Ryder Cup Friday Foursomes: Predicted pairings, match-ups for Day 1 at Bethpage

The 2025 Ryder Cup gets underway bright and early at 7.10am local time at Bethpage in New York on Friday.

Ryder Cup captains Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald will officially reveal their pairings for the Friday Foursomes at 4pm on Thursday.

While we don't have long to wait now, here at GolfMagic we have taken it upon ourselves to predict the foursomes pairings - and the match-ups too. 

Friday 26 September – Foursomes

• 7:10am – Match 1
• 7:26am – Match 2
• 7:42am – Match 3
• 7:58am – Match 4

GolfMagic's Andy Roberts and Ben Smith have been on the ground at Bethpage since Monday afternoon, charting the movements of the two captains and 24 players both out on the course and on the practice range.

While the three pods of fourballs for both United States and Europe have chopped and changed over the last few days of practice rounds, it's evident there are some nailed-on pairings for the two captains. 

Scroll down to see our predicted pairings for the Friday morning foursomes, and the possible match-ups we could see... 

Ryder Cup 2025: Friday Foursomes Predictions

Team USA predicted analysis:

Scheffler with Henley is a banker foursomes pairing not just on Friday but also Saturday - providing nothing goes badly wrong on day one of course. Scheffler and Henley have been paired together all week in practice so far, and they've made it no secret of their close bond, which has strengthened ever since going 2-1 together at last year's Presidents Cup. 

Best pals Cantlay and Schauffele have not had their best stuff out there on the PGA Tour this season, but their close bond and familiarity should once again see them sent out there together by Bradley. Both players are well used to playing alongside each other not just at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, but also during PGA Tour and major practice rounds. The duo have teamed up before at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Schauffele recently welcomed his first child, so hasn't been playing a great deal of golf the past four weeks, but it's hard to see him not being sent out there with Cantlay to try and get a red point on the board in the first session. 

DeChambeau has been hotly tipped to play alongside Young for the past month, but word on the ground this week is that the LIV Golf superstar will now be sent out there in the foursomes with Griffin. DeChambeau could still be with Young of course, but it's certainly going to be one of the rookies you'd think. There is a very good chance we'll see some combinations involving DeChambeau, Griffin, Young and Thomas on Friday and Saturday. 

Team Europe predicted analysis:

Rahm and Hatton went 2-0 together in the foursomes in 2023, and they are Legion XIII teammates on LIV Golf. It's another banker foursomes pairing, and we can see Donald putting his full faith in them to stick a first blue point on the board. They were sent out first in 2023 and we can see it happening again. They are two fearless players who know each other well, and they will likely prove a huge headache for Team USA across all three days. 

McIlroy and Fleetwood are another lock for the foursomes. Similarly to Rahm and Hatton, the pairing of McIlroy and Fleetwood went 2-0 in the foursomes in 2023. There's no doubt Donald will restore his faith in two of Europe's finest players once more. McIlroy has made it no secret how much the Ryder Cup means to him these days and he is eager to win another away match to cap off his memorable 025 season in style. Fleetwood recently won his first PGA Tour title and the FedEx Cup in the process, so arrives here riding the crest of a wave. You have to believe McIlroy and Fleetwood will prove an incredibly difficult pairing for Team USA to defeat in both of the foursomes sessions. 

Aberg with Fitzpatrick looks another likely partnership, albeit a brand new one. Aberg could of course join Hovland like he did in 2023, but Donald chose to partner Fitzpatrick alongside Aberg at the recent BMW PGA, and the duo have been seen regularly playing alongside each other at Bethpage so the signs are there for all to see. Their steady games look a perfect match for foursomes golf as well, but we'll have to wait and see. 

The other foursomes pairing for Europe is a little tougher to figure out, but Rose and MacIntyre teamed up well together last time around in Rome, albeit in the fourballs. Both players look in much better form entering the Ryder Cup this time around, and for that reason we think Donald will decide to send the two Brits out together in the foursomes this time. 

Who could miss the first session?

Should our above predicted pairings for the Friday Foursomes come to light, it would mean no place in the opening session for English, Spaun, Burns and Morikawa for the home team, and Lowry, Straka, Hojgaard and Hovland for the defending champions. 

The first fourballs session will take place straight after the morning foursomes on Friday. 

US President Donald Trump is going to be in attendance for the Friday fourballs. 

We fully expect all 24 players to feature in both the foursomes and fourballs on day one. 

Recent captains at the Ryder Cup have typically wanted to make sure all of their players get a run out on day one - largely so they can see who's feeling it and who's maybe not quite on their game. 

As we say though, these are just our predicted pairings for the Friday Foursomes so nothing is official until just after 4pm on Thursday when Bradley and Donald reveal the opening matches to the world. 

Now see our betting tips for the Ryder Cup

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