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| The 2025 Ryder Cup Teams and their partners at the gala dinner on Long Island's Gold Coast |
This year Scottie Scheffler gave a few revealing press interviews, particularly around the time of the 2025 British Open, where he clinched his fourth major title. His comments have surprised many in the golf world due to their frankness and introspection.
Scheffler has described, in his own words, the fleeting nature of winning. He has repeatedly stated that the joy of winning a golf tournament is incredibly short-lived, sometimes lasting only "two minutes" or "a few seconds." He spoke about how he's worked his entire life to achieve these victories, only to find the euphoric feeling quickly replaced by the thought of the next challenge. He specifically recalled this feeling after winning the Byron Nelson Classic.
Scottie is seemingly questioning everything. Perhaps his most striking revelation is his open wrestling with the "point" of his immense success. He's questioned why he wants to win so badly, and whether achieving the #1 ranking or winning major championships truly fulfills the "deepest wants and desires of my heart." He believes that while there's a sense of accomplishment, it's ultimately an "unsatisfying venture" if one seeks true satisfaction solely from golf.
Scottie sees golf as a calling, but it is not his identity, or he does not want it to be. Scheffler emphasizes that, from his perspective, his identity is not defined by being a golfer. He sees golf as something he's "called to do to the best of my ability," but his top priorities are his faith and his family. He has stated that if golf ever started negatively affecting his home life or his relationships with his wife and son, he would stop playing professionally.
Many observers have noted Scheffler's calm and composed demeanor on the course, even under immense pressure. He's described himself as getting "headless" as a young golfer, but has learned to control his emotions, using them to focus. This detachment from the outcome, or at least from the external pressures and expectations, seems to contribute to his consistent dominance.
Owing to his phenomenal run of success in recent years, comparisons to Tiger Woods are perhaps inevitable. Despite his incredible achievement and comparisons to Woods' dominance, Scheffler humbly dismisses them as "a bit silly." He acknowledges Woods' legendary status and inspiration but emphasizes that his own motivation comes from within and his perceived calling, not from chasing records or external validation. These two guys could not be more different.
I believe Tiger was actually asked to captain the Ryder Cup team this year and declined. So the job fell to Keegan Bradley, the youngest captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. They could have given it to Scottie but after his comments this year there is no way they would take that risk.
In essence, Scottie Scheffler's recent interviews have peeled back the curtain on a deeply thoughtful and grounded individual who is experiencing unprecedented success in his sport, yet remains acutely aware of its limitations in providing ultimate fulfillment. These revealing and honest observations by Scottie show that he is human, and that he recognizes the fact that he gets paid a lot of money to hit a ball around.
But, every now and again, golf delivers something that we can all believe in. A true team rivalry where players show up and play their hearts out for national pride, not for points or for money. (Note: this year the American players are each getting $500k to play on the Ryder Cup team, in an unusual break from the norm, but still a very small amount relative to what tournament winners normally earn).
Perhaps this little team golf event this weekend in New York will provide Scottie with some of what he is searching for, as Team USA and Team Europe Prepare for the Ryder Cup showdown. This 45th Ryder Cup is poised to be a classic, with experts predicting a contest so tight it could rival the legendary "Miracle at Medinah" in 2012. The stage is set at Bethpage Black, in Long Island NY, a course known for its punishing layout and a fan base notorious for its passionate and raucous energy.
Team USA boasts a blend of fresh faces and seasoned veterans. The squad includes six Major champions and four rookies, with one, J.J. Spaun, being both the U.S. Open champion and a Ryder Cup debutant. The roster also features Justin Thomas, who is undefeated in singles matches at Ryder Cup events.
On the other side, Team Europe returns with a squad that is nearly identical to the one that claimed victory in 2023. Led by returning captain Luke Donald, Europe's cohesive unit has 11 of the 12 players from their triumph. The only change is Rasmus Hojgaard replacing his twin brother Nicolai. Europe's team is headlined by reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam at Augusta National. The team also features stars like Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, with Donald emphasizing the team's strong chemistry and experience.
Bethpage Black's "brutality" is a storyline in itself. With narrow fairways, thick rough, and elevated greens, it is not a place for amateur golfers. The course has a sign up at the first tee that warns, “The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.” I remember chuckling whilst seeing this sign myself en route to play on one of the "easier" courses at Bethpage. The sign is there, and it is not a joke, it's a warning and it's a challenge.
The American golfers would have played on this course many times and likely know it well. So the home turf advantage might give Team USA a slight edge. But, Europe's cohesion and clutch putting could flip the script this weekend. European captain Luke Donald has prepared his team for the intense atmosphere. "You want to embrace what a Ryder Cup represents and part of that is embracing the crowd and embracing that atmosphere and certainly these guys will be ready for that," Donald said. "If you're prepared and you're ready, we understand what's going to happen to us. It's our reaction to that that's really important." I don't know if Team Europe have any idea how much animosity is coming their way in New York. It is unlikely they would have ever faced a crowd like this previously in their careers. It will be interesting to see how they react to the pressure of it all.
The Ryder Cup format is the same as always. It is a match-play event played over three days. On Friday and Saturday there are Morning Foursomes (alternate shot) and Afternoon Four-ball matches (best ball). On Sunday there are 12 Singles matches. Each match is worth one point, with a tie after 18 holes resulting in 0.5 points for each side. The first team to reach 14.5 points out of 28 wins the Cup. As the defending champion, Europe needs only 14 points to win, as they retain the trophy if the contest ends in a tie. So Team US is shooting for 14.5 and Europe is shooting for 14.0. A small, but maybe significant, half-a-point difference in their targets. Even though, for over a decade, the home team has won every time, sometimes it ends very close in points.
So, the last decade has seen the trophy trade hands every two years (the schedule changed slightly during COVID). So, theoretically, Team USA should win this year.
The last time the home team did not come out on top was Europe's last victory on American soil in 2012 - the unforgettable "Miracle at Medinah". The USA will be looking to avoid a repeat of that meltdown. Their last Ryder Cup on US soil was a resounding 19-9 victory in 2021. But, this was followed by a decisive defeat in Italy in 2023. The Ryder Cup has ended in a 14-14 tie only twice before, in 1969 and 1989. And in 1991, 1995, 1997 and 2012 (Medinah) the Ryder Cup was decided by a single point (i.e. the score ended 14..5 to 13.5). Since the 1980's the Ryder Cup team format expanded to include more of the top golfers from continental Europe, and it has been well contested ever since. Remember the competitive fire that Seve Ballesteros brought to the event back then? The Ryder Cup has been around for a while now and these cross-Atlantic rivalries run deep.
As the teams prepare for a dramatic Sunday finish, expect momentum swings and emotional highs. The punishing nature of Bethpage Black combined with the intense rivalry and the fervent New York crowd sets the stage for what could be one of the most memorable Ryder Cups in history. Let's just hope Scottie looks at the faces of his fellow Americans, finds the meaning he has been looking for, and rises to the occasion like we know he can.
