There’s not much left to do at the Ryder Cup other than start it. The U.S. and European teams have spent several days doing intensive prep on the course, working with their possible partners to put forth the best plan to win the Ryder Cup.

Who will win? How will it happen if they do? What matchups and pairings could be in store?

Ahead of Friday morning’s Foursomes session, our PGATOUR.COM experts sat down for a roundtable, discussing how everything will unfold at Bethpage Black.

The U.S. wins if ...

Paul Hodowanic: They let the rookies run. It’s hard not to rely on experience in these events, but the Americans’ rookies are unquestionably the players with the best form to begin the week. Scottie Scheffler has been the best American over the last three months, statistically. The next four are the four rookies: Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, J.J. Spaun and Russell Henley. It would be a mistake not to let them loose and see what they can do. Remember the Americans’ best player in Rome? That was Max Homa … a rookie.

Kevin Prise: The team leaders take care of business. I have a hard time imagining the Americans hoisting the Cup if Scheffler fails to secure four or five points, a tall order but fair to expect of the world No. 1. Xander Schauffele is a new dad but says his game is feeling good and will be counted on to win a few points, as will appointed “team philosopher” Patrick Cantlay and emotional leader Justin Thomas. With just six returning players from the Rome team, these guys need to carry their weight, particularly in the Foursomes format in which the Europeans traditionally show well.

Will Gray: The rookies deliver. The Americans have a ton of strength at the top, but if the first-timers deliver, they’ll be nearly unstoppable. J.J. Spaun is a newly minted major champion, Henley is coming off a career season, Young is no longer winless and Griffin has burst onto the scene. If that quartet can bat about .500 in their matches, it’s hard to envision a European path to victory, given the veteran leadership elsewhere in the American team room.

Europe wins if ...

Hodowanic: The stars show out. It’s difficult to envision Europe holding the Ryder Cup at the end of the week unless Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm dominate. With their team expected to get the brunt of a rowdy New York crowd, their stars setting the tone will be more important than ever. If McIlroy and Rahm play all five matches and win at least seven points, that’s the roadmap to victory.

Prise: They dominate the Foursomes (alternate shot) format. The Europeans quickly put the U.S. Team on the back foot during Foursomes at Marco Simone, and they could quiet the New York crowd early if they do so again. Several European veterans have a track record of feasting in the format, including Justin Rose (career 7-2-1 in the format), Tommy Fleetwood (4-0-0) and Rahm (4-0-0). Europe can seize the momentum early and make it difficult for a less experienced American side to catch up.

Gray: Continuity reigns supreme. The one advantage that Luke Donald’s squad has over their counterparts is that they are essentially running back the same team from Marco Simone. Everyone knows who they play well with, and everyone is familiar with the scene and setting. The visitors face an uphill battle, but one key could be if the Americans falter with some of their new blood or pairing combinations. Don’t expect Donald to deviate much from the plan that proved so successful in Italy, even if the scene has shifted.

The potential pairing I’d most like to see is ...

Hodowanic: Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau. Arguably, the two most animated players on the U.S. Team, Thomas and DeChambeau have played in the same practice grouping all week at Bethpage Black, even playing alternate shot together on Tuesday. Imagine those two going out first on Friday? It would turn an already raucous atmosphere on its head. It’s a risky move, but is it something I want to see? Absolutely.

Prise: How do I limit it to just one? Give me Young and Griffin, who shared a Tuesday practice round alongside Thomas and DeChambeau. The two American Ryder Cup first-timers are similar in that they play aggressively, hit it far and can rack up birdies in bunches. Their demeanors, on the other hand, couldn’t be more different; the fun-loving Griffin can be expected to play into the crowd’s energy throughout the week, while the soft-spoken Young carries a more reserved energy as he navigates a golf course. If there’s any confluence of factors to bring out the fire in Young, it would be a literal home Ryder Cup (he grew up in New York) alongside a boisterous playing partner. I am so here for that.

Gray: Thomas and DeChambeau. It certainly feels possible based on early-week practice groupings at Bethpage, and I think it would absolutely blow the roof off this place if it comes to fruition. Thomas is the most experienced veteran on the U.S. side, and combining him with a fellow two-time major champ could prove a tough combo to beat. It would certainly be one that could get the crowds going early at Bethpage.

The player facing the most pressure is ...

Hodowanic: McIlroy. He has been the most outspoken of the Europeans who believe this is their best chance to win an away Ryder Cup since Medinah. Now, it’s time to back that up. McIlroy struggled mightily the last time the Ryder Cup was in America in 2021 and has been more than comfortable to exchange barbs with American Bryson DeChambeau in the lead-up to this tournament. Also, it’s hard to imagine Europe doing the unthinkable and winning this week without its best player doing his part. Europe doesn’t win without McIlroy playing well.

Prise: McIlroy. My mind first went to Scheffler, considering his dominance in the past two years and the lingering memory of losing 9-and-7 (alongside Brooks Koepka) to Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland in Rome. That said, Scheffler isn’t one to carry too much emotional baggage, for better or worse, so I will give McIlroy the nod on this one. McIlroy proclaimed after the 2023 Ryder Cup that winning an away Ryder Cup is one of the most difficult tasks in sports, yet that’s what Team Europe would do at Bethpage Black. The time is now for McIlroy and his comrades to validate that statement, and it comes in the same year that he completed the career Grand Slam in emotional fashion at Augusta National. Winning this away Ryder Cup would rubber-stamp an all-time meaningful year for McIlroy … and crucially, he’s well aware.

Gray: Matt Fitzpatrick. Throwing a bit of a curveball here, but Fitzpatrick needs a solid week to avoid some Ryder Cup infamy. The Englishman has accrued a 1-7-0 career record across three Ryder Cup appearances and is 0-5-0 on American soil. He’s an accomplished player, a major champion and one deserving of making his fourth appearance in the biennial competition this week. But another rough or even winless week would put him on a short list of players who would combine volume of Ryder Cup matches with scarcity of Ryder Cup points.

The player who will be the biggest surprise is ...

Hodowanic: Robert MacIntyre. If Europe is contending for the Ryder Cup late on Sunday, I think MacIntyre will be a big reason why. He was solid, albeit a bit shaky at times in Rome, but the Scot is a much better player than he was two years ago in Italy. Add in the fact that he should be a great course fit at Bethpage and has more than enough passion to get under the American crowd’s skin, I think MacIntyre could be the heel we remember from Bethpage.

Prise: Harris English. The easygoing, affable Georgia Bulldog hasn’t attracted too many headlines this season but has played great golf throughout with two runner-up finishes in majors, an ascent to world No. 10, and an automatic spot on the U.S. Team. English doesn’t always show it, but he has some fire in him, which will come out this week as he delivers a couple of key points that help the U.S. Team withstand Europe’s best efforts and prevent McIlroy from delivering on his prediction. It won’t be a surprise inside the team room, but English as the X factor will catch plenty of outsiders off guard.

Gray: Griffin. I have fully bought in on this being a week where a lot of casual fans learn Griffin’s name. With or without the aviator shades, I think Griffin is poised for a big week on a course with pared-down rough and one where his length off the tee will prove advantageous. Twice a winner this year and a runner-up behind Scheffler just two weeks ago, I think Griffin will be a weapon for the Americans, particularly in Four-ball, and expect him to lean into the partisan crowd in a big way.