Another year, another friendship pick as Sam Burns reportedly lands captain’s pick despite mediocre season while deserving players watch from home.

Sources confirm what many feared: Sam Burns has received the call from captain Keegan Bradley for the 2025 Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black. The 29-year-old’s second appearance comes not from dominant play, but from what appears to be his tight friendship with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Despite finishing 16th in the U.S. team standings and missing automatic qualification, Burns gets rewarded for his social connections rather than his scorecard.

The optics couldn’t be worse. Burns managed zero wins in 2025 and hasn’t exactly lit up the team event circuit—his combined Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup record sits at a mediocre 4-5-3. Even more damning, the much-hyped Scheffler-Burns pairing was such a disaster in Rome (0-3-1) that captain Zach Johnson basically gave up on them after one session. Yet somehow, this “chemistry” is being sold as an asset.

Ben Griffin’s Stellar Season Gets Overlooked

While Burns coasts on friendship, Ben Griffin put together one of the most impressive seasons on tour. The 29-year-old North Carolinian notched two PGA Tour victories—the Zurich Classic (with Andrew Novak) and the Charles Schwab Challenge—plus a runner-up finish at the Memorial Tournament. He finished ninth in the Ryder Cup standings, ahead of both Burns and captain Bradley himself.

Griffin’s consistency has been remarkable: seven top-15 finishes in his last nine starts, including a T8 at the PGA Championship and T10 at the U.S. Open. After stepping away from golf in 2021 due to burnout, Griffin’s comeback story writes itself. Yet merit apparently doesn’t matter when you’re not in Scottie’s inner circle.

The Pattern Continues

This isn’t new territory for American Ryder Cup teams. Tiger’s former coach Hank Haney called out the 2023 squad as the “Boys Club” after questionable picks like Justin Thomas (71st in FedEx Cup standings) made the team. The criticism stung because it rang true—American teams have repeatedly prioritized relationships over performance, contributing to their struggles in recent competitions.

The Europeans, meanwhile, continue to pick players based on form and course fit. They’ve won seven of the last ten Ryder Cups, often with less individually talented rosters that play as cohesive units. While America keeps selecting buddy systems, Europe builds actual teams.

What This Means for Bethpage

Burns brings elite putting to Long Island—he’s statistically the best putter on tour this year. But putting alone doesn’t win matches when your overall game is inconsistent. His 2025 season tells the story of a player riding reputation rather than results, with his biggest accomplishments being near-misses at the Canadian Open and U.S. Open.

Griffin, meanwhile, proved he can win when it matters and perform under pressure. His recent form suggests he would’ve been the better bet for match play, especially on a demanding track like Bethpage Black that rewards ball-striking consistency—one of Griffin’s strengths.

Bottom Line

Sam Burns’ selection represents everything wrong with American Ryder Cup team building. When friendship trumps performance, mediocrity becomes acceptable. Until the U.S. starts picking teams based on merit rather than relationships, they’ll continue watching Europe celebrate on American soil. The Boys Club strikes again, and American golf suffers for it.