Which Ryder Cup team is better suited to change golf balls? | Fully equipped

After the Europeans had dominated the Americans in the first four cushion session of the 45th Ryder Cup, it is easy to wonder what went wrong for Team USA.

Although it is certainly not as great as it used to be with the elimination of the “One Ball” rule two decades ago, a possible explanation can be a golf ball and pairs.

While teams in foursomes usually switch every hole of balls, using the ball of the player who will reach the approach, there are still teams that play one ball during a match. In the episode of this week of Golf’s fully equipped, co-gastheer Johnny Wunder explained why that might be easier for Europeans.

“For the Europe team I don’t think it’s all about it. Now, the United States, it can be interesting because some of these guys play [specific golf balls]. “

What Wunder refers to is that many American players play a CPO (adapted performance option) golf ball or an older model ball with specific characteristics. For comparison: most European players play recent model golf balls.

Xander Schauffele, for example, plays the Chrome Tour Dot Golf Ball from Callaway, a modified version of the Callaway Chrome Tour Golf Ball.

“Not everyone in this team can theoretically want to play Xander’s ball, because it specifically how it flies from 5-iron to WIG,” said Wunder. “He plays the dot. So it’s a kind of flatter ball.”

Cameron Young also plays the new Pro V1X Double Dot prototype from Titleist, which is perhaps the most similar to the Chrome Tour Dot, but they are still different golf balls.

Including young, seven players use a titleistic golf ball, but none of them plays the same model. No player on Team USA plays the same golf ball model.

Patrick Cantlay – ’19 Pro V1X
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU – ’25 Pro V1X
Harris English – ’17 Pro V1
Russell Henley – ’21 Pro V1X
Scottie Scheffler – ’21 Pro V1
Justin Thomas – ’23 Pro V1X
Cameron Young – ’25 Pro V1X Double dot

Sam Burns also uses a modified version of his golf ball, the Callaway Chrome Tour+, a Spinny version of the retail ball.

Although that may not seem like a huge problem, the nuance differences between the golf balls can have effects when it comes to approaching photos, given the various launch and spin properties.

Here are the other golf balls that are used by Team USA.

Sam Burns – Chrome Tour X+
Ben Griffin – ’25 Maxfli Tour X
Xander Schuaffele – Callaway Chrome Tour X
Collin Morikawa – ’24 Taylormade TP5
JJ Spaun-’25 Srixon Z-Star Diamond

For comparison: Team Europe has many more players who play the same or comparable golf balls.

Ludvig Aberg and Justin Rose, for example, both the 2025 title Pro V1X, Sepp Straka and Shane Lowry both play the 2025 Srixon Z-Star XV and Jon Rahm and Rasmus Hojgaard play the 2024 Callaway Chrome Tour X.

Tommy Fleetwood and Rory Mcilroy play the latest versions of the Taylormade TP5X and TP5 respectively, but McIlroy played the TP5X last season and that is the ball they use for foursomes.

Listen to the full episode of Golf’s fully equipped for more information from Wunder and FellowFfully equipped co-host Jake Morrow hereOr view it below.

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