Europe Leads 2025 Ryder Cup as World No.1 Scottie Scheffler Struggles at Bethpage

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 golfer and dominant force on the PGA Tour, struggled significantly during the opening day of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, losing both of his matches and contributing to Team USA's poor start against Europe. Despite his success in regular tournament play and match play events like the WGC-Match Play, Scheffler has consistently underperformed in Ryder Cup foursomes, a trend noted by experts who cite his inability to adapt to the alternate-shot format and the intense pressure of the event. His Ryder Cup foursomes record is notably poor, with just three holes won against eighteen lost in recent matches, drawing parallels to Tiger Woods' historical struggles in similar formats. Analysts such as Nick Faldo and Alex Miceli have criticized Scheffler's performance, highlighting his failure to make crucial putts and suggesting that the Ryder Cup's match-play dynamics affect his usual game rhythm. Europe's players, including Jon Rahm and Ludvig Åberg, capitalized on Scheffler's difficulties, maintaining strong performances that contributed to Europe's commanding lead. The ongoing challenge for Scheffler is to translate his PGA Tour dominance into cohesive team play under Ryder Cup conditions to help Team USA close the gap.