Scottie Scheffler suffered a disappointing Friday morning defeat alongside Russell Henley to start his 2025 Ryder Cup.
Scottie Scheffler didn’t exactly light the world on fire with his performance. The world number one continued his concerning trend at Ryder Cups.
But Russell Henley’s poor performance ultimately cost them against Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick, who took a 5&3 win. His lack of distance off the tee makes him appear entirely unsuited for Bethpage Black.
Following the loss, Henley explained where he felt it all went wrong for him and Scheffler.
Russell Henley admits to ‘sloppy’ performance alongside Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler blamed his loss on putting after the round, saying he and Henley had opportunities that they didn’t convert. Henley seconded those sentiments, but added that he needed to improve his ball striking.
He explained: “I didn’t capitalize on putts early in the round. They putted really well. They played great, gave themselves a lot of chances and just was a little sloppy.
“Didn’t make the putts I needed to and didn’t really keep the momentum going with the ball-striking on the back nine either. Hung in there as best I could, but they played great.”
Henley was left out of the afternoon fourball session, and it’s now doubtful that he’ll play until Sunday singles.
Whoever is matched against Henley will be licking their lips, as his incompatibility with Bethpage Black puts a target on his back.
Scottie Scheffler is still in search of Ryder Cup partner
Scottie Scheffler is undoubtedly the best player in the world, but Team USA has yet to find a partner to get the best out of him at the Ryder Cup. Scheffler suffered a record-breaking loss in 2023 alongside Brooks Koepka, and his 2025 tournament is off to a poor start.
Tiger Woods has been compared to Scheffler, not only because of his dominant season in 2025. Woods struggled in Ryder Cups throughout his career and now the current world number one is on the same trajectory.
He’s undefeated in singles over two matches, and Scheffler’s ability to perform under the most strenuous pressure has been proven time and time again. What he needs is a compatible partner.
Scheffler has had success alongside Bryson DeChambeau in the past. While it’s a risky strategy to play two of your superstar players with each other in team events, that could give Bradley the key to finding Scheffler a teammate.
A long-hitter off the tee could be the perfect partner for one of the most accurate iron players in the game in Scheffler, so a player like Cameron Young could be a good option for Saturday’s play.
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