We're excited to have you on board

This is an SOS ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Special Edition

Edition #1322 Sep 26, 2025

From The GIST Team

Fore!

Grab your clubs because the fan-favorite Ryder Cup tees off today, a biennial three-day tournament featuring 12 of the best American men's golfers against Europe's top 12. Unlike most golf competitions, this one is a team sport, making it a uniquely electric event both players and fans have circled on their calendars months in advance. The squads take turns hosting, and this year, tens of thousands of fans will descend on Bethpage Black in New York — one of the world's toughest courses — to fuel the tourney's uncommonly rowdy atmosphere (seriously, Team Europe has trained to handle hecklers). So today, we're bringing you everything you need to know about this one-of-a-kind faceoff. Get ready to par-tee. Sign Up

Quote of The Day

	You guys keep talking about it and trying to make it this negative thing. It's whatever everyone views it as…Yes, we're happy to get paid for this, and yes, I plan on donating it. It's something that selfishly will make me feel good about what I do.
	— World No. 4 Xander Schauffele, commenting on Team USA's first-time compensation at the Ryder Cup, which is causing a moral superiority stir among members of Team Europe. For the record, most if not all 12 Americans plan on donating their $200K paycheck to charity.

The Breakdown

⚙️ How it works Source: Ryder Cup Each Ryder Cup team consists of 12 golfers. The first six for Team USA are automatically selected based on their season performance while the top three players from the European Points List and the World Points List snag a spot on Team Europe. The remaining six for each squad are chosen by each team's captain, who does not play in the competition, but instead coaches the team. The three-day match-play event begins with two days of foursome and four-ball matches and culminates with singles matches where players compete head-to-head. Each match is worth one point while matches that end in a draw are worth half a point. With a history that dates back to 1927, Team USA holds the all-time Ryder Cup edge, boasting 27 wins compared to Europe's 15. However, recent history paints a more even picture: the home team has won the trophy every year since 2010, with the exception of 2012, when Europe beat the U.S. on American soil.

🇺🇸 Team USA Source: Peter Casey/IMAGN Images 📖 The history: As mentioned, the U.S. holds the all-time series lead, but their loss at the 2023 Ryder Cup was, in a word, abysmal. Multiple American players, including No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, failed to meet the moment, upping the stakes now as they prepare for the already exhilarating atmosphere at Bethpage Black. Redemption is on the line, but Team USA is focused on the here and now. As No. 6 JJ Spaun said sang, the best thing a golfer can do after a poor performance is "Let it go." 🫡 The captain: It's a unique honor to captain a Ryder Cup team. And for No. 13 Keegan Bradley, leadership runs in the family. His aunt Pat Bradley led the 2000 American Solheim Cup team in the women's equivalent of this international competition. Bradley played some of his best golf ever this season and nearly qualified for the team as a player, but used his picks on his peers instead. Bradley admitted that he has thought "every second" about what it'd be like to play, but that he's focused on leading his team to victory. A stand up guy. 👀 Players to watch: Yes, Scheffler struggled mightily at the last Ryder Cup, but the world's best golfer has made significant strides since, winning three majors in addition to the 2024 FedEx Cup. The third time just might be the charm for this devoted dad. And then there's No. 21 Bryson DeChambeau, the only LIV golfer on the U.S. team. DeChambeau is, erm, unique — the enigmatic 32-year-old is an outlier in a sport that prides itself on poise, but his YouTube antics have brought a new crop of fans to golf.

🇪🇺 Team Europe Source: PGA Tour 📖 The history: Team Europe's effort to run it back is already off to a good start: Eleven of that team's 12 members are coming back for more. The only newbie? Ryder Cup first-timer and world No. 58 Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark, who's replacing his twin brother, Nicolai, on the squad. 🫡 The captain: Englishman Luke Donald is repeating as team captain, the first European since 1995 to helm two teams in a row. He masterminded the 2023 win with his golf IQ, but the greater feat was building camaraderie among individual-focused athletes. How'd he do it? With the power of dad jokes. No wonder some call him golf's Ted Lasso. 👀 Players to watch: World No. 2 and certified Northern Irish cutie pie Rory McIlroy finally won the Masters to complete his career grand slam this year, but he's been touch-and-go ever since. That said, he's a Ryder Cup veteran — this year will be his eighth (!!!) — who always brings the passion on and off the course. Even Team USA ride-or-dies may find themselves cheering for him. No. 7 Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, this year's Tour Championship winner, and No. 73 Spaniard Jon Rahm of the LIV Tour are other Ryder Cup regulars, while Team Europe's dark horses are No. 12 Viktor Hovland of Norway and Sweden's No. 16 Ludvig Åberg. Up-and-comers on the PGA Tour, Hovland and Åberg each have one win this season, and they made quite the dynamic duo at the last Ryder Cup.

📺 How to watch Source: Golf Digest This three-day tourney teed off earlier today at 7 a.m. ET, so hopefully you've already enjoyed some golf with your coffee. You can find video and audio coverage, as well as a live leaderboard, on the tournament website. 🇺🇸 Here's how to watch in the U.S.: Friday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET on USA Network Saturday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sunday: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on NBC 🇨🇦 And if you're in Canada, TSN will cover tomorrow's action on TSN3 while Sunday's finale airs on TSN1, at the same times listed above. Let's ride Ryder.

The GIST's Picks

Peep our squad's MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):

📰 What to read Our The Group Chat edition about AANHPI athletes' influence on golf style. Fresh as a newly mowed green.

🍹 What to whip up The Mulligan, the official cocktail of the Ryder Cup made with Elijah Craig Bourbon, iced tea, and lemonade. Way more refreshing than a $15 beer.

🍳 Who to grab breakfast with Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost, who's hosting a live pregame show called Breakfast at Bethpage before each round. It's produced by Peyton and Eli Manning's Omaha Productions, so expect some cameos.

⛳ What to look forward to The Solheim Cup, the women's version of the Ryder Cup, which will hit the links on September 7th, 2026 in Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Fun and Games

Take Your Pick
Team USA	vs	Team Europe
Now that you're primed for this weekend's Ryder Cup, which team do you think will win it all?
Team USA Team Europe

	Subscribe

Today's email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio and Katie Kehoe Foster. Editing by Molly Potter. Fact-checking by Mikaela Perez. Operations by Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the GIST at our website: https://www.thegistsports.com

You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

View the web version of this email.

Valid Check