FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The Ryder Cup is here, and it’s going to be a dynamic beginning.
United States captain Keegan Bradley has elected to place Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas together for the first time in the Ryder Cup, playing in foursomes (alternate shot). They’ll face Europe’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who were 2-0 together in this format two years ago in Rome.
Both sides are leaning into experience: Russell Henley is the only rookie who’ll play Friday morning, and he’s paired with the No. 1 player in the world, Scottie Scheffler.
Europe captain Luke Donald not only has Rahm and Hatton together, but also Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. The other groups are new pairings, but Matt Fitzpatrick is on his fourth Ryder Cup team and Viktor Hovland his third.
Typically, each captain announces the pairings at the end of the opening ceremonies. Still, forecasted rain forced the event organizers to move up the pomp and circumstance to Wednesday afternoon, but leave the reveal of the Friday morning tee times for Thursday. Heavy rain fell overnight on Long Island, and it rained intermittently throughout the day, eventually clearing up enough for players from both teams to play at least a handful of holes.
Europe’s Justin Rose, at 45 years old, the oldest man on either team, stayed on the driving range, citing soreness. He’ll have the chance to play Friday afternoon in the four-ball matches. Pairings for those four matches will be announced on Friday morning.
What Keegan Bradley is saying with his selections
Bradley opened with energy and experience — that much is abundantly clear. Bradley wanted the two U.S. players with the absolute best ability to rile up American crowds to stand on the first tee and get this started. DeChambeau has perhaps the most rabid following in the game, a master showman who received booming “U-S-A” chants as he won the U.S. Open. Thomas is the guy who shotgunned a beer on the first tee at Whistling Straits four years ago and is the most experienced U.S. player in this competition. If they have their games, this is a brilliant move by Bradley to set the tempo.
From a golf perspective, these foursomes make a whole lot of sense. Bradley starts with just one rookie — and that’s the 36-year-old Henley, who went 3-1 at the Presidents Cup last year. Scheffler and Henley are the best U.S. pairing on paper, a perfect combination between Scheffler’s dominance and Henley’s steady accuracy and precision. Schauffele and Cantlay have won together for five years now. They know how to do this.
The only risk is Morikawa and English. Since March, Morikawa has been playing the worst golf of his career, with subpar play on and around the greens. English does counter that with excellent putting. I just wonder if someone like Sam Burns would bring that same skill but with better golf this season. Plus, Morikawa and Burns have won points together in the last two team competitions. — Brody Miller
Luke Donald leans into analytics, experience
The Europeans are going with two tried and tested pairings and two debutant partnerships on Friday morning for foursomes. Rahm and Hatton not only played as partners in Rome, but they are close friends and competitors on the LIV Golf tour. It also makes perfect sense for the away team to put out their two most fiery players first, with Donald most likely anticipating the Americans’ decision to lead off with their showman, DeChambeau.
Rahm and Hatton might be the European’s best chance at combating the energy DeChambeau will bring. Next, you have Ludvig Åberg and Fitzpatrick, who did not play together in the 2023 Ryder Cup, but their profiles absolutely mesh. Åberg drives the ball long and straight, and Fitzpatrick is a strong long-iron player: He’s ranked in the top-10 in strokes gained approach from 200-225 yards.
The Europeans have also formed a standout partnership with McIlroy and Fleetwood. Not much explanation needed there — the pair played together twice in Rome and won twice. They are two of the more experienced players on the team and some of the best ball strikers in the world. The final pairing is Macintyre and Viktor Hovland, and it’s another wildcard on Donald’s part. Looking at the two players’ strokes gained records, Hovland can carry the pairing with his iron game, and MacIntyre can make the putts. The Scotsman’s hot finish to the summer was driven by his numbers around the greens, and Hovland is currently ranked second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach. — Gabby Herzig
(Top photo of Justin Thomas, left, and Bryson DeChambeau: Harry How / Getty Images)