Ryder Cup: Final Power Rankings

What a Sunday!

With Europe going into Sunday with what everyone thought was an insurmountable lead of 12.5–5.5, the Americans instead showed they weren't done yet! They forced the Europeans to sweat out a very close victory on the road, making you wonder as American golf fans… where was this the first two days?  Europe, though, hangs on to win 15–13 and keep the Cup.

Ludvig Åberg was the lone singles victory on Sunday for the Europeans, which proved to be much more important than it seemed at the time. Along with his win, the ties did just enough. Of course, one tie gives U.S. fans reason to grumble, as Viktor Hovland had to bow out due to his neck injury flaring up, leading to a half point given to each side. (That’s the “envelope rule,” a point-sharing rule put in place when the Ryder Cup expanded beyond Great Britain.) In the end, it didn’t matter, as Sam Burns couldn’t hold onto the last match for the full point.

But this is about player rankings… so let’s talk rankings!

So many players had their ups and downs this weekend. Europe was stacked with stars on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday belonged to the Americans with a charge like we’ve never seen before in Ryder Cup play. Let’s break down the full tournament power rankings...who made the big move up or down, and who comes out on top as the best of the Ryder Cup?

Tommy Fleetwood may have missed his putt on 18 today, but he was still the MVP of the weekend...no debate there. He finished 4–1, including a takedown of Bryson and Scottie on Saturday afternoon. BUT, the #2 spot in the rankings might be as shocking as America’s comeback attempt: Cameron Young. The local man and rookie led the Americans with 3 points (tied with Xander Schauffele), but his game was sharper than anyone else on the team. Following him, you have Rory McIlroy & Jon Rahm. Even though both lost today, they were absolutely crucial in this European victory, Rory especially, battling a hostile crowd all weekend. Rory adds his second away Ryder Cup to go with the career grand slam.

The next group features Justin Rose & Bryson DeChambeau, fitting enough since they nearly went at each other Saturday afternoon. Rose had great moments, even today when he clearly didn’t have his best stuff. Meanwhile, Bryson fought back hard, his half point today looked impossible at the turn, but he pulled it off. Sure, 1–3–1 and ranked 6th looks odd together, but the stats back it up. Sometimes others are just better, even if you don’t play badly.

Moving into the second half of the rankings, we find Europeans who had flashes of brilliance but also left you scratching your head at times: Matt Fitzpatrick & Ludvig Åberg. Fitzpatrick looked like Tiger Woods early on Sunday before falling apart, but he still had clutch moments you can’t dismiss. Åberg started the weekend strong, then dropped two matches, but his singles win ended up being huge as ever. Europe needed him most, and he delivered.

The bottom tier of the top performers is American-dominated, with Shane Lowry mixed in thanks to his clutch comeback for a half point when Europe was collapsing. Alongside him: Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, and J.J. Spaun. All three Americans hit big shots throughout the weekend. Thomas fought through some ugly stretches but clutched up after an abysmal start. Schauffele seemed to get better every match, tying Young for most U.S. points.

Alright so this was a Ryder Cup the U.S. will want to forget. Expectations were sky-high, but Europe dominated for two days before a frantic American comeback fell just short. Now the two-year countdown to Ireland in 2027 begins. One major fix needed? Bryson and Scottie going a combined 2–7–1. That’s not how you win cups. They’ll have to lead the charge if an away victory is in sight for the Americans in ’27. This one though is in the books.

Tip your cap to the Europeans, they went into the heart of the beast, took on New York fans, and came out with one of the toughest tasks in golf: an away Ryder Cup victory.

Golf now takes a seat until 2026. But hey, let’s throw up the countdown to the 2026 Masters, because after this weekend, I want more.