Former Baylor School and University of Georgia golfer Harris English has been a multiple winner on the PGA Tour for more than a decade.
Participating multiple times on the United States Ryder Cup team is an entirely different notch on the career achievement belt.
The 35-year-old English tied for fourth this past weekend at the Travelers Championship, earning an additional $880,000 to an already lucrative season and further enhancing his chances of playing in golf’s ultimate team competition. English made his Ryder Cup debut in 2021, when the United States rolled to a 19-9 triumph at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, which handed the European team its most decisive defeat in the storied competition.
“It’s a big goal of mine,” English said during a news conference after finishing runner-up to Scottie Scheffler in last month’s PGA Championship at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club. “Once you make one of those teams, you never want to miss out. I watched a lot when the guys were over in Rome.
“It’s just the pinnacle of our sport, so it’s definitely at the forefront of my mind.”
English is currently 10th in the Ryder Cup point standings for the 12-member United States team, trailing Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, recent U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, LIV Tour member Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin and Keegan Bradley. Bradley, who is coming off the Travelers Championship title, is the Ryder Cup captain, which is suddenly making for a very unique dynamic.
The last U.S. Ryder Cup captain who also played in the event was Arnold Palmer in 1963.
“This changes the story a little bit,” Bradley said Sunday night in a news conference. “I never would have thought about playing if I hadn’t won. This definitely opens the door to play. I don’t know if I’m going to do it or not, but I certainly have to take a pretty hard look at what’s best for the team.
“We’ll see. It’s still June, so we’ve still got a long ways to go, but this definitely changes things a little bit. We’ll all get together and figure out the best way to do this.”
The 2025 Ryder Cup will take place Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York.
English, who was a part of three state championship teams for King Oehmig’s Red Raiders before becoming the 2008 Southeastern Conference freshman of the year with the Bulldogs, turned pro in 2011 and became a two-time PGA Tour winner in 2013, claiming the FedEx St.Jude Classic and the Mayakoba Classic. He would not win again until 2021 but thrived that season, capturing the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Travelers while also placing third at the U.S. Open.
Steve Stricker was the 2021 Ryder Cup captain and selected English, who had finished 10th in the Ryder Cup points. In English’s initial Ryder Cup match, he teamed with Tony Finau to defeat Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry 4 & 3.
Though he was playing incredibly well at that time, English was dealing with discomfort and in February 2022 elected to undergo surgery for a torn labrum in his right hip. He would not return to the PGA Tour until June of that year and didn’t start regaining his form until early last season, but he now believes his game could be better than ever.
“I would say ball-striking-wise for sure,” English said. “I don’t really like to look at my swing on video, but every time I do see it, it reminds me of my swing in college or my early 20s swing. My ball speed has gone up, and my body has been feeling good.
“I feel like I’m a more well-rounded player now. I’ve got to get my putting a little more consistent, but I’m really happy with the way I’m hitting the ball.”
English won his fifth PGA Tour event in January at the Farmers Insurance Open, and his fourth-place finish this past weekend marked his 14th made cut in his last 15 tournaments. The top six in the Ryder Cup standings — Scheffler already has enough points to cement the first spot on the team — following the BMW Championship on Aug. 17 will be guaranteed spots.
Then it will be up to Bradley and vice captains Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker to round out the roster.
English having previous Ryder Cup experience is definitely a plus for his candidacy, and he might be able to remove all doubt with a stellar showing at next month’s British Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. The British Open is the only major in which English doesn’t possess a top-12 finish.
“I’ve never been to Ireland before, so I’m excited about getting over there,” he said. “I love the Open Championship. I love links golf. I think I finished 14th or 15th at Muirfield (in 2013), but I haven’t had a ton of good finishes over there. I love that challenge.
“I’ve heard Portrush is really high on everybody’s list of favorite courses.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.