The Ryder Cup returns with a ton of buzz – and the electricity should be off-the-charts come Friday when the teams square off in front of a boisterous New York crowd.

Bethpage State Park’s iconic Black Course will play host to the 2025 matches where Team Europe – led by returning captain Luke Donald – will square off against the U.S. Team, led by first-time captain Keegan Bradley.

Most of the European squad returns from 2023, where it won in a landslide in Rome, while one-third of the American side are rookies – but it is, of course, led by the No. 1 player in the world in Scottie Scheffler.

Here’s everything else you need to know as the Ryder Cup is nearly upon us.

U.S. Team

Qualifiers: Scottie Scheffler (third Ryder Cup), J.J. Spaun (rookie), Xander Schauffele (third Ryder Cup), Russell Henley (rookie), Harris English (second Ryder Cup), Bryson DeChambeau (third Ryder Cup)

Picks: Justin Thomas (fourth Ryder Cup), Collin Morikawa (third Ryder Cup), Ben Griffin (Rookie), Cameron Young (rookie), Patrick Cantlay (third Ryder Cup), Sam Burns (second Ryder Cup)

Captain: Keegan Bradley

European Team

Qualifiers: Rory McIlroy (eighth Ryder Cup), Robert MacIntyre (second Ryder Cup), Tommy Fleetwood (fourth Ryder Cup), Justin Rose (seventh Ryder Cup), Rasmus Højgaard (rookie), Tyrrell Hatton (fourth Ryder Cup)

Picks: Shane Lowry (third Ryder Cup), Sepp Straka (second Ryder Cup), Ludvig Åberg (second Ryder Cup), Viktor Hovland (third Ryder Cup), Matt Fitzpatrick (fourth Ryder Cup), Jon Rahm (fourth Ryder Cup)

Captain: Luke Donald

Top storylines

Europe gunning for a road victory

• There hasn’t been an "away" win since Europe won in 2012, and even that only occurred thanks to the "Miracle at Medinah." Winning on the road has only happened three times in the last 30 years (all Europe). Captain Luke Donald returns as captain for a second time with very nearly the same squad that won in a rout in Rome

Scheffler leading the way

• What more can we say about Scheffler, the game’s best player? Scheffler won six times on the PGA TOUR this season and led the way (or very nearly) in almost every key statistical category. Now he returns to Ryder Cup competition for the third time with all eyes on him to see if his singular success will translate to the team

McIlroy’s role

• With Scheffler the clear No. 1 on the American side, McIlroy – in his eighth Ryder Cup – is the heart-and-soul of the European team. McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam in April and was quick to mention that his ‘other’ big goal was to try to win an away Ryder Cup, one of the toughest things to do, he explains, in all of golf.

Rookies ready to rock

• There aren’t a plethora of first-timers on either side, but how they will impact the squads will obviously be a key factor. Funny enough, Europe has just one rookie in Højgaard – but his twin brother Nicholai played in Rome. So, yes, captain Donald just replaced one twin with the other for 2025. On the American side, captain Bradley will have a foursome of first-timers in Young, Griffin, Henley and Spaun. Young and Henley have both played Presidents Cup competitions before (and Young is a native New Yorker who will have an incredible amount of local support), while Spaun won the U.S. Open and Griffin is coming off far-and-away his best year as a pro.

Bradley’s choice

• The American captain was a swerve by the PGA of America as not only is he an active member of the PGA TOUR, but he is also a top-15 ranked player in the world. Bradley, who won the Travelers Championship in June, was firmly in the mix to be part of his own team before his form slipped later in the summer. Bradley did not pick himself to play on the team and instead had 100 percent of his focus on just leading the squad. Winning takes care of everything, but if the U.S. Team falls to Europe, the first question to Bradley would be whether or not he feels like he could have made a difference if he played.

COURSE: Bethpage State Park (Black Course), par 70, 7,398 yards. The course has long been known as incredibly difficult – there is, of course, the iconic sign near the first tee warning as such – and boasts thick rough, gnarly bunkers, and is a beefy walk originally designed by A.W. Tillinghast and recently worked on by Rees Jones. Not only is it physically demanding, but it is a mental challenge as well.

Bethpage Black (one of five 18-hole layouts in Bethpage State Park) has hosted the U.S. Open in 2002 and 2009, the 2019 PGA Championship and two FedExCup Playoff events (in 2012 and 2016). It is one of just seven courses to host a U.S. Open, PGA Championship and Ryder Cup.

Upcoming venues

• 2027: The Golf Course at Adare Manor (Ireland)
• 2029: Hazeltine National Golf Club (Minnesota)
• 2031: Camiral (Spain)
• 2033: The Olympic Golf Club – Lake Course (California)
• 2035: TBD
• 2037: Congressional Country Club – Blue Course (Maryland)

LAST TIME: Team Europe defeated the Americans 16.5-11.5 in Italy. Europe got off to an impressive start, going 4-0 in the opening Foursomes matches on Friday morning and continued to step on the gas in the afternoon, rushing out to a 6.5-1.5 lead after the first day. The lead was extended 9.5-2.5 after Saturday morning, which included a 9 and 7 stomping of Scheffler and Brooks Koepka by Hovland and Åberg. The Americans finally won their first session in the Saturday afternoon fourballs, cutting the deficit to 10.5.-5.5. Hovland won the first point of Sunday singles and while the Americans mounted a spirited comeback at the mid-point of the final day (winning three matches in a row) but the home side proved to be too strong – and Tommy Fleetwood earned the clinching point. The Singles session ended up tied 6-6.

How to follow (all times ET)

Television:

• Wednesday: 3 p.m., Opening Ceremony pre-show; 4 p.m., Opening Ceremony (GOLF Channel)
• Friday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (USA)
• Saturday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (NBC)
• Sunday: noon.-6 p.m. (NBC)

Radio:

• Friday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Saturday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Sunday: noon-6 p.m.

via Ryder Cup Radio on SiriusXM

Streaming: Featured matches (various) on RyderCup.com, Ryder Cup app and Peacock.

• Friday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Saturday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Sunday: noon-6 p.m.

Breakfast at Bethpage: Join Collin Jost live from Bethpage Black each morning of competition.

• Friday: 6-8 a.m. (Peacock)
• Saturday: 6-8 a.m. (Peacock)
• Sunday: 10 a.m.-noon (Peacock)

Schedule of events (all times ET)