Bethpage Black is set to become a war zone in less than two weeks when the Ryder Cup takes place from September 26 to 28. Team USA’s roster reads like a who’s who of different ways to dominate golf — Scottie Scheffler grinding out victories through mental toughness, Bryson DeChambeau reshaping how we think about power, and ten other guys who’ve each figured out something the rest of us are missing.

What’s fascinating is how different their approaches are. Yet each offers lessons that can help your Saturday morning foursome. I’ve broken down 12 insights you can steal and use immediately.

Scottie Scheffler: Master the Mental Game Through Routine

Watch Scheffler on Sunday when he’s got a two-shot lead. Same pre-shot routine, whether it’s the 72nd hole at Augusta or a casual Tuesday practice round. Five wins this year, including majors, and the guy never looks rattled.

What you can steal: Build your own 30-second pre-shot ritual. Two practice swings, visualize the shot, set your feet, then commit completely.

Make it happen: Time yourself on the range until this becomes muscle memory. The driver off the first tee gets the same respect as that sliding three-footer on 18.

J.J. Spaun: Embrace the Underdog Mentality

Spaun finished second in U.S. points to secure his first Ryder Cup appearance. His 2025 campaign was a breakthrough, highlighted by a U.S. Open victory. Watching him at Pinehurst was beautiful — boring, smart golf while everyone else was trying to be heroes.

Your takeaway: Stop attempting shots you’ve never successfully pulled off in practice. Play the game you actually have, not the one you wish you had.

Action step: Identify your three most reliable shots and build every round around these strengths, rather than trying to outdrive everyone.

Russell Henley: Perfect Your Timing

Henley may be making his first Ryder Cup appearance, but he’s proven he can handle team pressure, as seen through his 3-1-0 Presidents Cup record. While most amateurs have a tendency to try and swing out of their shoes, Henley’s got this unbelievably smooth tempo that works — no wasted motion, just solid contact every time.

The lesson: Tempo beats power every time for weekend golfers. Your 80% swing probably goes 90% as far as your full-throttle attempt, with twice the accuracy.

Try this: Spend an entire range session swinging at 80% power. Count “one-thousand-one” on the backswing, “one-thousand-two” on the way down.

Justin Thomas: Develop Clutch Putting

JT’s built a sterling 5–2–1 Ryder Cup record, good for the best winning percentage (.687) of anyone on the 2025 U.S. team. His debut in 2021 was particularly dominant, going 3–0–1 without a loss. When pressure’s on, he makes putts because he’s spent thousands of hours practicing under artificial pressure.

What this means for you: Those three-footers you’re missing on Saturday? You’re not choking — you’re just unprepared for the pressure.

Get ready: End every putting practice with 10 consecutive three-foot putts. Miss one? Start over.

Cameron Young: Use Local Knowledge

Young will debut in the Ryder Cup on familiar ground. The New York native won the 2017 New York State Open at Bethpage Black as an amateur, firing a then course-record 64 in the final round. He knows which pins to attack, which ones to avoid, and exactly where you can miss without destroying your scorecard.

Your edge: You’ve probably played your home course fifty times this year, but you’re still asking for yardages mid-round. That’s costing you shots.

Take action: Walk your course without clubs. Note hazard yardages, best landing areas, and how pin positions change each hole. Create a yardage book.

Bryson DeChambeau: Maximize Your Natural Power

Despite competing in only eight qualifying events over the last two years — all major championships — Bryson DeChambeau still earned his place. He made the most of those starts, recording six top-10s, including victory at the 2024 U.S. Open. His length advantage doesn’t just mean longer drives — it means shorter irons into greens, which means more birdie chances.

But he’s not swinging out of his shoes on every shot. He’s strategic about when to unleash the power.

If you’ve got distance: Map out five holes where your driver creates a significant advantage. Commit to aggressive drives on these holes, then dial it back on every other hole.

Harris English: Perfect Your Iron Play

English’s iron play is surgical. Not flashy, just consistently putting the ball where it needs to be. His approach isn’t about hitting irons 10 yards farther than the next guy — it’s about hitting them to the exact yardage, every single time.

Focus on this: Center-face contact trumps everything else with irons. English succeeds because he can predict exactly how far each club will carry.

Range work: Stop trying to crush your 7-iron. Practice hitting specific yardages within a 10-yard window of your intended distance.

Ben Griffin: Master Partnership Play

After entering 2025 with just nine career top-10s, Ben Griffin produced a breakout season that earned his Ryder Cup debut. He recorded his first two career wins, added a runner-up finish, and piled up 10 top-10s to finish ninth in the U.S. standings. His Zurich Classic win with Andrew Novak came down to one thing: they made each other better.

The insight: Good energy is contagious. Bad energy is toxic. Choose wisely.

Next round: Focus entirely on encouraging your playing partners. Stay positive regardless of how you’re playing.

Sam Burns: Build Chemistry with Playing Partners

Burns leads the PGA TOUR in strokes gained: putting (0.924) across 80 competitive rounds this season. Making his second Ryder Cup appearance, Burns’ ability to hole crucial putts could prove decisive under the pressure of Bethpage’s first tee. His chemistry with Scheffler shows how familiarity breeds confidence.

Your version: Find players whose games complement yours and play with them regularly. Shared learning experiences make everyone better.

Make it happen: Establish a regular group. Talk strategy, share what’s working, learn from each other’s strengths.

Xander Schauffele: Maintain Consistency Despite Setbacks

Schauffele dealt with a rib injury early this season and hasn’t won recently, but he’s still here because he doesn’t blow up. His approach is about steady pars and occasional birdies, not spectacular eagles that risk disaster.

Your strategy: Eliminate double bogeys before you worry about making more birdies. Big numbers kill scorecards faster than missed birdie putts.

Before every shot: Ask yourself what’s the worst possible outcome, then choose clubs and strategies that make disasters nearly impossible.

Patrick Cantlay: Elevate Your Game for Important Rounds

Cantlay’s individual form has been inconsistent, but Captain Bradley called him “the best putter on the planet”. Some players rise to occasions because they’ve trained themselves to embrace pressure rather than avoid it.

Create pressure: Your casual Saturday round won’t teach you how to handle the club championship. You need to manufacture pressure during practice.

Monthly challenge: Play “championship” rounds where you track every stat and treat it like a tournament.

Collin Morikawa: Trust Your Strengths During Struggles

Morikawa’s recent form hasn’t been great, but he’s on this team because his iron play remains world-class. When everything else falls apart, he leans on what he does best.

When you’re struggling: Identify your single strongest skill and build your entire strategy around it. When the wheels come off, this becomes your lifeline.

Know thyself: Right now, honestly assess what you do best. Driver? Short irons? Putting?

These twelve guys approach golf completely differently, but here’s what they all have in common: they focus on executing their plan instead of forcing magic to happen. They trust their process. Good decisions, solid fundamentals, and patience — that’s what eventually adds up to good scores.

Don’t try to implement all of this at once. Pick one or two things that really speak to your biggest frustrations right now. Work on those until they stick, then add something else.

If these strategies work when guys are representing their country with millions watching, they’ll absolutely work when you’re just trying to beat your buddies on Saturday morning. Whether you want to get serious about breaking 80 or just have more fun out there, this stuff will make you a smarter player.