Everyone loves the Ryder Cup and rightfully so, it’s electric. Every Ryder Cup year, we spend months debating who should play and who shouldn’t. Should captains ride the hot hand and pick guys in great form? Or lean on past Ryder Cup experience? Do you choose players based on course fit and ideal partner pairings? And so on……
And yes… even though it’s a Presidents Cup year, BOLD prediction: Team USA will win again.
Brian Rolapp, please do something to change up the Presidents Cup. I don’t have the perfect solution right now, but honestly almost anything would be better.
Anyways like I was saying even though it’s a Presidents Cup year and there will be no Ryder Cup in the fall we’re of course instead of talking about the Presidents Cup going to bypass that (sorry International Team) and get the debates and discussions for Adare Manor the venue for the 2027 Ryder Cup going.
For anyone who might not know, the Ryder Cup takes place every two years and features Team USA vs. Team Europe in one of the most electric events in golf. It’s a three-day match play tournament (Friday–Sunday) made up of 12 players per side, plus a captain leading each team.
On both teams, six players automatically qualify through a points list that runs leading up to the event. The remaining six spots are captain’s picks, where each captain can select whoever they feel gives their team the best chance to win (This is the part we debate for months)
The first two days feature Fourballs and Foursomes (Alternate Shot), before everything comes down to Singles matches on Sunday. Scoring is simple: win your match = 1 point, tie = 0.5 points each. The first team to reach 14.5 points wins the Ryder Cup.
So Here’s my WAY TOO EARLY 2027 Ryder Cup team prediction for USA.
Team USA
Top 6 Automatic Qualifiers via points list:
1. Scottie Scheffler: 2025, 2023, 2021 Ryder Cupper
Ryder Cup Record: 3-6-3 (Wins, Losses, Ties)
No explanation needed. Undisputed best player in the world. However would help Team USA big time if he could start performing better at these.
2. Xander Schauffele: 2025, 2023, 2021 Ryder Cupper
Ryder Cup Record: 7-5-0 (Wins, Losses, Ties)
I think he’ll regain his previous form after last year’s down season. He’s a 2-time Major Champion with a high chance of increasing that total by the time Adare Manor comes around. He also has a winning record at the Ryder Cup. No brainer.
3. Bryson Dechambeau: 2025, 2021, 2018 Ryder Cupper
Ryder Cup Record: 3-6-2 (Wins, Losses, Ties)
(*May be a captain’s pick if he doesn’t play in enough events where you can earn points*)
There’s a lot of mystery right now when it comes to Dechambeau and where he might be playing during his 2027 season. His original deal with LIV ends after the 2026 season and currently there has been no announcement of an extension or renewal. So will 2027 see him on the PGA Tour? LIV Golf? Full time Youtube Golfer? Who knows but one thing I’m certain on is he will be apart of this team no matter where he’s playing. His electric energy is perfect for a Ryder Cup and more of what team USA needs. I also feel like he could snap on away soil if things go south quick for the US squad.
4. Michael Thorbjornsen: Rookie
Ryder Cup Record: N/A
I’m very high on Michael Thorbjornsen’s game and I think he has all the potential in the world to be a star. The US Team has now lost 2 straight Ryder Cup’s and it’s been pretty embarrassing and dysfunctional in the process. Thorbjornsen is now a year and half into his pro career and will be 26 years old the time the 2027 Ryder Cup comes around. This year I guarantee he picks up his first tour win and starts to emerge as one of the top talents for USA Golf. It’s critical that some of these younger new generation US golfers start to produce and pan out, I think the US desperately needs some new blood to emerge in time for the 2027 Ryder Cup.
5. Cam Young: 2025 Ryder Cupper
Ryder Cup Record: 3-1-0 (Wins, Losses, Ties)
Cam young was one of the few bright spots of the loosing 2025 USA Ryder Cup team. Young was a rookie at this past Ryder Cup and he was awesome winning 3 of 4 matches. Pair Youngs great performance at the Ryder Cup with him finally getting his first PGA Tour win in August 2025 I expect his confidence to be sky high heading into 2026. I predict he will build off his great finish to 2025 and really emerge himself as one of the elite talents in golf. There will be no debate whether he’s on the team or not in 2027.
6. Ryan Gerard: Rookie
Ryder Cup Record: N/A
This is my first more outside the box or dark horse pick depending on your view of Michael Thorbjornsen.
Some of you reading this might be thinking “absolutely no way that happens…” but almost every Ryder Cup year we see a few guys emerge that nobody would’ve ever expected to even be in the conversation. Back in January 2025, almost nobody would’ve predicted J.J. Spaun or Ben Griffin making the team. Most people probably would’ve said it was insane to even bring their names up. And for the 2023 team, basically nobody had Wyndham Clark penciled in either. There are always surprises, and I think that surprise player this time around will be Ryan Gerard. Difference though here is by the start of 2027 I think he’ll already be firmly in the conversation and a much more well known name then he is now to the casual fan.
Gerard picked up a win on Tour last year and he’s come out red hot in 2026. I don’t think this run of form is just a temporary heater either, he’s only getting more comfortable at the PGA Tour level as he enters his third full season.
Captain’s Picks:
7. Will Zalatoris: Rookie
Ryder Cup Record: N/A
Willy Z… please, please, please stay healthy long enough to not only regain your old form but be in the Ryder Cup conversation. When Zalatoris is healthy he is one of the best pure ball strikers in the game of golf. If 2022 had been a Ryder Cup year Zalatoris would have been on the squad; but that wasn’t the case. In 2022 Zalatoris at the age of 25 almost won both the PGA Championship and US Open. Losing in a playoff to the man above him on this list at the PGA and finishes runner-up and 1-back to Matthew Fitzpatrick at the US Open.
However since he’s unreal 2022 season he’s primarily been injured and not playing or playing hurt. In 2023 he had back surgery that ended his season in March (Ryder Cup year), he returned in the new year for the 2024 season and played the whole season but wasn’t the same player as in 2022; with his back clearly still not feeling great. The during last season he played up until the PGA Championship until he decided he needed another operation done for his back ending his season in May. He says he’s healthy again and never’s felt better so fingers crossed that stays true and he can get back to the major champion threat golfer he was in 2022.
8. Justin Thomas: 2025, 2023, 2021, 2018 Ryder Cupper
Ryder Cup Record: 9-6-2 (Wins, losses, Ties)
I’m not a huge Justin Thomas guy but what he did in his first couple Ryder Cup’s was awesome (6-2-1 record combined 2018-21). We will see how he performs coming off of back surgery in 2026 but pretty hard to see a guy who still was selected during his dreadful 2023 season to be left off in 2027, especially since he’s started to play much better in 2024 onwards and broke his winning slump in 2025. Things will have to go really south for Thomas to be an omission from the USA squad.
9. Patrick Cantlay: 2025, 2023, 2021 Ryder Cupper
Ryder Cup Record: 6-5-2 (Wins, Losses, Ties)
Another multi-time Ryder Cupper for Team USA here in Patty Ice. Patrick Cantlay has made his share of big putts in Ryder Cups, and he’s also got real chemistry with his good buddy Xander Schauffele when it comes to pairings. That familiarity definitely comes into play for the Captain in an event like this where momentum and comfort level can swing matches fast.
Cantlay hasn’t won since 2022, and he hasn’t looked quite as dominant or consistent as he once did. I’m not sure he ever fully gets back to that peak… but he’s proven he can show up in this format. If he can at least hold steady and stay around the level we saw in 2025, I think that’ll be enough for him to crack the team again in 2027.
10. Brooks Koepka: 2023, 2021, 2018, 2016 Ryder Cupper
Ryder Cup Record: 7-6-2 (Wins, Losses, Ties)
I believe in the 5-time Major Winner and 4-time Ryder Cupper to regain form, especially with him back on the PGA Tour. It’s obvious that Brooks wasn’t happy on LIV anymore and I think it led into some poor performances and form, he also had some serious family stuff going on last year that would have made it super difficult to fully focus on golf. I think especially for himself going forward he is in the much better spot for his game and competitive fire.
If the Ryder cup was this year I wouldn’t include him on this team but with 2 full seasons back on tour by the time the 2027 Ryder Cup rolls around I think he will have settled in, found his major winner form once again, and be ready for maybe one last run at the Ryder cup (37 years old at the 2027 Ryder Cup).
11. Akshay Bhatia: Rookie
Ryder Cup Record: N/A
Bhatia who’s still only 23 years old is one of the most talented up and coming golfers in the sport. He already has 2 PGA Tour wins, the first coming late in the 2023 season and the second coming in 2024.
A lot of people expected him to build off those wins and have a massive 2025 season, and put himself firmly in the conversation for the 2025 Ryder Cup team at Bethpage. But last season just wasn’t his best. He was inconsistent, and never fully found the momentum people were expecting.
Maybe he simply put too much pressure on himself with the Ryder Cup possibility looming.
Still, I’m pretty confident in Bhatia’s ability to bounce back this season and push himself into the tier of the top-end players on Tour. Honestly, it would be pretty disappointing if he still hasn’t taken that next step by the time the 2027 Ryder Cup rolls around.
12. Jackson Koivun: Rookie
Ryder Cup Record: N/A
Jackson Koivun is the top Amateur Golfer in the world right now playing his college golf at Auburn. He’s already has his PGA Tour card secured for when he turns pro through the PGA Tour University Accelerated Points Program.
This past fall, Koivun also showed he can hang in a big-time environment, playing in the final pairing at the Procore Championship and finishing T4. There’s going to be a ton of hype and expectation surrounding him when he officially turns pro, and I’m betting he’s going to live up to it, and quickly!
Similar to Scottie Scheffler in 2021, I think Koivun is going to play too well to leave off the team. I’ve got him as the final captain’s pick. And if it comes down to that, I really hope Team USA doesn’t shy away from selecting him just because he’s young and inexperienced. That’s exactly the kind of fresh blood this team needs. Someone fearless, hungry, and ready to make a statement.
So the 2027 USA Ryder Cup Squad:
1. Scheffler
2. Schauffele
3. Dechambeau
4. Thorbjronsen
5. Young
6. Gerard
7. Zalatoris
8. Thomas
9. Cantlay
10. Koepka
11. Bhatia
12. Koivun
2025 Members left off: Collin Morikawa, Harris English, Russell Henley, J.J Spaun, Ben Griffin, Sam Burns
