Sept. 22-28, 2025 Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, NY

The 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris -- Sept. 28-30 -- is a little less than one year away.

Since the Year-Out celebration is taking place in France this week with U.S. Captain Jim Furyk in attendance, we figured it would be fun to take a look at the 12-man team, as it stands with the rankings right now.

RELATED: Year-Out Celebration | Photos | Current U.S. point standings 

Of course, a lot can change between now and next September with a season's worth of points up for grabs, but -- based on today's points -- here's the American squad that would be headed to Paris if the points closed today. Keep in mind -- the top 8 are automatics, while Furyk will fill out the team with four captain's picks.

1. Brooks Koepka
2. Justin Thomas
3. Jordan Spieth
4. Matt Kuchar
5. Dustin Johnson
6. Rickie Fowler
7. Brian Harman
8. Patrick Reed

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9. Bill Haas
10. Charley Hoffman
11. Zach Johnson
12. Kevin Chappell

Notables outside the current top 12: Ryan Moore (13), Xander Schauffele (14), Kevin Kisner (15), Brandt Snedeker (17), J.B. Holmes (18), Steve Stricker (20), Phil Mickelson (21), Daniel Berger (26), Tiger Woods (no points yet).

Let's take a closer look at the top 8, followed by the four captain's picks we'd make today:

Brooks Koepka

Age: 27
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2016)
Ryder Cup record: 3-1-0
Notes: Koepka was an absolute star for the U.S. at Hazeltine as a rookie in 2016. Only Patrick Reed recorded more points for the Americans that week. Proving that the solid Ryder Cup play was no fluke, Koepka would go on to win the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, his first major. Expect the 2018 Ryder Cup to be the second of many for the Florida State product.

Justin Thomas

Age: 24
Ryder Cup appearances: 0
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Notes: Can you believe Thomas hasn't played in a Ryder Cup yet? He's a six-time PGA Tour champion and winner of the 2017 PGA Championship. And... he's only 24. Thomas is dying to play in the Ryder Cup and he's going to get his first shot at it in Paris. He is one of so many young players the U.S. has at its disposal, which they hope will lead to Ryder Cup victories for years and years to come.

jordan-spieth.jpg

Age: 24
Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2014, 2016)
Ryder Cup record: 4-3-2
Notes: He's the most accomplished player in golf under the age of 25. His resume includes 11 PGA Tour victories -- three of those being three different legs of the career grand slam. Oh, and if he wins the 2018 PGA Championship, he'd complete the career slam just a couple of weeks after his 25th birthday. Spieth, along with Patrick Reed, are the most feared Ryder Cup partnership the U.S. has had in years. Spieth might be young, but there's no denying he is the vocal leader for Ryder Cup USA. He's earned that.

Phil-Mickelson-Matt-Kuchar.jpg

Age: 39
Ryder Cup appearances: 4 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016)
Ryder Cup record: 6-7-2
Notes: Hard to fathom, but at 39 years old, Kuchar is far and away the oldest player currently in the top 8 of the U.S. standings. He's a favorite amongst his peers for a number of reasons, a major one of those is his ability to keep things light. On a team that's sure to be young, Kuchar could bring a nice veteran presence. 

Dustin-Johnson-RC.jpg

Age: 33
Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2010, 2012, 2016)
Ryder Cup record: 6-5-0
Notes: Currently the No. 1-ranked player in the world, Johnson picked off his first major title at Oakmont in the 2016 U.S. Open. He's one of the longest players in the game and, as we saw at Hazeltine, that counts for something in a Ryder Cup. It can wear opponents down. 

fowler-rickie-020716-USA-1440x450.jpg

Age: 28
Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2010, 2014, 2016)
Ryder Cup record: 2-4-5
Notes: Fowler's Ryder Cup record might leave something to be desired, but he's something of a pioneer for the U.S. in the Ryder Cup. He was really the first of the young guns to bridge the gap between the Tiger/Phil-led teams to the new breed that we saw at Hazeltine. He's got the respect of all his peers and -- since a young age on Tour -- has always been included in the bigger plan to improve the U.S.'s recent Ryder Cup history.

Brian Harman

Age: 30
Ryder Cup appearances: 0
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Notes: Harman is a two-time PGA Tour winner and came close to winning his first major at the 2017 U.S. Open, eventually tying for second once Koepka ran away from the field. While this lefty is short in stature standing at just 5'7" he certainly doesn't lack pop off the tee. He's an enthusiastic player who would be a lot of fun to see in a Ryder Cup setting. 

8. Patrick Reed

Age: 27
Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2014, 2016)
Ryder Cup record: 6-1-2
Notes: There are very few certainties in life. Barring injury, you can almost be certain that even if Reed plummeted down this list between now and next September, he's already on the team. He is, after all, "Captain America." In two previous Ryder Cup appearances, he has just one defeat in nine matches played. He is the Batman to Spieth's Robin (in Ryder Cup play, that is). Reed is the Ryder Cup player who can talk the talk and walk the walk. His 1-up victory in singles over Rory McIlroy in 2016 was peak Patrick Reed... we think. What more is to come? We can't wait to see.

Captain's picks:

Phil-Mickelson.jpg

Age: 47
Ryder Cup appearances: 11 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016)
Ryder Cup record: 18-20-7
Notes: Mickelson will be 48 years old by the time the 2018 matches roll around. He'd be the fourth-oldest U.S. Ryder Cupper in history if he is on the team. Trust us -- there's no chance he's not on this team. Heck, we're not convinced he doesn't make the team on points, something he has done for every single one of the 11 teams he's played on. But if he doesn't make it on points, he's earned the right to be a captain's pick. He spoke up about how the U.S. needed to make some serious changes when it couldn't have been the comfortable thing to do. He's groomed so many of the younger players. What Mickelson has done to fix the Ryder Cup for the U.S. will be just as much a part of his legacy as his five major wins (and counting). 

Kevin Kisner

Age: 33
Ryder Cup appearances: 0
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Notes: Kisner went 2-0-1 with Mickelson as his partner at the 2017 Presidents Cup. He's a bit of a late bloomer on the PGA Tour, but one heck of a player, evidenced by his two wins and four playoff defeats (one of them to captain Furyk, by the way, at the 2015 RBC Heritage). 

Daniel Berger

Age: 24
Ryder Cup appearances: 0
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Notes: A two-time PGA Tour winner, Berger is beginning to come into his own. His first PGA Tour win came in 2016 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, where he edged three players by three shots. Those three players? Koepka, Steve Stricker and Mickelson. Not too shabby. It also doesn't hurt that he went 2-1-0 in the 2017 Presidents Cup and paired well with Thomas.

Xander Schauffele

Age: 23
Ryder Cup appearances: 0
Ryder Cup record: 0-0-0
Notes: This could be a bit premature, but if Schauffele builds on what he started as a rookie in 2017 -- two wins, including the Tour Championship and Rookie of the Year honors -- you have to think he'll have a spot on the team in Paris. 
 

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