Sir Nick Faldo makes his prediction over which team is going to win the Ryder Cup this year

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The 2025 Ryder Cup appears too close to call, with two tightly matched teams and the unknown quantity of the New York crowd.

Not only do the teams appear equivalent in terms of talent, but they also cancel each other out in their skill sets. Both teams have players capable of hitting long drives, accurate irons and sinking long putts. 

Many see the New York crowd at the Ryder Cup as the deciding factor in favour of the American hosts. It’s set to be one of the most frenzied and noisy crowds in the history of the competition, raising questions about Europe’s ability to cope with the noise. 

But Sir Nick Faldo, who represented Europe at the Ryder Cup 10 times, has made a bold call when predicting his winner at Bethpage Black. 

Sir Nick Faldo picks Europe to win the 2025 Ryder Cup

Faldo, who has a 23-19-4 record on his way to four European Ryder Cup wins, was one of the pioneers of Europe’s success during the 1980s. He won Europe’s first away Ryder Cup in 1987, and knows all about taking on the USA against all the odds. 

Now, as Europe look to win their first away Ryder Cup since the Miracle at Medinah in 2012, Faldo predicted that Europe will once again silence the American crowd in 2025.

He said on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, “You have got to come on a mission so I’m delighted that Europe have said we are coming [to win]. It’s a mental thing. That is the mission, let’s do everything we possibly can.

“Let’s get everyone out of our way and prepare the best we can and we are on a mission to do it this week.

“It’s not going to be a surprise if it happens, so if you have mentally said, and in the team room I can promise you the adrenaline is flying around. But everyone knows that is the goal.

“It’s no good being excited about leading after day one. The goal is Sunday night you want to get to 14.5 or more. I am predicting 15-13 to Europe. I think we are going to do it. I think we are on a mission.”

Team Europe is well-prepared for an away Ryder Cup

It’s going to be a tough task, but Luke Donald’s team couldn’t have been better prepared. 11 of the 12 players from Europe’s victory in Rome are playing, so they are well-suited to the stage. Their only new addition, Rasmus Hojgaard, was there in 2023 to support his twin brother, Nicolai. 

While an away Ryder Cup is a totally different prospect to the one the players faced in Rome, two of their players, and Donald himself, were a part of the European team that beat Team USA in 2012. Rory McIlroy was a first-hand witness to Ian Poulter’s putting masterclass on Saturday, which set up the comeback. 

For the rest of the team, Donald is doing everything he can to prepare them for the environment. Donald used VR headsets to acclimatise his players to the heckling on the first tee, and he took Europe for practice rounds at Bethpage Black two weeks before the tournament began. 

The last two years have been dedicated solely to preparing for the New York Ryder Cup crowd. From Donald’s player picks to the way he has prepared, this has been meticulously thought out.

But one thing no one can predict is how the players will react on the first tee. That’s down to them, and their steely nerves.