Friday’s pairings reveal what Bradley and Donald really think of their teams.

Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald just showed their cards, and the Friday morning foursomes matchups for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black tell us everything about their game plans. Starting at 7:10 a.m. ET, we’ll see eight matches across two sessions—four alternate-shot battles in the morning, then four-ball in the afternoon. The captains built their lineups in isolation, meaning Bradley had no clue who Donald was throwing at his guys, and vice versa. That’s where the chess match gets interesting.

Bryson and JT Get the Spotlight

First out the gate: Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas facing Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton at 7:10 a.m. Bradley is banking on firepower and friendship here—DeChambeau’s distance paired with Thomas’s clutch gene against Europe’s bulldog duo. Rahm’s been the European heartbeat for years, and Hatton’s got that edge that makes alternate shot dangerous. This one sets the tone for everything that follows.

Scottie Gets the Steady Hand

At 7:26 a.m., World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler teams up with Russell Henley against Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick. Bradley clearly trusts Henley’s consistency in the alternate-shot format, and pairing him with Scheffler makes sense—let the best player in the world do his thing while Henley keeps things clean. Aberg’s a Ryder Cup rookie with ice in his veins, and Fitzpatrick’s been here before. Donald’s betting on youth and experience blending perfectly.

The Marquee Pairing Shows Up Late

Collin Morikawa and Harris English get Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood at 7:42 a.m. in Match 3. This feels like Bradley protecting his stars a bit—Morikawa’s precision game fits alternate shot, and English is the steady veteran. But McIlroy and Fleetwood? That’s Donald’s hammer. They’ve played together, they trust each other, and Rory’s desperate to flip his Ryder Cup narrative. This match could swing momentum either way.

Xander and Cantlay: The Closing Statement

The final morning match at 7:58 a.m. features Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay against Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland. Schauffele and Cantlay are the American Presidents Cup machine—methodical, emotionless, lethal. MacIntyre’s the young Scot playing at home (sort of), and Hovland’s trying to find his game. Donald’s rolling the dice on hunger versus experience here. Four-ball lineups drop later, but these morning battles will tell us who came to play.