The moment of truth has arrived for US Ryder Cup team captain Zach Johnson. It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for the 47-year-old Iowa native, filled with countless practice rounds, scouting trips, media obligations, late-night phone calls, and strategic discussions. 

It’s a sweet gig, one of the most sought-after in professional golf. Until it becomes the job that nobody wants. The job that requires picking the final six players to fill out the roster and, inevitably, crushing the dreams of a few players who didn’t make the cut and won’t be making the trip to Rome for the 44^th Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. 

Most prior Ryder Cup team captains on both sides cite this as the worst part of the job, and it’s just about time for Johnson to make those final phone calls to several dejected players on the bubble. 

Six players have already qualified for the US team on points – Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele. 

Johnson has control over the final six captain’s picks, which will be announced on August, 29. If Johnson were to choose strictly off the Ryder Cup point system, the final six roster spots would fill out as follows:

7. Brooks Koepka 

8. Jordan Spieth

9. Cameron Young

10. Collin Morikawa

11. Keegan Bradley

12. Sam Burns

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But it’s not that simple. Captains need to weigh the current form compared to a two-year rolling points system. They also need to consider team chemistry, the course fits, potential pairings for fourball (best ball) and foursomes (alternate shot), etc. 

Johnson also has the unprecedented choice of whether to include any LIV golfers, with several long-time Ryder Cup staples defecting to the Saudi-backed organization that has since reached an agreement with the PGA Tour. 

Looking at the top six qualifiers and beyond, we believe the following players are a lock to make the roster:

1. Scottie Scheffler, 100%

2. Wyndham Clark, 100%

3. Brian Harman, 100%

4. Patrick Cantlay, 100%

5. Max Homa, 100%

6. Xander Schauffele, 100%

7. Jordan Spieth, 100%

8. Collin Morikawa, 100%

That leaves four more spots among the following group of candidates: Brooks Koepka, Cameron Young, Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, and Lucas Glover. 

Even though these odds aren't available on the best betting apps, we’ve created yes/no odds on each player based on a number of different factors with the final decision looming following this week’s Tour Championship at East Lake. 

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Brooks Koepka Ryder Cup Team Odds 

The odds information contained in this article is for entertainment purposes only.

Kopeka will likely end up as one of the most controversial selections, in or out, given the circumstances. We have him strongly favored to make the team. 

Koepka was in the top six points qualifiers prior to last week’s BMW Championship, for which Koepka was not eligible as a member of LIV Golf. That’s the trade-off he made when choosing to take the bag and jump ship, but it shouldn’t cloud Johnson’s decision all that much. 

Koepka made the cut at all four majors, finishing T-2 at the Masters and winning the PGA Championship. He’s still No. 13 in the Official World Golf Rankings, despite not earning any OWGR points during LIV events. 

And any personal animosity among current Tour players is likely overblown. Everyone just wants to win, and Koepka gives the Americans the best chance to do it among the bubble candidates. 

Rickie Fowler Ryder Cup Team Odds

Aside from being one of the most well-liked players on Tour, Fowler had himself one helluva year. He dug himself out of a monster slump that left him ineligible for a handful of majors, slowly working his way back into the top 25 in the OWGR. He was comfortably inside the top 30 for this week’s Tour Championship and he won last month at the Rocket Mortgage in Detroit. 

Reputation and experience aside, Fowler should qualify for the team on current form alone. We’d be very surprised if Johnson decided to leave him stateside as the Americans try to win the Ryder Cup on European soil for the first time since 1993.

Justin Thomas Ryder Cup Team Odds

Johnson will be criticized for this decision no matter what he does. Thomas is a perennial Presidents and Ryder Cup team member and the credentials are tough to top – Thomas has a career 10-2-3 record in fourball and foursomes, including a perfect 6-0-1 in fourball. 

However, the current form is awful. Thomas missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs entirely for the first time in his career, his best major finish was a T-65 at the PGA Championship and he hasn’t logged a top-five finish since a solo fourth at the Waste Management Open back in February. 

We still believe he has a good chance to make the team, right or wrong. Keep in mind that team chemistry is a big factor and, with all due respect, the US Team in its current form isn’t exactly stacked with engaging and colorful personalities. Thomas is a ferocious competitor, but he’d also be a great addition to the team room in terms of keeping things light and loose. 

Cameron Young Ryder Cup Team Odds

Young is a very tough one, but we think he squeaks in as the 12^th man. He was widely considered a lock earlier this season following a runner-up at the WGC Match Play and a T-7 at the Masters, but he didn’t log a single top-30 finish from April-June. 

However, Young has three top 15s in his last five events – T-6 at the John Deere, T-8 at the British Open and T-15 at last week’s BMW Championship. He’s also just 26 years old and a potential long-time Ryder Cup member. It’s time to get his feet wet and that has to factor into Johnson’s decision. 

Keegan Bradley Ryder Cup Odds

We have Bradley as the likely last man out for the US team. He’s had a terrific year, with two wins and five top 10s. He also played well on past US Teams, but it’s been a long time since he qualified. Bradley went 6-2-1 overall in team play at the 2012 and 2014 Ryder Cups and 2013 Presidents Cup. 

Also, he desperately wants to get back after a decade on the sidelines. That burning desire to be there shouldn’t be overlooked, and another veteran presence could certainly boost the squad. But a 1-12-6 career singles record doesn’t instill a ton of confidence. This could be the most difficult phone call for Johnson to make. 

Sam Burns Ryder Cup Team Odds

Burns is a real head-scratcher. He checks all the boxes as a balanced player with solid results and a big-time win at the WGC Match Play. But there’s nothing that jumps out and says you have to put him on the team. 

Consistency has been a big issue, which isn’t ideal for a three-day format. He’s also never contended in any of his 13 major appearances, with just one top-25 finish – a T-20 at the 2022 PGA Championship. 

He missed the cut at the PGA and British Open this season, and we wouldn’t at all be surprised if he just misses the cut for the US Ryder Cup roster. 

Lucas Glover Ryder Cup Team Odds

There’s not a soul in the world who thought we’d be having a Lucas Glover discussion a month prior to the Ryder Cup – including Glover himself. But the 43-year-old forced his way on to Johnson’s radar with an all-time heater, going back-to-back to win the Wyndham Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship. 

It seems we have this debate every two years – a player who wasn’t even an afterthought gets super hot at the right time and suddenly looks like a world-beater just before selection time. 

Despite his current form, he didn’t fit into any team plans a month ago and we just can’t see such a drastic change of course after a once-in-a-lifetime stretch for Glover. 

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