The Sanderson Farms Championship on the PGA Tour may not be a highlight on the calendar in the eyes of many, but there will be a number of players in the field at Mississippi who will have been motivated by watching the Ryder Cup over recent days.
The 2025 Ryder Cup was largely tough viewing for those supporting the American side. Keegan Bradley‘s men were outplayed for two days at Bethpage Black.
In the end, a superb performance in the singles made the scoreline a lot more respectable than it had any right to be, with Europe eventually triumphing 15-13 in New York.
The result should certainly lead to an inquest from the PGA of America. Clearly, Europe have a magic formula that Team USA have yet to stumble upon.
And if the PGA of America do not do something drastically different, another humbling defeat is surely on the cards at Adare Manor.
Team USA cannot afford to go to Adare Manor without a complete overhaul of their Ryder Cup strategy
It was remarkable just how competitive Europe were over the first four sessions at Bethpage. They won 11 of the 16 matches over the first two days, with the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Jon Rahm looking a class apart.
The likes of Cameron Young and J.J. Spaun did step up on their Ryder Cup bows. They are among the players that the next captain should be looking to select in Ireland.
But the likes of Collin Morikawa, Harris English, Russell Henley and Sam Burns struggled on the big stage. In the case of Morikawa and Burns, it is the second Ryder Cup in a row in which they have failed to make a meaningful contribution.
There are obviously factors which were out of Keegan Bradley’s control. Few would have ever imagined – even with his underwhelming Ryder Cup record – that Scottie Scheffler would lose his first four matches. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau did not fare a lot better.
But Europe got the balance right between relying on the players in form and backing those who have done it so many times before for them.
Team USA need Scheffler. They need DeChambeau. And they will probably need Xander Schauffele. But they also need to be prepared to take one or two players from further down the qualification standings who have a track record of stepping up under the most intense pressure – as Justin Thomas proved on Sunday when he managed to beat Fleetwood to deliver a crucial point.
There are just some players who thrive when the team’s backs are against the wall and they need a spark from somewhere.
What Max Homa and just three other Americans have done in an away Ryder Cup since 2002
It is hard to imagine that Max Homa has had too much contact with Bradley in recent months. Homa’s form dropped off significantly over the last 18 months, almost from the moment that he went long on 12 on Sunday at The Masters in 2024 and saw his hopes of catching Scheffler evaporate.
Of course, Homa should not have received a pick for Bethpage. But Team USA would have definitely benefitted from having someone like him in the ranks.
Just four Americans have won 3.5 points or more in a road Ryder Cup this century.
David Toms reached that tally in 2002, while Patrick Reed did the same on his debut 12 years later. Meanwhile, Thomas won four points at Le Golf National.
And crucially, Homa was able to win 3.5 points in what was a shambolic performance from the Americans in Rome in 2023. That was at least 1.5 points more than any of his teammates at Marco Simone.
He also managed to surpass expectations at the Presidents Cup the following year, looking significantly better than his playing partner Brian Harman at Royal Montreal.
Homa goes into the Sanderson Farms Championship 120th in the world rankings. Clearly, he has got so much work to do before he is back at the level where he is being discussed as a Ryder Cup player again.
But Homa is someone who loves the battle. He looked so comfortable in Italy. And he put a lot of his more experienced teammates to shame with his contribution.
There had been some more positive signs before the FedEx Cup playoffs, before a top 20 finish at the Procore Championship.
And you would have to think that not being involved at Bethpage motivated Homa like nothing else.
Team USA will be in a much better spot with someone like Homa involved at Adare Manor.
Obviously, it is some time before qualification for 2027 even starts. But the PGA of America needs to look at the 2025 Ryder Cup as a turning point – and Homa should take a similar view with his own career.
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