The wait is over. Team USA and Team Europe have revealed their opening Ryder Cup pairings, and the first tee at Bethpage Black will not disappoint.
Friday morning’s action begins with a heavyweight clash. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, unbeaten together in Rome two years ago, will face Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas. It’s a pairing designed to create fireworks, with two fiery Europeans taking on two of America’s biggest personalities.
DeChambeau was chosen by U.S. captain Keegan Bradley to set the tone in front of a home crowd. Thomas brings his usual match-play confidence, while Rahm and Hatton have built a reputation as Europe’s emotional spark. The opening match tees off at 7:10 a.m. local time.
Europe breaks up a star duo, U.S. rolls the dice
One of the surprises came from European captain Luke Donald. He decided to split Ludvig Åberg and Viktor Hovland, who destroyed Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 9&7 in 2023. Åberg will now join Matt Fitzpatrick against Scheffler and American rookie Russell Henley.
Donald doubled down on chemistry elsewhere. Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, who went undefeated together in Rome, are back as partners. They’ll face Collin Morikawa and Harris English in a match that could swing momentum either way.
The session closes with Hovland teaming up with Robert MacIntyre to battle Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, one of the U.S. team’s most reliable pairings.
Captains explain their choices
Donald said his goal was simple: start strong. “Rahm and Hatton have had a lot of success together. They know how to win,” he told reporters. Bradley, meanwhile, explained his decision to lean on DeChambeau early. “Bryson has been incredible in the locker room. We want him to lead our team out with Justin.”
Both captains left key names on the bench. The U.S. held back U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Sam Burns, Ben Griffin, and Cameron Young. Europe will wait to use Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, and Rasmus Højgaard.
The Ryder Cup is always about more than talent-it’s about energy, nerves, and momentum. With Rahm, Hatton, McIlroy, and DeChambeau all in action from the first whistle, Bethpage Black is guaranteed an opening session filled with tension and drama.
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