America suffer double Ryder Cup blow on day one at The Open as Europe gain advantage

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The upcoming Ryder Cup clash between the United States and Europe could well be one of the most exciting showdowns of all time.

The Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in September is expected to be a fiercely contested clash between the two old rivals.

All the talk right now is revolving around whether or not Keegan Bradley will act as a playing captain at the Ryder Cup.

Europe have been dominant in the competition over the past couple of decades, winning eight out of the last 11 editions.

The players don’t need any extra motivation for the Ryder Cup, but if they do, they have just been handed it on a plate.

Xander Schauffele’s father slammed Rory McIlroy’s actions at the 2023 Ryder Cup, after what he described as his ‘disgusting’ behaviour at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club following an altercation with Patrick Cantlay’s caddie – Joe LaCava.

There will be plenty of bad blood at Bethpage Black, especially with the vociferous New York crowd expected to be in full voice throughout the competition.

Double Ryder Cup blow for America at The Open as Europe gain advantage

The European team looks extremely strong right now from one through to 12 on the rankings.

And whilst the U.S. team is as strong as ever towards the top of the standings, there is a distinct lack of strength in depth.

Collin Morikawa is currently sitting in seventh spot in the rankings, but he looks completely lost right now out on the golf course.

2025 has been somewhat of a nightmare year for the two-time major champions so far.

Morikawa is currently on his third caddie of the season, with Billy Foster currently performing the role for him on a temporary basis.

The 28-year-old posted a round of three-over par 74 on day one of The Open Championship, and he is clearly struggling to find a swing that works for him at the moment.

On the flip-side, Matt Fitzpatrick was in sensational form at Royal Portrush.

The Englishman posted a first round 67, and he looked in total control of his golf ball.

Fitzpatrick is currently sitting in 22nd place in the European Ryder Cup points list. So he needs a really good week at The Open to send a message to Luke Donald.

He showed some fine form at The Scottish Open last week, and he is clearly clicking into gear at just the right time.

That’s the polar opposite of what Morikawa is going through right now.

The man from Los Angeles, California, seems to be so far away from the level he was at when he won two majors in two years back in 2020 and 2021.

He needs to rediscover his best form quickly but right now, it seems very much like it’s advantage Europe ahead of the Ryder Cup in September.

That said, a lot can change between now and then.

USA Ryder Cup rankings before The Open

The Americans have some real powerhouse players on their team at Bethpage Black.

Here is how their top six currently looks:

However, there is genuine cause of concern when looking at the players ranked 7-20th:

The likes of Morikawa, Thomas and Patrick Cantlay have been in poor form recently.

And that, coupled with some of Europe’s better players finding form at just the right time, could spell trouble for Team USA at the Ryder Cup in September.