The three players on the US Ryder Cup team who could really struggle at Bethpage Black

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Keegan Bradley may well be slightly concerned about the form of certain players on his Ryder Cup team, despite what he has been saying to the press.

Bradley made his six captain’s picks for the US Ryder Cup team on Wednesday, and the most surprising thing about his selections was the fact that he didn’t name himself as one of the six.

In the aftermath of Wednesday’s press conference, Bradley has been praised for his selfless Ryder Cup decision after he put the team first over his own wants and desires.

Ryder Cup captain Bradley decided not to pick himself and opted for Sam Burns as his final selection.

Burns’ form hasn’t been that great this season and that’s a fairly common theme among Team USA right now.

In fact, there are three American players who are absolutely nowhere near their best at the moment.

Three players on the US Ryder Cup team who could struggle at Bethpage Black

The United States and Europe are very well matched teams but it has to be said, Luke Donald’s side seem to be slightly more settled than their counterparts right now.

Team USA definitely have more concerns when it comes to out-of-form players.

Xander Schauffele has endured an incredibly difficult 2025 season on the PGA Tour.

The 31-year-old didn’t get up and running until March after he suffered a small cartilage tear and an intercostal strain around the turn of the year.

However, Schauffele has taken much longer than was first expected to even get close to the form that he showed in 2024.

The underlying problem for the two-time major champion this season has been his driving. He ranked 85th in strokes gained off the tee and 149th in driving accuracy.

With straight and long driving so critical at Bethpage, Schauffele may well be a weak link for the American team. Who would have predicted that 12 months ago?

Next up we have Justin Thomas, and the same problems apply to the 32-year-old. He is ranked 81st in strokes gained off the tee and 146th in driving accuracy.

Thomas has historically been a really poor driver of the golf ball and if he doesn’t manage to hit at least 65% of the fairways at Bethpage, it will be a long week for him up in New York State.

Problems stacking up for Team USA ahead of the Ryder Cup

Worryingly for the United States, the form of Schauffele and Thomas is not the only concern for Bradley.

Collin Morikawa‘s form over the past few months has been abysmal, there is no sugarcoating that.

He has missed two cuts in his last five events, with his best finish a T-19 in a 30-man field at the Tour Championship.

The main worry with Morikawa is his lack of length off the tee. He ranked well down in 140th position in average driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2025.

Bethpage is a mammoth golf course and if the course is playing soft, it could simply play too long for the two-time major champion.

While the United States may well be slight favourites over Europe due to home advantage, Bradley will definitely have some concerns ahead of the showdown at Bethpage Black.