New York vibes. 50,000 fans a day. A first-tee cauldron that’ll swallow the timid whole. Welcome to Bethpage Black, where the U.S. tries to rip the Cup back from Europe on one of the most intimidating public courses on earth.
Quick facts (bookmark these)
- Dates: Fri–Sun, Sept 26–28, 2025 — opening ceremony moved up to Wednesday because of weather.
- Venue: Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, NY (AW Tillinghast design; public, notorious “WARNING” sign).
- Par/Yardage : Par 70, 7,352 yds; 2019 PGA Championship setup: Par 70, 7,459 yds.
- Captains: USA – Keegan Bradley; Europe – Luke Donald (reappointed after Rome).
- Format: 28 points total. Fri/Sat: 4 foursomes (alt-shot) in the morning, 4 four-balls in the afternoon. Sun: 12 singles. U.S. chose foursomes first at home. 14½ wins the Cup; 14 retains (Europe needs 14 to keep).
- How to watch (ET): Fri (USA Network) 7a–6p; Sat (NBC) 7a–6p; Sun (NBC) 12–6p; streaming on Peacock. Opening ceremony Wed 4–7p on Golf Channel.
- Weather snapshot (as of now): Humid with showers around Thu; then mixed sun/clouds Fri–Sun near mid-70s°F; stray shower possible Friday. (Forecasts change; check daily.)
The Teams
United States (12)
Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Ben Griffin, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Cameron Young.
(Top six qualified via points; Bradley added Burns, Cantlay, Griffin, Morikawa, Thomas, Young as picks.)
Pulse check: Keegan Bradley is captaining the 2025 team. He is a first-time captain but has surrounded himself with experienced captains, and as a former team member, he knows what it takes. World No. 1 Scheffler headlines. DeChambeau brings major-winner power and is the lone LIV player integrating into an otherwise all PGA Tour locker room; by all accounts, the vibes are good. Rookies include Spaun, Henley, Griffin, and Young.
Europe (12)
Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Ludvig Åberg, Rasmus Højgaard, Matt Fitzpatrick, Robert MacIntyre.
(9 automatic + 3 captain’s picks.)
Pulse check: Eleven of Rome’s 12 return (only newcomer: Rasmus Højgaard), continuity Luke Donald leaned on when he was re-upped as captain.
Bethpage Black: what’s waiting
- Brutal, brawny Tillinghast with modern teeth: thick rough, elevated greens, diagonal bunkering, and a relentless par-4/5 test that rewards driving + approach precision. Course record 63 (Koepka, 2019).
- Prior majors / playoffs here: 2002 & 2009 U.S. Opens, 2012 & 2016 Barclays (FedEx Cup), 2019 PGA Championship. Winners include Tiger (’02) and Patrick Reed (’16 Barclays).
- Official hole-by-hole flyover and scouting: start lines that demand commitment, especially into the wind; the mid-round par-4s (11–12–15–16) are round-shapers.
Strategic wrinkle: The U.S. chose foursomes first — same opening Donald used to blitz the Americans 4–0 in Rome. Expect set-up to emphasize tee-to-green excellence and driving discipline; errant missiles won’t survive this courses rough.
Who’s logged real reps at Bethpage?
A quick, player-by-player course résumé (select highlights):
United States
- Patrick Cantlay — T3, 2019 PGA (Bethpage). Major-caliber comfort here.
- Xander Schauffele — T16, 2019 PGA; elite iron play travels.
- Sam Burns — T29, 2019 PGA (Bethpage).
- J.J. Spaun — T54, 2019 PGA (Bethpage).
- Bryson DeChambeau — MC, 2019 PGA; publicly bristled at Bethpage’s brute setup that week. Different player now, but note the history.
- Justin Thomas — DNP at 2019 PGA (wrist), finished 10 here in 2016; Ryder Cup stalwart regardless.
- Cameron Young — 2017 New York State Open winner on Bethpage Black (as an amateur); true hometown knowledge.
(Scheffler/Morikawa/Griffin/Henley/English: limited or mixed major history at Bethpage; several have Barclays reps elsewhere but less specific to Black.)
Europe
- Rory McIlroy — 16 rounds here. T8, 2019 PGA (Bethpage) and T10, 2009 U.S. Open here. Comfort level is real.
- Justin Rose — 14 rounds played via Multiple Bethpage majors (’09 U.S. Open, ’19 PGA). Veteran’s eye for Tillinghast angles.
- Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick — 2019 PGA starters at Bethpage; valuable reps under major pressure.
- Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Åberg, Rasmus Højgaard, Robert MacIntyre — minimal/no Bethpage pro history; raw power + ball-striking should still play on Black’s corridors.
Schedule & session flow (ET)
- Wed: Opening ceremony (moved up).
- Fri: Morning foursomes; afternoon four-balls. Coverage 7a–6p (USA Network).
- Sat: Same split; 7a–6p (NBC).
- Sun: 12 singles, 12–6p (NBC).
What wins at Bethpage this week
- Fairway > Fury. Distance matters, but it’s the start lines and spin control that separate teams in alternate shot. Think Schauffele/Cantlay types thriving. (U.S. leaning foursomes first underscores this.)
- Mid-iron excellence. Bethpage’s long-iron asks are severe; Europe’s iron core (Rahm, Hovland, Fleetwood, Fitzpatrick) is built for this too. Course neutralizes pure bomb-and-gouge.
- Greens under heat. Poa-leaning surfaces + New York footprints = testers inside 10 feet that decide sessions. Local knowledge (Young) and cool hands (Rose/Lowry) matter.
- Crowd management. Bethpage’s galleries can be… Long Island. Handling that energy is part of the exam. Europe’s already gamed out the atmosphere.
Ry’s Matchup Board (early leans)
- Top U.S. point scorers (value vs. usage): Scheffler, Schauffele, Cantlay (heavy foursomes exposure), Thomas (captain trusts him in tight).
- Top Europe point scorers: McIlroy (real Bethpage history), Rahm, Hovland, Åberg (if unleashed in four-ball).
- Rookies to pop: Spaun (form + U.S. Open champ mojo), Rasmus Højgaard (pace fits four-ball).
Course crib sheet (for your couch scouting)
- Par-4 5th (478 yds): Demands a shaped tee shot and committed second; match-swinger if pins back-right.
- Par-5 4th/13th (517 / 608 yds): Risk-reward levers; captains will plot tee orders here in foursomes.
- Closing stretch (15–18): Long-iron parade; expect conservative foursomes targets, aggressive four-ball flags.
Final word
Europe brings cohesion and scars the U.S. still feels from Rome. The U.S. counters with home soil, deeper depth, and a set-up choice (foursomes first) that screams “ball-strikers to the front.” Bethpage won’t hand anything to anyone — that’s the point. Buckle up.