The 2025 Open Championship is proving to be the perfect preparation for Europe’s Ryder Cup plans.
This week’s Open at Royal Portrush is the final major of the year but there’s more elite golf to come later in the year.
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McIlroy and his Ryder Cup team-mates are going well at The OpenCredit: Getty
The 2025 Ryder Cup is heading to Bethpage Black in late September for what promises to be one of the greatest ever events.
Europe claimed a dominant win over the Americans in Rome in 2023 and will travel to New York with high confidence of going back-to-back.
Winning an away Ryder Cup is one of the hardest things to do in golf and with the rowdy home fans at Bethpage Black, that task will be even harder.
But Europe’s preparations for the event could hardly be better so far.
Rory McIlroy, of course, completed Career Grand Slam glory at The Masters earlier this year and there have been a number of other European winners on the PGA Tour this season.
Sepp Straka has won twice in America this year while Ludvig Aberg claimed Genesis glory in February and Viktor Hovland was the Valspar champion a month later.
And now at The Open, the Europeans are showing their class again.
In an impressive stat that captain Luke Donald will love, every member of Team Europe from 2023 has made the cut at Portrush.
Matt Fitzpatrick is one off the lead with Tyrrell Hatton, Robert MacIntyre and Nicolai Hojgaard all right in the mix.
McIlroy, Aberg and Justin Rose are also in contention a little further down the leaderboard while Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Hovland and Straka made the cut too.
While those 12 players may not all make the team again this September, Donald will be delighted with the form of the players at his disposal.
talkSPORT.com’s Ryder Cup team predictions
Team Europe
Automatic qualifiers
- Rory McIlroy
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Robert MacIntyre
- Shane Lowry
- Sepp Straka
Captain’s picks
- Justin Rose
- Jon Rahm
- Viktor Hovland
- Ludvig Aberg
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Aaron Rai
Team USA
Automatic qualifiers
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- JJ Spaun
- Russell Henley
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Justin Thomas
Captain’s picks
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Hatton is in contention in PortrushCredit: Getty
As for the 2023 American team, Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Cantlay all missed the cut in Portrush while Max Homa did not even qualify for the major.
Team USA will be buoyed by the fact that superstar Scottie Scheffler has been in brilliant form once again in Northern Ireland.
The three-time major champion shot a stunning 64 on Friday to hold the outright 36-hole lead at Portrush.
His compatriot Bryson Dechambeau has had an interesting week too.
Dechambeau is eager to make the Ryder Cup team this year but endured a horror start to The Open, shooting a first round 78.
But he hit back in style on Friday with a 65 to make the cut and will now be looking to impress over the weekend.
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Dechambeau has had a dramatic week at The OpenCredit: AFP
After his round, he was asked if he feels extra pressure to perform given the Ryder Cup is only a few weeks away.
He said: “I feel pressure every week to play good for not only Keegan, but myself and the people that I love and everybody that’s watching me.
“I absolutely feel pressure and I put enough pressure on myself already for my country, for the game of golf.
“But I’m excited for the challenge. It makes me more excited. When I feel those nerves, I’m like, okay, let’s go.
“I’ll walk through the fire rather than run away from it.”
The 2025 Ryder Cup will take place at Bethpage Black from Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28.
talkSPORT 2 will have live commentary of The 153rd Open from Royal Portrush this week.
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