Scottie Scheffler’s four losses at Bethpage Black played a significant role in deciding the 2025 Ryder Cup, as the big names on both teams struggled to find their best form.
Europe stuck with Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm for all five sessions. Rahm only picked up three points, but even that was still a useful contribution.
The US relied on Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay throughout the week. But not one of them managed to collect two points.
Scheffler had just won the Procore Championship before heading to New York, which had raised expectations he might bounce back from his underwhelming showing in Rome two years earlier.
But instead of turning things around, it turned out to be another forgettable week for him.
Scottie Scheffler’s ongoing Ryder Cup struggles
He lost every match he played over the first two days, stretching his winless streak in the competition to eight matches.
Scheffler did manage to beat a worn-out McIlroy in the Sunday singles. Still, figuring out how to get the best out of him is something the 2027 captain will need to sort out.
It’s not unusual for top Americans to have issues in this event. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson lost 43 matches between them.
Knost suggested that Scheffler shares an issue with Woods that may have held both players back at times.
“I really liked my argument for this until you told me Phil has the most losses. But we’re just going to take that out because he’s an anomaly. But Tiger and Scottie Scheffler, they have a lot in common actually,” Knost said. “So when you watch them play day-in and day-out on the PGA Tour, it’s 72 holes, they wear you down, they don’t make many mistakes.”
“In the Ryder Cup, it’s an 18-hole sprint and playing safe, playing to the fat side of the green doesn’t work. I think that’s why both of them, their singles record is just fine.”
Colt Knost says Scottie Scheffler hit a shot in the Ryder Cup that he’s never seen before
Scheffler is known for his steady play, rarely making mistakes. He’s probably the most consistent player on the PGA Tour, especially with an iron in hand.
But he made an uncharacteristic error on the 18th hole during Saturday morning play. After Russell Henley gave him a perfect angle from the fairway, Scheffler missed the green entirely from less than 120 yards out.
Knost was asked about that shot and admitted even he was taken aback by what happened.
“Oh my god, I’ve known Scottie Scheffler since he was six years old when he moved to Dallas, Texas. I’ve played 1000 rounds of golf with him, seen him hit a million balls, I have never seen him hit a shot like that,” he said.
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But Europe shouldn’t relax just yet. Scheffler will likely figure out how to handle this event over time – something Tiger Woods never quite managed.
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