Golf’s focus shifts to the Ryder Cup after Open Championship

Led by the best golfer on the planet and two-time major winner this year, Team USA are the betting favorites for the biennial event on home turf.

However, strong outings last weekend by potential members of Team Europe show its talent is surging at the right time.

As always with professional golf nowadays, debate swirls around LIV Golf players and their role in golf’s most-anticipated team event.

Team USA captain Keegan Bradley confirms LIV golf star Bryson DeChambeau’s participation.

Despite the fact LIV Golf events are ineligible for Ryder Cup points, DeChambeau finds himself ranked fifth in Team USA standings after Sunday’s final round of the Open Championship.

With the top six automatically qualifying for the team, Bradley told Sports Illustrated that not only will DeChambeau be in New York but the team needs him to compete.

DeChambeau started the Open cataclysmically, shooting a 78 and at T144. The next three rounds the 31-year-old was a combined 16-under par and finished T10, his ninth career top-10 in major championships.

His passion for the game, resilience and star power, in part thanks to his popular YouTube channel, is important for the game of golf on the Ryder Cup stage.

Bradley is likely going to play.

The Team USA captain, who finished T30 at the Open, made moves Monday to become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963, according to Telegraph Sport.

Bradley won the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in June and is seventh on the Official World Golf Rankings. While not automatically qualified yet, this move by Team USA suggests that Bradley could likely pick himself with one of the remaining six spots, or “captain picks.”

After his Friday round at the Open Championship, the American admitted that, “This is the best I've ever played throughout my entire career.” He said that he believes he gives the team a chance to win based on current form.

Team Europe shows strong at the British Open, but one notable name is missing from the Ryder Cup standings.

Rory McIlory, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre all finished in the top-10 of last weekend’s Open Championship. Nicolai Hojgaard, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton finished seven-under par or better. Their impressive links golf performances are reflected in the current Team Europe standings, but one name, despite being the number one golfer in the world only two years ago, is omitted because he plays on LIV.

Jon Rahm had a mediocre British Open, finishing T34. However, he’s quietly played solid golf this season, likely overshadowed by the tour he plays on rather than his ability. 

The Spaniard hasn’t finished worse than T11 in a LIV event all season. Until June, he had finished in 21 consecutive top-10s after making the move from the PGA Tour in 2024.  

LIV does have a smaller and arguably less competitive field, but Rahm’s consistency, not shown in the Ryder Cup standings, should keep European captain Luke Donald from overlooking him for Bethpage.

Across three Ryder Cups, Rahm is 6-3-3. When asked in May about Rahm’s chance of making the team, Donald lauded his experience and prior play but also warned, “I think statistics and data is really important, but gut instinct and personality matchups is equally as important.”