With the dust now settling on the Presidents Cup, Jim Furyk climbs out of the back seat and into the driver’s as he and the United States turn their attentions towards Adare Manor and go in search of a first victory on European soil since 1993.
Securing a narrow victory over the vastly inferior (on paper at least) Internationals might suggest that that wait for an away Ryder Cup win will have to wait a further four years at least, but each of the last five Ryder Cups in Europe were preceded by a comprehensive United States Presidents Cup success and that didn’t count for much when the starting gun went 12 months later.
Standing on the brink of being the first American side in 28 years – and just the second US side ever – to lose to the Internationals, and coming out on the right side has to count for something. And what Sunday’s singles showed once again is that the US team is stacked with talent and if they can somehow find the formula to get them working together in pairs in a fashion anywhere close to how they operate individually, then the Europeans will have their hands full and they’ll need every ounce of home advantage they can muster.
But who is likely to be on the respective 12-man rosters?
The qualification period for Team USA doesn’t start until January when the 2027 PGA Tour season kicks off and finishes at the conclusion of the BMW Championship (the second of three FedEx Cup Playoff events), while Team Europe already have four counting events played.
Since no Presidents Cup captain wants the stigma and shame of being a losing captain in a competition they routinely dominate, the Presidents Cup may offer an ideal breeding ground for future Ryder Cup stars, but they’re rarely given the chance to shine.
Brandt Snedeker broke the mold and offered a pick to Jackson Koivun, a pro for just three months. He was rewarded when the rookie went unbeaten across three matches, including a singles win over Si Woo Kim, the highest ranked International, but some of his teammates’ performances left a lot to be desired and the play of all 12 will be fresh in Furyk’s mind when it comes to selecting his six wildcards next August.
Here are how the early (and potential) lineups are shaping up.
The Locks
Team USA
Scottie Scheffler – Similar to Tiger Woods before him, the dominant world number one hasn’t been able to elevate his game to the levels we see week-in, week-out when it comes to team golf, but the only way he isn’t on Team USA in 12 months’ time is if he has another go at homemade ravioli and rips his hand open. He qualifies easily.
Cameron Young – Arguably the best US player at the 2025 Ryder Cup, he was once again one of the top performers at Medinah and barring a complete drop-off in form in 2027, he’s a shoe-in for a pick if he doesn’t somehow qualify automatically.
Team Europe
Rory McIlroy – Like Scheffler, the only way McIlroy isn’t in Luke Donald’s squad is if he’s physically incapable of swinging a club. A leader, on and off the course.
Matt Fitzpatrick – Nothing comes close to winning tournaments for a player’s confidence, and Fitzpatrick has become a serial winner since being tasked with earning a pick prior to the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Jon Rahm – A marked drop-off in form in 2025 is semi-worrying for Donald, but LIV’s inevitable disappearance and a likely return to the DP World Tour next season should start to get the best out of the big Spaniard once again. Even if he doesn’t qualify automatically, there’s no way he’s left at home.
Tommy Fleetwood – His ‘Fleetwood Mac’ foursomes partnership with McIlroy has been one of Europe’s strongest weapons in recent Cups. Add his popularity within the camp, and he’s another guarantee.
The Highly-Likely Lads
Team USA
Wyndham Clark – A 1-4-0 record at Medinah is no fair reflection on how Clark played, and with a little help from Collin Morikawa’s putter, it could easily have been 3-2-0 or 4-1-0.
Chris Gotterup – Nobody put more points on the board for USA at Medinah than Gotterup, and his partnership with Cam Young will be easy to roll out again at Adare Manor.
Jackson Koivun – He may have needed a lot of help from Justin Thomas in the first fourball match, but he reversed the roles for their reprisal and heralded himself as a star on Sunday. But he’s got second season syndrome to overcome in 2027, even though his first season was very short.
Sam Burns – Another of the Americans to play all five at Medinah, his record didn’t truly reflect how well he’d played and he was the better player in each of his matches alongside Scheffler.
Xander Schauffele – This wasn’t Xander’s best season, or best team appearance, but a full, injury-free 12 months would surely see him do enough to warrant a pick at least.
Patrick Cantlay – Like his good friend above, Cantlay hasn’t been close to his best recently, but he showed on Sunday why he’s a stone-cold killer in team competition and provided he shows even glimpses of his potential, he’ll likely get the nod again.
Team Europe
Shane Lowry – Luke Donald has given Lowry a pick in each of the last two Ryder Cups, and he’ll be keen to have as much Irish influence as he can Adare Manor, given how strong the Irish attendance will be. And winning his National Open in the manner he did only bolsters his case.
Tyrrell Hatton – Hatton’s form has been patchy at best this season, but he’s proven an ideal partner for Rahm and is another who will benefit from a likely return to full-time DP World Tour action.
Ludvig Åberg – While the Swede hasn’t yet hit the heights he’s promised, his ceiling is so high that you’d expect him to do enough over the next 12 months to make it three appearances in a row.
Viktor Hovland – Like Åberg, Hovland’s ceiling is so high – and past Ryder Cup performances so impressive – that he’ll likely get the benefit of the doubt if he doesn’t do enough to make him a guaranteed selection.
Justin Rose – Though he’ll be 47 by next September, Rose has proven his worth time and again in European blue, and if he shows any sort of form in 2027, he’ll be back for his ninth appearance.
The Remaining Places
If you’ve been doing the math, that’s eight Americans and nine Europeans listed above, meaning there are probably four places up for grabs on Team USA and only three on Team Europe, though plenty could happen to shift the ‘Likely Lads’ down the pecking order.
Here are those most likely to be battling it out for the final places on each side.
Team USA
Justin Thomas – Very close to making it into the category above – and he claimed 2.5 points from four matches at Medinah – but his errant driving is a recurring issue, making it hard to play him in foursomes and it’s not inconceivable that he could miss out if there’s not a marked improvement.
Jacob Bridgeman – The Presidents Cup rookie didn’t get his best opportunity to shine paired with Russell Henley in foursomes and not picked to play fourball – he’s got the best par-4 scoring average on the PGA Tour – but he did enough to justify his selection on Sunday and if he carries his 2026 form into 2027, he’ll be there or thereabouts again.
JJ Spaun – The most controversial absentee from the Presidents Cup side answered his snub in the best possible fashion by winning at Wentworth. He played well at Bethpage on his Ryder Cup debut and his stock has only risen since being left out for Medinah.
Russell Henley – Despite claiming a half-point on Sunday, he came out of Medinah with the least amount of points secured. That, combined with his disappointing Ryder Cup performance means he’ll likely need to auto-qualify to earn a place at Adare Manor.
Collin Morikawa – Injury hampered his 2026 season after a promising start, but his inability to hole pressure putts proved costly over the first few days at Medinah and he’s going to have to prove himself to make the Ryder Cup team for the fourth time running next year.
Bryson DeChambeau – Undoubtedly one of the top 12 Americans if he’s on form, but who knows where (and if) Bryson will be playing in 2027. YouTube golf plus a few major appearances won’t cut it.
Brooks Koepka – That Brooks wasn’t even in the conversation for a Presidents Cup pick is telling, but if he strings a few good performances together early next year, that’ll change.
Ryan Gerard – Another who was unfortunate not to get picked for Medinah, but that means he’ll probably have to make himself impossible not to pick in order to actually get picked.
Patrick Reed – Likely returning to the PGA Tour in 2027, Reed could easily force his way into the reckoning though he’s another that will have to make it almost impossible to leave him at home if he’s to board the plane to Shannon.
Jordan Spieth – A man who fans from both sides of the pond would desperately love to be on the team, but a man who is highly unlikely to make a Ryder or Presidents Cup team ever again.
Ben Griffin – Was probably the 12th man selected for the 2025 Ryder Cup, following a standout year, and he’ll have to have another like it if he’s to put himself in the frame again.
Team Europe
Robert MacIntyre – A fixture on each of the last two sides, inconsistency has plagued him since. For him, it’s a case of play well and you’re in, play average and you’re probably not.
Sepp Straka – Everything that applies to MacIntyre above, also applies to Straka. Both men’s Ryder Cup performances have been fair without setting the world alight, so they don’t have enough money in the bank to counter a loss of form.
Aaron Rai – Rai’s hopes could depend on how Luke Donald wants the golf course to be setup. His consistency would make him a good foursomes option, and now that he’s a major champion, he’s got the credentials to match his popularity.
Marco Penge – His rookie PGA Tour season was hampered by injury, and he’ll have to play at least a few of the FedEx Fall series events to hold onto his card for 2027. He’s got the talent to make the team for sure, but it’s all results dependent.
Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard – Putting the twins in the same bracket might seem a little unfair, but their stories are the same. Neither played great on Ryder Cup debut – Nicolai in Rome, Rasmus at Bethpage – and they’ll need to make it almost impossible to leave them off to not get left off.
Tom McKibbin – Not part of the practice squad that Donald brought to Adare Manor was an indication that he’s going to have to do a lot of work to get on the team. Anything less than a couple of wins and being a regular fixture in the top 10 will probably see him overlooked.
Angel Ayora – A Spaniard with all the talent to become a regular Ryder Cup player, he just has to go out and show it on a consistent basis.
Eugenio Chacarra – Another Spaniard who has put his hand up and looks on course to move to the PGA Tour in 2027. Has less of an ‘X-Factor’ than Ayora, so would have to go further to prove himself.
Jacob Skov Olesen – Is very much in the ‘outside chance’ bracket at the moment, but he could put himself into the reckoning over the next 12 months if he gets his first win and kicks on from there.
At a guess
On current knowledge and form, and taking a little guess as to what happens over the next 12 months, here’s how I expect the teams to line up.
Team USA
Scottie Scheffler
Cameron Young
Wyndham Clark
Chris Gotterup
Sam Burns
Jackson Koivun
Xander Schauffele
Patrick Cantlay
Justin Thomas
JJ Spaun
Collin Morikawa
Bryson DeChambeau
Team Europe
Rory McIlroy
Jon Rahm
Matt Fitzpatrick
Tommy Fleetwood
Ludvig Åberg
Viktor Hovland
Tyrrell Hatton
Justin Rose
Shane Lowry
Aaron Rai
Robert MacIntyre
Marco Penge
Leave a comment