At the conclusion of the BMW Championship Sunday at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland, the first six members of the United States Ryder Cup team will be official.

Those six golfers are automatically on the team to play Sept. 23-28 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. There will be still six spots remaining for captain Keegan Bradley to select as his picks to face off with team Europe.

The United States does not struggle when playing at home. In 2021 at Whistling Straits, the Americans dominated in what seemed like the beginning of a new Ryder Cup dynasty. It was short-lived as Europe trounced the United States at Marco Simone in 2023.

With the competition back on home soil, the Americans look to regain that momentum, but plenty of questions surround the bottom half of the roster.

Here’s our look at the perfect team to take back the Ryder Cup in September:

Already qualified

Scottie Scheffler

Why he’s perfect: He’s the no-doubt best player in the world and a two-time major champion this year. Scheffler also showed plenty of emotion that the Ryder Cup means something to him during the team’s loss in Italy.

J.J. Spaun

Why he’s perfect: The U.S. Open champion has the ability to not waver under pressure and drain long putts when needed. His 60-footer to win at Oakmont was something else. He lost two playoffs this year but battled two of Europe’s best in Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose.

Xander Schauffele

Whey he’s perfect: While not having his best year, Schauffele still qualified with strong performances in big events. He is a fixture on the United States team but will need to be better than he was in Rome.

In the top six right now

Russell Henley

Why he’s perfect: He won at Bay Hill and has six top-10 finishes this season on the PGA Tour. The fifth-ranked player in the world also paired with Scheffler during the President’s Cup. He’s a rookie with a calm, cool disposition.

Bryson DeChambeau

Why he’s perfect: The 2024 U.S. Open champion needs to be on the team. He loves playing off the crowd and has a huge following. And he is probably the third-best player in the world and his crazy distance off the tee fits Bethpage.

Harris English

Why he’s perfect: The winner at Torrey Pines this season brings a mild-mannered attitude to Bethpage Black. He is a strong putter and an accurate driver. English was part of the team at Whistling Straits.

Outside the top six but locks

Justin Thomas

Why he’s perfect: The straw that stirs the drink during Ryder Cups. He’s a veteran of these and loves to get the crowd going. A win at the RBC Heritage this season helps his cause.

Collin Morikawa

Why he’s perfect: Much like Schauffele, this hasn’t been his best year with just four top 10s and really only being in contention at The Sentry and Bay Hill. But he is another fixture on these teams and Bradley would be nuts to leave him off.

The next three

Ben Griffin

Why he’s perfect: Another rookie to mix with some of the longtime veterans. He has won twice this season and has 13 top-25 finishes. He sits ninth in Ryder Cup points and seventh in the FedEx standings going into the BMW.

Cameron Young

Why he’s perfect: One of the hottest players on tour right now and a big driver of the golf ball. He got his first career win at the Wyndham Championship and finished fifth in Memphis last week. Another rookie to give the team a different vibe.

Patrick Cantlay

Why he’s perfect: “No Hat” Pat gets up for the Ryder Cup. He, along with Max Homa, showed the most fight in Italy when the Americans were getting beat down. Not playing his best, but he must be there due to his past record.

Will he or won’t he?

Keegan Bradley

Why he’s perfect: The captain has played well enough to be on the team with wins at the 2024 BMW Championship at Castle Pines and the 2025 Traveler’s Championship. Can he play and be the leader of this team? We find out next month.

Just missed out

Wyndham Clark

Why he missed out: The Colorado native has had a down year and didn’t qualify for this year’s BMW Championship. He played in Italy and his game would fit Bethpage, but his season doesn’t stack up to others.

Chris Gotterup

Why he missed out: Before Young, he was the hottest player in the game with a win at the Scottish Open and top-three finish at the Open Championship. Was not great in Memphis last week and his whole season doesn’t look as good as that couple-week stretch.

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What they’re saying

“If I was the captain, I’d pick Keegan. I think he’s played great. … I think he has a lot of responsibility that week, so if he feels that he can play golf like a normal week given all his other responsibilities, I’m just saying that if I was the captain and I was thinking, I think he’s definitely one of the best American players, and his results have shown that.”

—Patrick Cantlay on Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley picking himself

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What they’re also saying

“Would you rather not have a player that has the flexibility to go twice if he’s playing well? There’s a lot of different things that go into it, and that’s why I think. Look, it’s just my opinion, but I think it would just be very difficult to do.”

—Rory McIlroy on the possibility of being a playing captain for the Ryder Cup in 2027

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Colorado PGA names Golf Professional of the Year

Mark Matz, the PGA director of golf at Beaver Creek Golf Club, was named the Golf Proffesional of the Year by the Colorado PGA.

Matz has lived in Colorado since 2017 and has helped lead Drive, Chip & Putt, PGA Jr. League and Youth on Course. 

The Colorado PGA named several more award winners Wednesday. The winner can be found here. 

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Skins game

Odds to win BMW Championship

Scottie Scheffler +220

Rory McIlroy +750

Xander Schauffele +1800

Tommy Fleetwood +2000

Ludvig Aberg +2200

Patrick Cantlay +2500

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This week in golf

PGA Tour

BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Owings Mills, Md.

Course: Caves Valley GC. Yardage: 7,601. Par: 70.

Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $3.6 million.

Television: Thursday-Friday, Noon-4 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Golf), 1-4 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 10 a.m-Noon (Golf), Noon-4 p.m. (NBC).

Defending champion: Keegan Bradley.

LPGA Tour

THE STANDARD PORTLAND CLASSIC

Site: Portland, Ore.

Course: Columbia Edgewater CC. Yardage: 6,497. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2 million. Winner’s share: $300,000.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 9-11 a.m. (Golf), 11 a.m.-Noon (NBC Sports app); Saturday, 4-7 p.m. (Golf); Sunday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf).

Defending champion: Moriya Jutanugarn.

LIV Golf League

LIV GOLF INDIANAPOLIS

Site: Westfield, Ind.

Course: The Club at Chatham Hills. Yardage: 7,295. Par: 71.

Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $4 million.

Television: Friday, 10 a.m.-Noon (FS1), Noon-3 p.m. (FOX); Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (FOX), 1-3 p.m. (FS2); Sunday, 8-10 a.m. (FS1), 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (FOX).

Defending champion: New event.

United States Golf Association

U.S. AMATEUR

Site: San Francisco.

Course: The Olympic Club (Lake). Yardage: 7,214. Par: 70.

Television: Thursday, 5-8 p.m. (Golf); Friday, 4-5 p.m. (Peacock), 5-7 p.m. (Golf); Saturday, 1-4 p.m. (Golf); Sunday, 5-8 p.m. (Golf).

Previous winner: Josele Ballester.

European Tour

DANISH GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Copenhagen, Denmark.

Course: Furesø Golf Klub. Yardage: 7,200. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2.75 million. Winner’s share: $458,333.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 5-9 a.m. (Golf), 9-11 a.m. (NBC Sports app); Saturday, 4:30-9 a.m. (Golf); Sunday, 4-9 a.m. (Golf).

Defending champion: Frederic LaCroix.

PGA Tour Champions

ROGERS CHARITY CLASSIC

Site: Calgary, Alberta.

Course: Canyon Meadows Golf & CC. Yardage: 7,093. Par: 70.

Prize money: $2.5 million. Winner’s share: $450,000.

Television: Friday, 2-5 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 7-9 p.m. (Golf-tape delay); Saturday, 2-5 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 8-10 p.m. (Golf-tape delay); Sunday, 2-5 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 9-11 p.m. (Golf-tape delay).

Defending champion: Ken Tanigawa.

Korn Ferry Tour

ALBERTSONS BOISE OPEN

Site: Boise, Idaho.

Course: Hillcrest CC. Yardage: 6,880. Par: 71.

Prize money: $1 million. Winner’s share: $180,000.

Television: None.

Previous winner: Matt McCarty.

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FedEx Cup standings

                            Points Money

1. Scottie Scheffler 5,456 $20,362,883

2. Rory McIlroy 3,444 $16,156,418

3. J.J. Spaun 3,344 $12,302,222

4. Justin Rose 3,220 $8,289,476

5. Sepp Straka 2,783 $10,295,894

6. Russell Henley 2,579 $9,909,056

7. Ben Griffin 2,555 $8,834,352

8. Tommy Fleetwood 2,433 $7,586,238

9. Justin Thomas 2,395 $9,642,162

10. Harris English 2,269 $7,788,052

11. Andrew Novak 1,991 $7,173,832

12. Cameron Young 1,904 $5,471,646

13. Ludvig Aberg 1,839 $7,209,473

14. Keegan Bradley 1,792 $7,249,145

15. Maverick McNealy 1,787 $6,452,075

16. Corey Conners 1,651 $5,447,236

17. Collin Morikawa 1,573 $7,182,561

18. Brian Harman 1,559 $4,704,910

19. Patrick Cantlay 1,555 $4,906,606

20. Robert Macintyre 1,550 $5,824,691

21. Hideki Matsuyama 1,497 $6,031,144

22. Nick Taylor 1,481 $4,859,042

23. Shane Lowry 1,458 $6,299,794

24. Sam Burns 1,381 $4,654,815

25. Sungjae Im 1,360 $4,535,887

26. Chris Gotterup 1,331 $3,981,637

27. Jacob Bridgeman 1,299 $3,780,673

28. Viktor Hovland 1,297 $4,519,239

29. Akshay Bhatia 1,276 $3,977,187

30. Lucas Glover 1,234 $4,299,743

31. Sam Stevens 1,207 $4,097,286

32. Ryan Gerard 1,202 $3,672,022

33. Daniel Berger 1,180 $4,099,049

34. Ryan Fox 1,157 $3,893,947

35. Taylor Pendrith 1,150 $3,606,452

36. Thomas Detry 1,142 $3,575,876

37. Kurt Kitayama 1,122 $3,087,406

38. Denny McCarthy 1,121 $3,691,352

39. Brian Campbell 1,120 $3,217,259

40. Matt Fitzpatrick 1,104 $3,499,413

41. Si Woo Kim 1,102 $3,535,844

42. Michael Kim 1,100 $3,529,131

43. Xander Schauffele 1,099 $3,236,366

44. Jason Day 1,093 $3,464,161

45. Harry Hall 1,075 $3,077,101

46. Bud Cauley 1,051 $3,164,843

47. Tom Hoge 1,042 $4,000,133

48. Rickie Fowler 1,032 $2,796,954

49. Jhonattan Vegas 1,003 $2,715,198

50. J.T. Poston 996 $2,884,583