If you’ve been waiting for the Ryder Cup since Europe handily beat the U.S. in 2023 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome (16½ to 11½), put a hold on your calendar for September 26th to 28th when golf’s most electrifying team competition returns to Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
Since its founding in 1927, the Ryder Cup has become one of the most storied rivalries in sport. Team Europe currently holds a slim overall lead with 29 wins to Team USA’s 26 (the rest being ties), though the U.S. retains bragging rights for most wins on home soil. The last match in Rome was a turning point: Europe secured a dominant 16½–11½ victory amid wild celebrations and brilliant shot making, a result that has stung U.S. fans for almost two years. With those thoughts still in hand, this year’s battle will carry similar tensions. Every swing comes with memory, motive, and a little bit of revenge.
The Course
Before we dig deeper into this year’s narrative, let’s talk Bethpage Black. Carved out in 1936 by Joseph H. Burbeck, later refined by the legendary A. W. Tillinghast and then Rees Jones, this public monster has hosted U.S. Opens and PGA Championships and has always demanded players show up ready. Bethpage Black isn’t just a course. It’s a narrow and punishing gauntlet cut through the trees of Long Island with scar tissue left behind from past majors.
This 7,500-yard par-71 beast will host its first Ryder Cup, and it is primed to challenge the best of the best. In 2002, the U.S. Open here chewed up legends like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. In 2009, heavy rain pushed the finish to Monday, with leader Ricky Barnes faltering and Lucas Glover winning, while Mickelson again settled for second.
Whether it’s the upstate New York location and unpredictable weather or the brutal design, Bethpage doesn’t whisper. It howls back, and this year’s Cup will ride that chaos. This is the kind of venue that becomes part of the story.
The Teams
Team USA is led by Keegan Bradley, the youngest U.S. captain since Arnold Palmer led the charge in 1963 at the age of 34. He comes in with the swagger of a tenured player but chose to lead strictly as captain rather than take on the player-captain role. His squad includes World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, along with Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English, Ben Griffin, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Justin Thomas, and Cameron Young.
On the other side stands Team Europe, built on cohesion and craft. Captain Luke Donald brings back much of the 2023 Rome-winning core, including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, and Rasmus Højgaard, while Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick add creativity and firepower. Europe’s strength lies in unity and precision, and they are not coming just to compete. They want to keep the Cup and take it right back across the Atlantic.
The real electricity comes from the storylines of redemption and revenge. With Europe holding the Cup and snapping the swagger the Americans carried after their 2021 blowout at Whistling Straits, this year’s event is set up as another showdown. McIlroy avenged his 2021 singles loss with a 3–1–0 record in Rome and a tearful redemption arc. Viktor Hovland had a breakout Cup, going 3–1–1 and setting the tone early. And who could forget the Saturday scuffle, when Patrick Cantlay’s bare-headed protest sparked a dustup and Joe LaCava’s flag-waving clash with McIlroy added WWE-style drama to the greenside tension.
Ryder Cup Format
For those unfamiliar with Ryder Cup format, here’s the cheat sheet. The event consists of two days of partnered match play: foursomes on Friday (alternate shot) and fourballs on Saturday (best ball). Everything then converges into Sunday’s final 12 singles matches, where players face off head to head. Twenty-eight total points are available. A team needs 14½ to win outright. If it ends 14–14, Europe retains the Cup as defending champions. In golf’s most strategic format, everything matters from pairings to stamina to who is fresh on Sunday.
The Odds
As of September 11th, the books make Team USA a slight favorite, hovering between -130 and -145 depending on the sportsbook. Europe is priced between +135 and +150. The tie line sits at +1000 to +1300, an intriguing option since Europe retains the Cup in that scenario.
The market clearly respects USA’s home-course advantage, crowd energy, and talent, but it is not counting Europe out. A play on USA feels reasonable, but Europe +150 could be the kind of underdog worth a look. A tie bet offers plenty of drama. For props, watch Russell Henley and Cameron Young as possible rookie point leaders, with Scheffler always a safe anchor.
Final Thoughts
If we are simply betting storylines, Team USA has the home-field heartbeat: local fans, in-state heroes, and the electricity of defending Tour Championship winners. Europe counters with cohesion, experience, and the ability to close under pressure. The sting of 2023 lingers, and motivation is layered on both sides. Add in the fortress of Bethpage Black with its pinhole greens and claustrophobic fairways, and you have the recipe for Ryder Cup fireworks in late September.
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