The Ryder Cup Rookie Race Is Heating Up... How Many Of These Golfers Will Make Their Debuts At Bethpage Black?

The Ryder Cup is set to be the standout event of the year where Keegan Bradley's Team USA will seek to win back the trophy from Luke Donald's Europeans.

Bethpage State Park's renowned Black Course will host the action in front of what is surely going to be a partisan home crowd - but who will be on the teams?

There are a number of locks on both sides - assuming they stay fit. Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau will almost certainly be starring for the Americans, while Europe will be taking the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Aberg, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood.

But who could the new faces be? Each Ryder Cup sees anywhere between 2-5 wildcards on each line-up, so here we look at a very long list of names who could be in contention for a Ryder Cup debut this year if they have good seasons, starting with the Americans...

Potential US Rookies 2025

Russell Henley

Henley has been a pro since 2011 but last year was one of his finest seasons to date despite going winless.

The Georgian posted seven top-10s in 20 events, highlighted by a 5th-place finish at The Open and a 4th-place finish in the Tour Championship (72-hole scores).

The four-time PGA Tour winner went on to make his Presidents Cup debut, where he won two out of his three matches with Scottie Scheffler before defeating Sungjae Im in the singles.

Sahith Theegala

Theegala is another US player who made their debut in last year's Presidents Cup.

The Californian played twice with Collin Morikawa on the opening day, winning one and losing one, and then tied his singles match with Ben An.

The 27-year-old is one of the game's brightest talents, having won his maiden PGA Tour title in late 2023 and reaching a career-high of 11th in the world last year.

Billy Horschel

Despite eight PGA Tour wins, a FedEx Cup and two BMW PGA Championship victories, Billy Horschel has never played in a Ryder Cup.

Horschel, who has also won the WGC-Match Play, enjoyed a strong 2024 that included wins at the Corales Puntacana Championship and BMW PGA as well as a T2nd at The Open - his best ever Major finish.

The 38-year-old has played in one Presidents Cup, where he won one of his three matches. Horschel is a popular player and a feisty competitor who has always seemed like a good fit for Team USA.

Maverick McNealy

Former World No.1 amateur Maverick McNealy took a while to get going as a pro but seems to be on the way to fulfilling his potential.

The Stanford alumnus won his maiden PGA Tour title at last year's RSM Classic and has always seemed like a potential Ryder Cupper after his impressive amateur career, which included two Walker Cup wins for Team USA.

He has recently cracked the world's top 30 for the first time and already has two top-10s on tour this year.

Akshay Bhatia

Akshay Bhatia didn't opt for the tried and tested college route but instead turned pro at the age of 17, and six years later he is among the PGA Tour's top talent.

The Californian won on Korn Ferry Tour in 2022 and has gone on to triumph on the PGA Tour in 2023 and 2024. The 23-year-old played in all four Majors last year for the first time and also recorded two runner-up finishes on tour.

The left-hander looks set to be a fixture of Team USA in the coming years if he continues in this vein.

Nick Dunlap

Dunlap burst onto the scene at last year's American Express, where he became the first amateur since Phil Mickelson in 1991 to win on the PGA Tour.

Just six months later he was a two-time PGA Tour winner - incredibly just 11 months after he won the US Amateur.

The Alabaman looks set to be another of USA's potential stars in the coming years, and he could well find himself on the side for Bethpage if he keeps winning.

Max Greyserman

The 29-year-old from New Jersey has really found his feet as a pro over the past few years after joining the paid ranks in 2017.

Greyserman came through the Korn Ferry Tour to earn his 2023 PGA Tour card and he has risen into the world's top 35 despite not winning just yet.

Over the past two seasons he has five runners-up finishes, and he can continue climbing the rankings this year now he's in all four Majors. If he keeps up his form, he could be right on the fringes of the side.

Cameron Young

Young was in contention to make the 2023 team for Rome but has been fairly quiet since.

The New Yorker recorded his seventh PGA Tour runner-up finish last year and will need to finally get over the line this season to realistically make the team for the first time.

He has an impressive 19 top-five finishes in 77 PGA Tour starts and has been as high as 13th in the world. The 27-year-old has a fine Major record, too, having been runner-up at the 2022 Open, T3 at the 2022 PGA and T7 at the 2022 Masters.

Luke Clanton

Last time out in Rome, Europe had former amateur star Ludvig Aberg on their team and it's not completely out of the equation that Luke Clanton could make Bradley's side.

The World No.1 amateur is likely going to have earned his PGA Tour by May's NCAA Championships, where he'll have a good three months to impress the US captain even more than he likely already has.

The FSU Junior set the school's lowest single-season scoring average last year, while he also made the cut at the US Open and finished 2nd on the PGA Tour twice.

Other potential US rookies

• JT Poston
• Austin Eckroat
• Lucas Glover
• Denny McCarthy
• Davis Thompson
• Matt McCarty
• Eric Cole

Potential European Rookies 2025

Thomas Detry

Thomas Detry has long been one of Europe's brightest talents but for years struggled to get over the line.

That ended in February where he finished with four consecutive birdies to romp home past a strong field at the WM Phoenix Open to win his first PGA Tour title.

The Belgian, who was T4 at the 2024 PGA Championship, has subsequently moved up to a career-best 22nd in the world and is on the cusp of making his Ryder Cup debut - albeit there is still a very long way to go.

He finally looks like he's on the way to fulfilling his potential after reaching the 5th-place position in the WAGR while at the University of Illinois, where he won the 2016 Big Ten Championship.

Aaron Rai

Rai is another European to have recently won on the PGA Tour, with the Englishman capturing the Wyndham Championship in August.

The 29-year-old turned pro back in 2012 and made his way to the DP World Tour via the third-tier EuroPro Tour and Challenge Tour, with his impressive career continuing to flourish through the years.

His other big wins include the 2018 Hong Kong Open and 2020 Scottish Open. Rai makes his Masters debut this year and is in all four Majors, so another good season could get him well into Ryder Cup contention.

Rasmus Hojgaard

Rasmus Hojgaard would so love to make his Ryder Cup debut alongside twin brother Nicolai, who was on the side in Rome last time out.

Rasmus is playing his rookie season on the PGA Tour this year after an impressive 2024 that saw him beat Rory McIlroy at the Irish Open.

Incredibly, the 23-year-old already has five DP World Tour wins. He and Nicolai are surely set for multiple Ryder Cup appearances in the coming years.

Like his brother, Rasmus is a long-hitter and a strong driver, which Donald will be very aware of ahead of what will be a very long Bethpage Black setup.

Matthieu Pavon

Pavon enjoyed an incredible 2024 where he won the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open and finished solo-fifth at the US Open.

Like Rai, he's another to have progressed from the third-tier of European golf, with the Frenchman boasting two wins on the Alps Tour. He then made his way through the Challenge and DP World Tours to become a PGA Tour winner.

His best finish so far this year in four starts is a T48, though, so he'll need to find some form throughout the Spring and Summer to make his Ryder Cup debut. He did impress Donald at the recent Team Cup, where he won three of his four matches for the Continental Europe side.

Matt Wallace

Wallace is another to have progressed from the third-tier, with the Englishman winning an incredible six times during the 2016 Alps Tour season.

He was so close to making the 2018 side for Paris after winning three times on the DP World Tour that year, but seven years later he is far more experienced and determined to finally put on the European colors.

Wallace won his fifth DP World Tour title at the European Masters last year and will hope to win on the PGA Tour this season to book his spot for Bethpage - which is where he recorded his best ever Major finish, a T3, at the 2019 PGA Championship.

Laurie Canter

Canter won his maiden DP World Tour title last year at the Porsche European Open after a couple of seasons in the LIV Golf League.

The Englishman then won again recently in Bahrain, which will surely have caught Luke Donald's eye, especially after he was 3rd at the Dubai Desert Classic.

The 35-year-old is certainly on the fringes of contention but has shown his quality plenty of times through the years, so if he can qualify for the Majors this year (he's currently 54th in the world) and put in some good showings plus win again on the DPWT then he may be a consideration.

Niklas Norgaard

The 2024 British Masters champion is another of Denmark's impressive male golfers and he's had a meteoric rise over the last two seasons - going from the Challenge Tour up to the PGA Tour.

Norgaard is a long hitter so will be a good fit for Bethpage, but he will likely need to press on this season in the US to really contend for the team. He certainly has the talent to do so.

He is also yet to play in a Major championship so will need to get himself into those this season as well. He'll likely make the PGA Championship but will need to improve his world ranking of 90th to make the other three automatically.

David Puig

Puig is another of the game's brightest prospects, with the Spaniard already a two-time Asian Tour winner at the age of 23.

He managed to play in three Majors last year despite predominantly competing in the LIV Golf League, which is surely evidence of his quality. Many of LIV's players rave about Puig's potential, so if he can push on even further this year then the likes of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton will be signing his praises to Donald.

He will surely need to win at least once on LIV and perhaps once on the DPWT, while qualifying and putting in some good showings at the Majors, to be a true contender.

Tom McKibbin

McKibbin's decision to join LIV Golf has made his path to the Ryder Cup team much harder, but he is another hugely talented youngster that could catch Luke Donald's eye with a couple of wins this year.

The Northern Irishman surrendered his PGA Tour card in signing with the 54-hole circuit but he is still a DP World Tour member.

Like Puig, if he can win on LIV and make his way into the Majors, he could warrant at least a consideration from Europe's captain.

Other potential European rookies

• Jordan Smith
• Matteo Manassero
• Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
• Romain Langasque
• Seamus Power
• Harry Hall
• Victor Perez
• Stephan Jaeger