The Ryder Cup often brings out emotions beyond the ordinary from fans and players alike. Watching the best of the best play for nothing but national pride leads to some of the most exhilarating on-course contests seen in the two years between the biannual tournament. So, it was no surprise that the 2023 Ryder Cup was filled with the same level of drama, excitement, and entertainment through and through –  defending champions, Team U.S. led by Zach Johnson, were eager to retain the title.

But the formidable side of Team Europe with Luke Donald as their captain had something special about them. It was bound to be a tough battle for international supremacy. The first round saw Team Europe dominate the American team with 6 1/2 points. Right from the get-go, there was a lot of tension on the course between both teams. One incident that really caught everyone’s attention was Jon Rahm‘s 17th-hole incident in the fourball match against Scottie Scheffler.

Teamed up with Nicolai Hojgaard, Rahm had just missed a putt on the 17th by a few inches. Unlike the Spaniard, Scottie Scheffler, who was paired with Brooks Koepka, was able to sink his shot to gain an advantage. In a beautiful video recollecting all the moments from the event on the Ryder Cup YouTube channel, Jon Rahm spoke about everything that went through his head during that incident.

Speaking about the penultimate hole, Rahm said, “Going into 17th, leaving that putt short dead center of the hole was one of the most painful things I’ve done in my golf career,” as he expressed his disappointment about missing the shot. To add to his frustration, Rahm talked about what happened next that frustrated him further: “And then watching Scottie make the round on top of me. “I’m walking up 18 and I am p***ed.” But what calmed Rahm down was a great performance from his fellow Team Europe pro.

He stated, “While we were on the fairway, we saw Viktor Hovland make his putt to tie the match on the group in front of us.” Rahm was still worried that Team Europe was losing their way as he said, “Part of me is kind of thinking ‘man, that’s not going to happen twice in a row'” Fortunately, Hovland’s shot had given him enough motivation to carry on. As the video transitioned to Jon Rahm teeing off at the 18th, the LIV Golf pro narrated, “Luckily, I was able to swing as hard as I wanted. Hit a great drive and gave myself a good chance.”

Rahm and Hojgaard ended up tying the match, but Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick’s performance in the round gave them a 5-point lead in the round. Rory McIlroy ended up scoring the most points for Team Europe, as they won the tournament with a score of 16 1/2 against 11 1/2 for Team U.S. So, will there be something similar next year in the 2025 Ryder Cup? Here’s the possible lineup for the tournament to understand the situation better.

Possible lineup for the 2025 Ryder Cup

While there is no confirmation of who the captains from each team might pick, based on the current Ryder Cup points rankings, a few of the first 6 picks on merit can be determined. For Team U.S., Scottie Scheffler seems to have locked his place as he comes back to the squad. Xander Schauffele, who has had an incredible year winning two majors, may have also confirmed his spot with 9580.96 points.

2024 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau also has a convincing lead on the leaderboard, putting him in third place with nearly 7000 points. Other players in the top 6 are Collin Morikawa, Brian Harman, and Billy Horschel. For Team Europe, Rory McIlroy and Rasmus Hojgaard are both at the top of the table with 700+ points. They may have confirmed their place in Team Europe. However, there is close competition between the remaining four competitors: Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Wallace, Paul Waring, and Niklas Norgaard.

All 4 players have about 170 points between them. Any or even all of them could win their place in the Team Europe squad on merit. Jon Rahm is much lower in the rankings, but he can still make up the points before the tournament begins in September 2025. With the current top 6 in each team, who do you think has the upper hand going into the 2025 Ryder Cup? Share in the comments section.