Ryder Cup format and scoring system explained
USA TODAY Sports’ Chris Bumbaca explains how Ryder Cup scoring works from Bethpage Golf Course.
Team Europe is set up nicely to close out the 2025 Ryder Cup and win consecutive events Sunday.
Europe holds a 12-5 lead after two days of action against the United States. The team needs just three of the possible 12 points on the final day to secure the victory.
Tommy Fleetwood has played a significant role in Europe’s success, nearly outscoring the USA with his four points.
USA TODAY Sports will have complete coverage of the 2025 Ryder Cup, so make sure to check back for live updates.
This section will be updated as action continues. Click here for the latest leaderboard updates and tee times.
Europe enters Sunday with a commanding 12-5 lead over the United States.
- Match 1: Cameron Young 1 Up vs. Justin Rose (finished)
- Match 2: Justin Thomas 1 Up vs. Tommy Fleetwood (finished)
- Match 3: Matt Fitzpatrick tied vs. Bryson DeChambeau (thru 17)
- Match 4: Scottie Scheffler 1 Up vs. Rory McIlroy (thru 16)
- Match 5: Ludvig Aberg 2 Up vs. Patrick Cantlay (thru 15)
- Match 6: Xander Schauffele 3 Up vs. Jon Rahm (thru 14)
- Match 7: J.J. Spaun 2 Up vs. Sepp Straka (thru 14)
- Match 8: Russell Henley 1 Up vs. Shane Lowry (thru 13)
- Match 9: Ben Griffin tied vs. Rasmus Hojgaard (thru 12)
- Match 10: Collin Morikawa 1 up vs. Tyrrell Hatton (thru 11)
- Match 11: Robert MacIntyre tied vs. Sam Burns (thru 10)
Team USA is not going away! Tommy Fleetwood was up 2-Up after seven holes, but Justin Thomas rallied and his birdie on No. 18 clinched the win. Thomas tossed his putter aside and let his emotions show.
After Justin Rose evened their match, Cameron Young drained a birdie putt on No. 18 to clinch the win. And the American crowd roared.
After an impressive shot on the 13th hole that seemed to give Rose the much-needed spark, he cuts Cameron Young’s lead down to one after winning the 13 and 14 hole. Young is 1 up through the 15th hole.
Scottie Scheffler’s lead didn’t last long after Rory McIlroy, despite the heckles, nailed an impressive uphill birdie putt to even the score with Scheffler. Scheffler and McIlroy are tied through 11 holes.
Justin Thomas is on fire after winning his third consecutive hole, making a birdie on No. 12 to take a 1-up lead over Tommy Fleetwood.
Collin Morikawa celebrated after making a birdie on the No. 5 hole, putting him 1 up against Tyrell Hatton.
Scottie Scheffler cannot seem to figure out the putting on Bethpage Black. Scheffler and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy are tied after nine holes.
Bryson DeChambeau makes a birdie on the No. 8 hole, prompting the crowd to erupt in cheers, while Fitzpatrick misses the putt that would have cut his lead to 3 up.
Matt Fitzpatrick is displaying a stellar performance as his American opponent continues to struggle and misses another putt on the No. 6 hole to go 4 up.
Justin Thomas makes a 79-yard eagle on the No. 6 hole to cut Tommy Fleetwood’s lead down to one.
Scottie Scheffler nails the par putt on the No. 4 hole to cut Rory McIlroy’s lead after McIlroy misses a 10-footer.
Bryson DeChambeau falls further behind after his birdie attempt rolls past the hole and then he misses his par putt on the No. 3 hole. Matt Fitzpatrick is now 2 up against the American.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler’s rough weekend continues as he lands in a tough grassy area on the second hole and struggles to get out of it, with his next shot hitting the lip of the cup but doesn’t go in. Rory McIlroy capitalizes on Scheffler’s struggles and sinks a 20-foot birdie with ease to take the lead.
Matt Fitzpatrick starts off with a tough tee shot but recovers himself while DeChambeau’s failed chip gives Fitzpatrick the lead after the first hole.
Cameron Young takes the early lead over Justin Rose in the first singles match of the day after Young nails the putt on the first green.
How to watch Ryder Cup 2025: TV channel, streaming Sunday
All times Eastern
Sunday, Sept. 28
- Noon-6 p.m.: Ryder Cup, Day 3 singles (NBC/Peacock/NBC Sports app)
- 6-9 p.m.: Live From the Ryder Cup (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
Watch the 2025 Ryder Cup with Fubo
2025 Ryder Cup matchups, tee times
All times Eastern, Team USA on left side
Sunday Singles:
- 12:02 p.m.: Cameron Young vs. Justin Rose
- 12:13 p.m.: Justin Thomas vs. Tommy Fleetwood
- 12:24 p.m.: Bryson DeChambeau vs. Matt Fitzpatrick
- 12:35 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler vs. Rory McIlroy
- 12:46 p.m.: Patrick Cantlay vs. Ludvig Aberg
- 12:57 p.m.: Xander Schauffele vs. Jon Rahm
- 1:08 p.m.: J.J. Spaun vs. Sepp Straka
- 1:19 p.m.: Russell Henley vs. Shane Lowry
- 1:30 p.m.: Ben Griffin vs. Rasmus Hojgaard
- 1:41 p.m.: Collin Morikawa vs. Tyrrell Hatton
- 1:52 p.m.: Sam Burns vs. Robert MacIntyre
Team Europe’s Viktor Hovland will not participate in Sunday’s Ryder Cup singles matches due to a neck injury that forced him to withdraw. Hovland also had to sit out the four-ball session on Saturday to undergo an MRI. His teammate, Tyrrell Hatton, stepped in and teamed up with Matt Fitzpatrick, resulting in a victory for their match.
As a consequence of Hovland’s withdrawal from the singles match against Harris English on Sunday, each team will receive half a point. The current leaderboard shows Europe with 12 points and the USA with 5 points.
In a surprising turn of events, the PGA of America reported that a Ryder Cup master of ceremonies stepped down after leading an inappropriate chant toward Rory McIlroy on Saturday.
On Sunday, the PGA released a statement announcing that comedian and actress Heather McMahan will not return to emcee the first tee on the final day at Bethpage Black. This decision follows her involvement in directing the crowd to participate in an expletive chant directed at McIlroy.
The atmosphere at the Ryder Cup has been rowdy, with the crowd doing everything they can to distract the European team, which is heading into the final day of competition with a significant lead. Team Europe is leading 11.5 to Team USA’s 4.5 as the singles matches are set to tee off in a few hours.
2025 Ryder Cup odds
Ryder Cup odds according to BetMGM, entering play Sunday
- Moneyline: USA (+4000); Europe (-10000); Tie (+3300)
Ryder Cup weather forecast: Latest updates for Sunday
Weather forecasts are according to the Weather Channel:
- Sunday, Sept. 28: Partly cloudy. Low: 63F; High: 81F
The 2025 Ryder Cup will be broadcast across various networks under the NBCUniversal umbrella. NBC and USA Network will have coverage throughout the competition. Streaming is available across the NBC Sports app, Peacock, and Fubo, which offers a free trial.
The 2025 Ryder Cup will bring teams representing the United States and Europe to the famed Black Course at Bethpage State Park.
Bethpage Black is located in Farmingdale, New York, roughly an hour east of Manhattan. The Long Island golf course has hosted some big events in recent years, including the 2002 and 2009 editions of the U.S. Open as well as the 2019 PGA Championship. The par-71 course is considered a major test even for the best professional golfers, while its location near New York City makes for easy access for a big, noisy crowd.
The venue was chosen all the way back in 2013, though Bethpage Black was originally set to host the 2024 Ryder Cup. However, a delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic pushed the tournament – which is played every other year at venues alternating between the U.S. and Europe – back a year, bringing one of golf’s biggest events to the notoriously challenging course in 2025. — Jason Anderson
Most recent Ryder Cup winners. For a full list, click here.
- 2023: Europe
- 2021: United States
- 2018: Europe
- 2016: United States
- 2014: Europe
- 2012: Europe
- 2010: Europe
- 2008: United States
- 2006: Europe
- 2004: Europe
- 2002: Europe
- 1999: United States
The Ryder Cup is scored via match play. Essentially, it doesn’t matter how many strokes you take on an individual hole. All that matters is that you take fewer strokes than your opponent.
When each round is done, whichever player won more holes, wins a point for their team. If both competitors are tied, each earns half a point for their team.
In total, there are 28 points up for grabs, meaning the first team to 14.5 points wins the tournament. Theoretically, the tournament could end in a 14-14 tie, but that has happened only twice in history (1969, 1989). If it happens this year, the previous winner will retain the trophy, which would be Europe in this instance. — Jon Hoefling
Read more on Ryder Cup rules and format.
One notable player absent from the U.S. Ryder Cup team this year is the legendary Tiger Woods. The 15-time major champion was neither selected as one of the 12 golfers nor appointed as the team captain, primarily because he is prioritizing his health and other obligations.
Although Woods was considered for the captaincy, he declined the opportunity, opting instead to take on additional responsibilities as a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board and the PGA Tour Enterprises Board of Directors. However, he made it clear that this does not rule out the possibility of serving as team captain in the future. — Elizabeth Flores
For nearly a century, golfers were not directly compensated for their participation in the Ryder Cup.
In addition to the charitable donations ($300,000) the PGA of America gave on behalf of the 12 American players and the captain since 1999, the organization voted in November 2024 to also fund a $200,000 stipend for the U.S. squad.
Europe captain Luke Donald noted in an interview with SkySports on Monday, Sept. 22 that European players would never accept the idea of being paid to play in a tournament as prestigious as the Ryder Cup.
“Every one of them was like, ‘This isn’t a week to get paid,'” Donald told SkySports. “We have such a strong purpose in this team and what we play for.”
USA TODAY Sports’ Chris Bumbaca has more on the pay and charity behind the 2025 Ryder Cup.
The Ryder Cup isn’t just a showcase for the best golfers from the United States and Europe. The lead-up to the sport’s most prestigious international team event also puts a spotlight on their wives and girlfriends.
Yes, the WAGs of professional golf are part of the 45th edition of the Ryder Cup and they were out in full force on Tuesday, Sept. 23, for the traditional Ryder Cup welcome dinner before the first tee shots of 2025 were hit Friday morning. This year’s gala feast was held at Hempstead House, a 50,000 square foot, Tudor-style mansion in New York near Bethpage Black Golf Course, and the annual photos featuring the Ryder Cup golfers and their significant others have once again turned into popular talking points.
USA TODAY Sports’ Mark Giannotto has a list for the wives and girlfriends of every Ryder Cup golfer.
Not many golf courses come with warning signs. This one does.
“WARNING,” the red-lettered notice reads as players walk to the first tee.“The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.”
At the 2025 Ryder Cup, the Bethpage Black Course won’t live up to that brutal reputation, which has flummoxed golfers at all proficiency levels, from 30-handicaps to professionals. Brooks Koepka won the last major here, the 2019 PGA Championship, by shooting four-over par over the four days of play. Tiger Woods won the first major at Bethpage, the 2002 U.S. Open, at -3, three shots ahead of second-place finisher Phil Mickelson.
USA TODAY’s Chris Bumbaca has more on the iconic course.
Both the United States and Europe have produced memorable teams in the Ryder Cup’s modern era. Ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup, it seemed prudent to rank the best ones to help put into context what could be at stake when the best golfers in the world match up for golf’s most prestigious team event.
Here’s where all the recent Ryder Cup winners stack up (and yes, as part of our patriotic duty to highlight the most-discussed American Ryder Cup comeback ever, this exercise involves ranking the best Ryder Cup teams since 2000 ‒ or so).
USA TODAY Sports’ Mark Giannotto has a ranking of the 12 best most recent Ryder Cup winners.
