasion. 

Matthew Fitzpatrick's form, of course, is a real concern. That being said, I'm going to bet on him to turn it around the next few months. 

I also think Shane Lowry will be involved. I also think there's every chance he heads to Bethpage with a second claret jug. 

I previously disagreed with Mr Roberts on Sergio Garcia but I have now been convinced that he should be there. 

Data Golf, which tracks LIV results, currently rank Garcia as the 27th best player in the world which is a real credit to the Spaniard.

Providing he doesn't miss every cut in the majors then he should be involved. 

Which leaves the final three spaces. I'm going for Bob MacIntyre, Aaron Rai and Justin Rose. 

Rai always seems to be in the mix and his driving accuracy will be handy at Bethpage. 

MacIntyre enjoyed a stunning year in 2023 which led to his Ryder Cup selection. 

There is a swagger about the Scot that I like and a real mental toughness there. 

Sure, the aforementioned Rose carried him in the four-balls, but in my opinion he showed enough to suggest he can deal with the expected intensity at Bethpage. 

My final pick is one that I wrestled with for some time. 

I think you just have to go for experience and I believe Justin Rose will get the nod. 

Do we need to say anything about the top order?

Scheffler and Schauffele are locks considering their unfathomable consistency and major championship performances. 

Whilst Patrick Cantlay is yet to win a major, he continually comes up clutch for the U.S. in team events. 

There's just something about Cantlay when he gets hot in these events. 

He's like a freight train and there is a sense of inevitability as he stands over each and every putt. 

You just know it's going centre of the cup. He'll be at Bethpage. 

Morikawa is not exactly a flashy player, is he? But he's dependable. 

All four of the above were great at the Presidents Cup and you'd assume as long as they are healthy then they will be part of the team. 

Which leads us to Bryson DeChambeau. 

DeChambeau is not quite considered 'a lock' but you'd be baffled if he wasn't there. 

He will struggle to earn points but the smart money suggests he'll make it easy for Bradley by doing enough in the majors to remain in the top six.

Max Homa was a bright spark in Italy and again proved his metal at the Presidents Cup. 

But his sad decline is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. He was almost in tears at The Players and it appears that he has no clue why he is playing so badly. 

Every time I watch Russell Henley these days the more impressed I get. 

Brooks Koepka, by his own admission, wasn't great in 2024 but I still think he will be at Bethpage. 

For 15 years, Jordan Spieth was one of the first names on the team sheet but things have changed. 

I don't think Spieth will do enough to play his way onto the team but I believe Bradley will want him there.

The final two picks are where it really gets interesting. 

I've never been a huge fan of Sam Burns but I think he will get the nod over a youngster who could take his place.

The same can be said of Billy Horschel, who I believe will be making his Ryder Cup debut. 

What do you make of our picks?

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