As Ryder Cup captains finalise their pairings for foursomes and fourball, it’s only natural for teams to peer over to the opposing camp and speculate on their strategy.
Success during team events at the Ryder Cup can come down to matchups. Not only how well your players complement each other as pairs, but also how well they neutralise opponents’ strengths and capitalise on their weaknesses.
It’s typically a tall task for any captain to confidently predict their opponent’s pairings, but that may not be the case for Keegan Bradley and Team USA. Luke Donald is a returning captain for Europe, who had great success in Rome two years ago, with 11 of the 12 players he now brings to Bethpage.
US Ryder Cup vice-captain Brandt Snedeker is confident that he knows the pairings Europe will send out in New York. But he had a warning for his captain, Bradley, ahead of the tournament.
Brandt Snedeker says Luke Donald would be ‘crazy’ not to employ Ryder Cup strategy
Donald’s Europe got off to a record start in Rome, beginning Friday foursomes 4-0 to send their home crowd into a frenzy. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton got them underway, and Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood finished off an undefeated morning session.
Europe’s start in New York is vital for their success at the tournament, so Donald is blessed with confidence in his pairings. And Snedeker said Europe’s captain would be “crazy” not to send the same teams out again.
When asked if he had an idea of Europe’s pairings on the Fore Play Podcast, he said, “We kind of have an idea. It’s pretty much the same team they trotted out last time, and to be perfectly fair, they have some great matchups and great teams. You’d be crazy not to play those guys again.
| Team Europe pairing | Team US pairing | Result |
| Jon Rahm/ Tyrell Hatton | Scottie Scheffler/ Sam Burns | Europe won 4 & 3 |
| Ludvig Aberg/ Viktor Hovland | Max Homa/ Brian Harman | Europe won 4 & 3 |
| Shane Lowry/ Sepp Straka | Rickie Fowler/ Collin Morikawa | Europe won 2 & 1 |
| Rory McIlroy/ Tommy Fleetwood | Xander Schauffele/ Patrick Cantlay | Europe won 2 & 1 |
“We kind of have an idea of what they’re going to do. But at the end of the day, you can’t match up teams against each other. We’re putting out a lineup of four teams on Friday morning; they’re going to put out their lineup of four teams on Friday morning, and they’re just melded together.”
Speaking about the potential of trying to find the best opponents for the American players to go up against, he said Bradley shouldn’t try to predict Europe’s pairings.
He explained, “You’re not really worried about putting teams up against other teams. You’re putting your lineup out and saying, ‘Go get ‘em, boys.’
“There’s really not a whole lot of that going on, because that can backfire. As smart as you think you are, and think you have it all figured out, they do something different, and you feel like an idiot for making a dumb mistake.”
While Team USA’s four Ryder Cup rookies present a lot of unknowns for Bradley, he does have a pairing in his pocket with team play experience.
Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley provide a security blanket for Keegan Bradley
For some of his pairings, Bradley may have to close his eyes and cross his fingers that his players are compatible. All the research and preparation in the world cannot predict whether a pairing will thrive or crumble under the extreme pressure of the Ryder Cup.
But world number one Scottie Scheffler has a tried and tested partner that should give Bradley confidence. He and Russell Henley played together during the 2024 Presidents Cup, and went 2-1-0.
There have been some calls for the Americans to hype up the noisy New York Ryder Cup crowd, but sometimes the ability to block out the noise and get on with the job is the optimal way to deal with the environment. In that sense, the calm and composed Henley complements Scheffler ideally.
The pair also make sense on the course. Henley’s consistent iron play means he rarely puts Scheffler out of position in holes. And while Scheffler’s putting has seen mighty improvement in 2025, Henley’s ability on the green will allow him to capitalise on his teammate’s strength, which is his approach game.
Putting the world number one and four together on Friday can give Bradley some much-needed reassurance during a manic morning of action.
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