Europe favored to tame Bethpage Black as 2025 Ryder Cup opens on Long Island

Bethpage Black on Long Island will host the 2025 Ryder Cup this weekend, with the first tee shots scheduled for Friday morning. Betting markets tilt toward Team Europe to win this year, despite the event taking place on home soil for Team USA. Bet365 lists Europe at +175 to lift the trophy, a line that suggests a more balanced, potentially chaotic weekend than the past few editions.

The Black Course, a par-71 measuring about 7,400 yards, is widely regarded as one of the toughest tests on tour. Its punishment for wayward drives is real, and the layout could neutralize the U.S. advantage that comes with playing in familiar territory. The American roster centers on Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, and a group whose depth will be tested by Bethpage’s demands. Europe, meanwhile, can lean on Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland, and veterans Justin Rose and Shane Lowry to navigate the stretch and contribute in multiple sessions.

Market leaders also highlight individual point potential. Shane Lowry is listed as Europe’s most points scorer at 22/1 (DraftKings), with Justin Rose and Lowry expected to partner on Day 1. For Team USA, Cameron Young is the favorite to accumulate the most points on 12/1 (BetMGM), reflecting his form on New York soil and his comfort with the course. Viktor Hovland is the long shot to end as the top points winner overall at 22/1 (FanDuel).

Analysts note the depth on Europe’s roster—McIlroy, Rahm, Fleetwood, Hovland, and Aberg—paired with experienced hands, could provide resilience on a course where margins can be wafer-thin. The Americans count on Scheffler, Young, and a mix of veterans and rising players, but the balance of questions behind them has bookmakers taking a cautious stance. Europe’s recent away-record drought—Europe last won on foreign soil in Medinah in 2012—adds to the intrigue, raising questions about whether home advantage can tilt the scales on a course that demands accuracy and nerves under pressure.

Bethpage’s challenges are expected to keep scoring closer and more chaotic than some recent Ryder Cups. The course’s roughs, greens and strategic bunkering will test players’ club choice and risk tolerance across four-ball and foursomes formats, with each session shaping momentum for the weekend. The American contingent, led by Scheffler, faces the task of translating home-course familiarity into consistent rounds under pressure, while Europe’s blend of young talent and veteran steadiness offers a path to scoring bursts in key pairings.

As play begins, bettors will watch for price moves as the first rounds unfold. The North American market has seen substantial money backing Team USA, but the price on Europe could drift further if the early rounds produce chaotic scoring or surprising pairings. Bethpage Black’s roughs and wind can magnify mistakes; the absence of a single dominant favorite may yield a Ryder Cup that tests everyone in attendance—players, captains, and bettors alike.

Long Island is braced for a weekend of intense golf and traffic as thousands converge on the suburban course. The event, which has produced some of the sport’s most memorable moments, will again be defined by how players translate its brutal fairways, greens and bunkers into the match-play format. The European team’s blend of experience and young talent gives Luke Donald a path to victory if the squad can exploit the course’s tempo and keep pace with a United States side that features Scheffler at the center.

The 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black also features a slate of markets that keep fans and bettors engaged beyond the outright result. Team Europe Most Points: Shane Lowry at 22/1 (DraftKings); Team USA Most Points: Cameron Young at 12/1 (BetMGM); Most points overall: Viktor Hovland at 22/1 (FanDuel). Those bets reflect a tournament where the supporting cast around the two leading powers on each side could swing results in tight matches, particularly on a course that rewards strategic play and patience as much as raw power.

In sum, the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black is shaping up as a test of nerves and strategy as much as a test of distance. If Europe’s depth and experience translate to standardized scoring on a course that can swallow mistakes, an upset is not only possible—it could redefine a storyline that has long leaned toward the United States at home on familiar turf. And if the crowd’s energy spills into the scoring, the event could deliver the chaotic, memorable weekend that pundits have predicted for Bethpage Black. For fans on Long Island, Friday marks the start of a weekend that will be remembered as much for the conditions and course as for the battles between two storied teams across one of golf’s most storied venues.