Scottie Scheffler often leaves fans impressed, but his play at the 2025 Ryder Cup raised more than a few eyebrows for the wrong reasons.
Heading into this year’s event, Scheffler had plenty to prove. He had a rough time in Rome two years earlier, suffering a record defeat on Saturday and coming away without a single win from four matches.
But things looked different this time around. Scheffler came into New York full of confidence after winning two majors in 2025, and he added another title at the Procore Championship just before arriving at Bethpage.
How Scottie Scheffler’s approach changed between Ryder Cups
Things did not go as planned for Keegan Bradley’s side, either. Scheffler lost all four of his matches across the first two days.
His only point came in the Sunday singles against Rory McIlroy, who looked drained by that stage.
Scheffler is not the first top player to struggle at the Ryder Cup, and he will not be the last. Even Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson ended their careers with losing records in the event.
Speaking to CBS about his experience playing alongside the Dallas native in two Ryder Cups, Harris English pointed out a clear difference between now and when he was a rookie in 2021.
“Whistling Straits was kind of his coming out party. He beat Jon Rahm pretty bad on Sunday. He hadn’t won before that, and that was kind of his coming out party of Scottie Scheffler’s here to stay. We’ve all known how good he was for a long time,” he began by saying.
“I remember getting paired with him at Erin Hills when he was an amateur, and after the round I texted the guy who runs the Walker Cup and I was like, ‘if you leave this guy off the Walker Cup team, you’re an idiot’. He’s one of the best amateurs I’ve ever seen. It’s just incredible to watch.
“Fast forward to the Ryder Cup [last year], you can tell how much more pressure he’s under at a Ryder Cup, especially this year of knowing he’s going to play five matches, number one in the world. You could tell he feels more pressure in that than he does playing in majors.
“We all feel for him and we all rallied around him. I know he didn’t play his best golf, but I know he’s trying his hardest, if not harder in a Ryder Cup than he is other tournaments. It is what it is. He’s going to keep working as hard as he can and keep setting the bar high for all of us out on the PGA Tour.”
Scottie Scheffler’s challenge ahead of the 2027 Ryder Cup
With the next Ryder Cup set for Adare Manor in 2027, Scheffler is once again expected to be the face of Team USA. His recent win at The American Express suggests he has not lost a step since his strong 2025 season.
Scheffler looked just as sharp before Bethpage, but could not carry that momentum into the matches. So even if he enters 2027 in similar form, it is fair to question how much that will matter by the time play begins.
The Americans could do more to support him. Despite Bradley’s passion for the event, Europe seems better organised and more unified at this point.
Scheffler is destined to become the dominant force at the Ryder Cup, mirroring the form he displays most weeks on tour. It is only a matter of time before everything comes together for him in that competition. But until then, Europe will keep looking to add pressure and make it even harder for him to find his footing in this event.
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