The next Ryder Cup at Bethpage is less than five months away, and the two teams are starting to take shape.
Justin Thomas jumped into the top six in the USA Ryder Cup standings with his win at the RBC Heritage, alongside Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa, and Russell Henley.
These players are currently expected to automatically qualify for Keegan Bradley’s squad, with six more captain’s picks to be made.
Golf experts Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner think one PGA Tour player is now likely to receive one of those selections after his recent form.
Up-and-coming PGA Tour player can make USA Ryder Cup team
Andrew Novak narrowly missed out on the RBC Heritage two weeks ago, losing to Thomas in a playoff, and he won his next PGA Tour event.
He and Ben Griffin lifted the Zurich Classic title with an excellent winning score of -28, one shot clear of brothers Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of their victory was the six-under-par 66 playing alternate shot in the second round.
Hoggard complimented the 30-year-old on the Golf Channel Podcast: “I would argue that Andrew Novak is clearly one of the Tour’s rising stars. What he has done this year, the potential he has shown, and getting his first victory.”
Lavner then responded with the suggestion that he’s put himself in a position to play for the USA at Bethpage in September.
“Andrew Novak has to be considered one of the leading contenders to make the US Ryder Cup team, just based on how well he has played in 2025,” Lavner said.
“Obviously, he’s going to need to do something in the major championships, but if you just zoom out and look at his record in 2025, it stands up pretty well against Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Maverick McNealy, Sahith Theegala, Max Homa, and players of that ilk.
“You have to find 12 players somehow. You always see these wildcards round out the end of the roster, and it certainly seems like Andrew Novak could position himself for that by September.”
Novak wasn’t even in the Ryder Cup picture before this year, but his first PGA Tour victory and four top-10 finishes have certainly put his name into the hat.
Smylie Kaufman doesn’t expect Andrew Novak to be on Keegan Bradley’s USA team
Former PGA Tour player Smylie Kaufman is not so bullish about Novak’s chances of representing the Stars and Stripes at Bethpage.
He believes that Bradley is going to opt for more experienced players to face Luke Donald’s strong European team, so he would need to qualify via the points system.
“It’s so hard to say because Andrew’s strengths are that he’s a really good ball-striker, and he’s been a poor putter to this point, but he’s had a better putting season,” Kaufman said. “He’s hit it just about as good as he ever has.
“In the Ryder Cup, you need guys to make putts, so I’m not sure exactly where he slots in with that. When you just look at the golf course, though, Andrew Novak doesn’t hit it short, but he flushes it. He’d probably pair up well in alternate shot.
“It’s still way too early, and I think Keegan Bradley is most likely going to go with experience on this team, so a guy like Andrew really has to play his way onto this team. It has to be a shoo-in.”
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