Why Europe is rolling hotter into Ryder Cup despite United States faring better in respective tune-ups

If they are not finely tuned by now, it was not for a lack of trying. Players on both 2025 Ryder Cup teams have just one week before the biennial competition takes place at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.

Fresh off 11 of its 12 players teeing it up in the DP World Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, the European side took a charter flight from Wentworth to Bethpage Black for a scouting mission. Following the successful blueprint from the 2023 Ryder Cup, which was similarly captained by Luke Donald, the Europeans will assess the state of the host venue across two days of golf while also assessing the state of their own team.

Their membership has seen recent success with Rory McIlroy winning Irish Open and Tommy Fleetwood claiming the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup. Justin Rose found the winner's circle in the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs thanks to a dramatic playoff victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Recent winners are not all wearing blue and gold, however. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the top American player entering the Ryder Cup, secured his sixth victory of the calendar year at the Procore Championship as he overcame a two-stroke deficit to future teammate Ben Griffin, who continued displaying solid form.

Cameron Young boat raced the field in the PGA Tour's regular-season finale for the first victory of his career, and he has carried on his high level of play since. J.J. Spaun nearly clipped Rose in Memphis but ultimately fell short on the third extra hole. 

Both teams clearly have some of their thoroughbreds bucking at the gate. They have smelled the roses and know how to control the emotions when deep in contention given many have found themselves in such situations recently.

After all, that was the point of these tune-up events -- simulating a shred of the pressure that the Ryder Cup will bring. The tournaments pale in comparison to the Ryder Cup, of course, but they can reveal something about a player's mettle, as Griffin found out the hard way Sunday evening in Napa, California.

"I had a couple [putts] on the front nine that I missed, and then I had a couple down the stretch that I missed from mid range," Griffin said. "I make a good amount. It's just a bummer, seems like it's a consistent thing. I'll look at it … just broke a little bit. Shit happens, I'll bounce back."

And guess what? Now Griffin has a week to work on his tendencies and feels and learn more about his process. But not all contention runs are equal. A top-five finish coming from way down on the leaderboard thanks to a Sunday flurry does not feel like the same result coming from the final pairing when the lead had to be slept on and the pressure was at its apex.

So, who has been in contention lately, and who needs to up their game on the grandest international stage? Let's take a look at how the players on each side fared during the most recent tournament in which they contended. This as the Americans hold a marginal edge as favorites at -145 entering the Ryder Cup, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

United States

Ready to talk about the elephant in the room? It has been more than a full calendar year since Schauffele has struck a meaningful shot in the final round of a tournament. (his is the golfer ranked No. 3 in the world, by the way. The man who won not one but two major championships in 2024, and the man who is expected to take on a rather significant role for the U.S. alongside an experienced foursomes partner in Cantlay who finally seemed to actually raise his heart rate at the Tour Championship.

How will Schauffele react when posed with the high-pressure nature of the Ryder Cup? Yes, he has thrived in big moments throughout his career, but it has been a substantial amount of time since a big moment has been in his sight line. The sensation could feel somewhat new, especially with a game that was not its sharpest in 2025.

English is interesting in his own right. He finished runner-up to Scheffler at both The Open Championship and PGA Championship but did so thanks to sensational Sunday performances -- a 66 at Royal Portrush to lose by four and a 65 at Quail Hollow to lose by a half dozen. Not since his win at Torrey Pines at the onset of the year has he entered the final round with all eyes on him.

Europe

There is not an outlier like Schauffele for Europe as the majority of their team had a chance to win over the last month. In fact, 10 of the 12 players have entered the final round of a golf tournament over the last two months in contention whereas only six on the American side have been positioned similarly.

Already more experienced than the U.S., the Europe side has simulated the Ryder Cup experience more effectively in the lead up, even using virtual reality to help prepare for potential crowd noise. This Ryder Cup will represent its best chance to raise the cup on American soil since the Miracle at Medinah in 2012, and boy, do they look ready to do it.