All five of the rookies heading into the 2025 Ryder Cup are probably dreaming of making the kind of impact at Bethpage Black later this month which ensures that their names immediately go down in the event’s folklore.
Some rookies clearly find the pressure of the Ryder Cup stage too much to handle. Others go on to thrive and become stalwarts for their respective side for years to come.
Oddly, for one player who now plies his trade on LIV Golf, neither statement was true following his remarkable performance on what is his one appearance in the sport’s greatest event.
In fact, that particular player ended up as the leading points scorer on either side despite being on the losing team that week.
The Ryder Cup rookie who ended the week as the leading points scorer in a losing effort
Despite five of the nine players who automatically qualified for his team being rookies, Darren Clarke did not shy away from adding another to his ranks for Hazeltine in 2016.
Along with Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, Clarke opted to pick Thomas Pieters for the trip to Minnesota. The big-hitting Belgian had won his third DP World Tour title in Denmark just two days before Clarke announced his three picks.
Initially, it appeared that the picks would backfire. Westwood and Pieters were beaten 5&4 on Friday morning by Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar. USA swept the session to take a 4-0 lead.
But Pieters would get revenge on the pair in the afternoon. He won 3&2 alongside Rory McIlroy as Europe halved the deficit.
Pieters played with McIlroy in the top match of both sessions on Saturday. They beat Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler in the foursomes before getting the better of Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka in the afternoon.
And with Pieters beating J.B. Holmes in the Sunday singles, the debutant ended the week with four points from five matches. It was not enough to save Europe from a heavy defeat, but it did ensure that Pieters was the leading points scorer – with even ‘Captain America’ Patrick Reed finishing half a point behind.
The best Ryder Cup performances from players on the losing side
It is not actually that uncommon for a player on the losing side to deliver a large number of points. In fact, between 1991 and 1995, the leading points scorer at each Ryder Cup was on the team that missed out on the trophy.
But many of the names who led the way in a losing effort are icons of the Ryder Cup, including Tony Jacklin, Sir Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros.
| Ryder Cup | Final Score | Team | Player | Overall Record | Points Won |
| 1965 | GB 12.5-19.5 USA | Great Britain | Peter Alliss | 5-1-0 | 5 |
| 1969 | GB 16-16 USA (USA retained the cup) | Great Britain | Tony Jacklin | 4-0-2 | 5 |
| 1991 | USA 14.5-13.5 Europe | Europe | Seve Ballesteros | 4-0-1 | 4.5 |
| 1993 | Europe 13-15 USA | Europe | Ian Woosnam | 4-0-1 | 4.5 |
| 1973 | GB&I 13-19 USA | Great Britain and Ireland | Peter Oosterhuis | 3-1-2 | 4 |
| 1979 | USA 17-11 Europe | Europe | Bernard Gallacher | 4-1-0 | 4 |
| 1983 | USA 14.5-13.5 Europe | Europe | Sir Nick Faldo | 4-1-0 | 4 |
| 1983 | USA 14.5-13.5 Europe | Europe | Bernard Langer | 4-1-0 | 4 |
| 1995 | USA 13.5-14.5 Europe | USA | Corey Pavin | 4-1-0 | 4 |
| 2008 | USA 16.5-11.5 Europe | Europe | Ian Poulter | 4-1-0 | 4 |
| 2016 | USA 17-11 Europe | Europe | Thomas Pieters | 4-1-0 | 4 |
| 2018 | Europe 17.5-10.5 USA | USA | Justin Thomas | 4-1-0 | 4 |
Pieters has not come that close to qualifying for any European side since 2016. And given that he now plays on LIV, there is a very good chance that week at Hazeltine will prove to be his sole appearance in the Ryder Cup.
If that is the case, at least he can be unbelievably proud of how well he performed when his chance did come along.
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