6 Big Team USA Names Set To Miss Out On The Ryder Cup

The Open Championship was not quite a last chance for Ryder Cup hopefuls to impress, but it may have been a missed opportunity for some big names to press their claims to make their respective teams.

This seems especially true for Team USA more than Europe - with Luke Donald looking like having a far more settled side with many of the 12 that won in Rome in 2023 set to return.

The big 10 for Europe seem almost assured and make our very own Ryder Cup team predictions pretty settled in terms of the visitors in New York, with Sergio Garcia the 'biggest' name likely to miss out.

One of the Hojgaard twins or Matt Fitzpatrick could be others who miss out but they're likely the only big decisions to make - while for Keegan Bradley he has some Ryder Cup stalwarts nowhere near in good enough form to warrant a pick.

Brooks Koepka

One of America's biggest alpha males, Brooks Koepka has played in four Ryder Cups, won eight points and is unbeaten in singles with a 3-0-1 record when going man-to-man.

But he's just not been himself this season, missing three cuts from four in the Majors and not managing to win on LIV Golf - with just two top 10s ahead of the latest round in the UK.

He's nowhere near qualifying so Bradley would be taking it all on trust that he could find something back at Bethpage, where he won the US Open, but that'll be a huge gamble in this form.

Patrick Reed

Three Ryder Cups, eight points from 12 matches including a perfect three-for-three in singles and a match of the century contender against Rory McIlroy - Patrick Reed has excelled as Captain America over the years.

A fallout with Jordan Spieth and move to LIV saw him miss out on the last two, and after coming third at The Masters and winning on LIV he's fallen away this season and missed the cut at The Open.

Bradley may feel he lacks experience in his side and having Reed around would certainly add a swagger, and raise the temperature and the atmosphere even higher at Bethpage - but he'd be the ultimate wildcard pick.

Dustin Johnson

OK, so it's not really a surprise but Dustin Johnson doesn't look like he'll make the side - making his perfect 5-0 record from Whistling Straits possibly his last action from five Ryder Cups.

Outside the top 100 in the standings, he missed three out of four cuts so surely won't be anywhere near Bradley's thinking unless he's planning a major curve ball for the Europeans.

It's a shame as DJ was dynamite in his perfect 2021 outing - and the best thing about him is that his matches are decisive, as he's never halved a Ryder Cup match with his record being an impressive 12-9-0.

Rickie Fowler

If you had sponsor invites into the Ryder Cup Rickie Fowler might get in! He rode the system nicely to get into The Open and finished T14, but barring a late season charge his race looks run.

He's a five-event veteran in the Ryder Cup, but Fowler's record doesn't breed confidence as he's only won three of his 17 matches and 5.5 points overall.

A huge crowd favorite, yes, but at 42nd in the standings and with that record chances are he'll have more chance being at Bethpage as an extra vice-captain than as a player.

Tony Finau

A nice symetrical won three, lost three record from Tony Finau's matches across two Ryder Cups, but he missed out in Rome last time and is just outside the top 20 in the standings again after a so-so season.

Down in 67th on Data Golf shows he's not been playing that well either, with just that spark missing from his play. He won four times in the 14 months before the last Ryder Cup and still didn't make the team - he looks to stand no chance this time.

Max Homa

Max Homa played really well in his Ryder Cup debut in Rome, winning 3.5 points after being trusted to play all five matches, but his form has fallen off a cliff since.

He's missed cuts by the bucketload and didn't even make the last two Majors of the season, so he's got no chance sadly until he can at least find some of his best form.