The 2025 US Ryder Cup squad is once again packed full of world-class talent and skipper Keegan Bradley had a real headache trying to pick six wildcards to add to his six automatic qualifiers.
With home advantage at Bethpage Black in New York, they’re the favourites to reclaim the trophy.
But how do Bradley’s 12 stack up against past US teams when using world rankings as a measure?
Here, we list the strongest ever American teams this century.
2021 – Whistling Straits
- USA average world ranking: 8.92
- Result: USA won 19-9
In terms of world ranking, this was the strongest US team in history. It was also the youngest in its history and that blend of youth and talent powered Steve Stricker’s team to a 19-9 win, the largest winning margin in a Ryder Cup since 1967.
Eight of the 12 players at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin were ranked in the world’s top 10 and the lowest ranked member of the team was a certain Scottie Scheffler at 26th.
2018 – Le Golf National
- USA average world ranking: 11.16
- Result: USA lost 17.5-10.5
Jim Furyk’s powerhouse team included three of the top four in the world rankings (Dustin Johnson 1st, Brooks Koepka 3rd and Justin Thomas 4th) while Tiger Woods (ranked 13th), who would famously win the 2019 Masters just over six months later, was given a wildcard pick.
But, despite that intimidating line-up, they were crushed 17.5-10.5 by Thomas Bjorn’s Europeans despite winning the opening fourballs 3-1.
2012 – Medinah
- USA average world ranking: 12.17
- Result: USA lost 14.5-13.5
Davis Love’s 12-man squad included 11 of the world’s top 17, including Tiger Woods (ranked 2nd at the time). For most of the first two days in Illinois they dominated, building a 10-4 lead at one point.
But in what became known as ‘The Miracle of Medinah’, Jose Maria Olazabal’s Europeans staged an astonishing comeback to secure victory by a point after winning the Sunday singles 8.5-3.5.
2014 – Gleneagles
- USA average world ranking: 16.25
- Result: USA lost 16.5-11.5
Once again, Team USA had the better team on paper (Europe’s average world ranking was just under 20) despite Tiger Woods being ruled out with injury.
But Tom Watson was totally out-thought by opposing skipper Paul McGinley as the Scottish crowds revelled in a home win. Europe led 5-3 after day one and pulled away to win by five.
2016 – Hazeltine
- US average world ranking: 17.08
- Result: US won 17-11
After the shock of losing at Medinah four years earlier when holding a big lead, Davis Love got a second crack at being captain in 2016 and made it count.
With 10 of their team in the world’s top 25, they looked much stronger than Team Europe on paper and after sweeping the morning foursomes 4-0, the Americans cruised to a 17-11 win, ending a run of three straight European victories.
How does the 2025 USA Ryder Cup team stack up?
Keegan Bradley’s team have an average world ranking of 11.33 this time so compare very favourably to past American squads.
Only the 2018 and 2021 teams had a better collective rank although it’s worth noting that world rankings have been skewed in the last couple of years with LIV players not getting points from events on their tour.
Even so, this is clearly an elite US team. But a warning to Bradley: the six strongest US Ryder Cup teams this century have managed to emerge victorious just twice.
They came in the 2016 and 2021 Ryder Cups – both played on home soil. In fact, world rankings seem to have very little effect on the outcome of the trophy.
A total of 11 Ryder Cups have been played this century, with the Americans having the better average world ranking in nine of those. But of those 11 contests, the better team on paper have won just three times!
A far better predictor is home advantage. Nine of the 11 Ryder Cups played this century have been won by the hosts, including five of the last six.
In fact, had Europe not pulled off ‘The Miracle of Medinah’ in 2012, the home team would have won each of the last nine.
It suggests Luke Donald’s team have an uphill task in New York next month.
Read next: Which 127 PGA Tour-win duo was the worst USA Ryder Cup pairing ever?
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