Summary
At Bethpage Black Golf Course, Rasmus Højgaard of Europe tees off on the 12th hole during the Ryder Cup tournament on September 26, 2025, in Farmingdale, New York. Sam Ryder and Danny Walker each shot 7-under-par with a combined 65, which moved them into a four-way tie at the top of the Sanderson Farms Championship (Mississippi).
Eric Cole, with 10 birdies, made up for a double bogey he suffered in the trees toward the end of his round, while Garrick Higgo showed progress after a labrum injury that halted his progress following a victory earlier this year. Both also finished with 65s.
Ryder is 110th in the FedEx Cup standings, while Walker is 104th. This tournament is part of the Fall Series, where players who didn't make the PGA Tour playoffs must finish in the top 100 to retain their full cards.
“I’m very aware of my situation. You know it all year long,” Ryder said. “You get a message every week that tells you exactly where you stand at FedEx. You can’t hide it. But that doesn’t determine my schedule. If I were in a better position, I’d still like to think I’d be working hard on my game and trying to win and accomplish other goals. Right now, I’m trying to play for my status, but also for bigger goals.”
Key details
Walker, who has struggled in recent months, arrived at the Jackson Country Club having missed eight consecutive cuts. However, he recovered from a soft bogey on the 15th hole to close with two straight birdies. Like Ryder, he tries not to obsess over the results and his position. “It’s really hard not to think about making the cut when you’ve missed a few. That’s what happened to me,” Walker said. “When you’re just thinking about the results, it really affects your mind, but I feel like this week I finally got to a place where I’m not worrying as much.”
NCAA champion Michael La Sasso was chasing the leaders until he received a two-stroke penalty after a par on the sixth hole for violating Rule 8.1a by improving the conditions of the shot he was playing. It's unclear what exactly he did. A tour official said La Sasso, who is participating via a sponsor's invitation, declined to speak to the media.
Mac Meissner, ranked 86th, and defending champion Kevin Yu, ranked 66th. Yu won last year to earn a spot in the Masters, but winners of Fall Series events no longer receive an automatic invitation to Augusta National.
Statements and context
Rasmus Hojgaard, who arrived directly from New York after his Ryder Cup victory with Team Europe, finished with a 69 and is ranked 87th, now focusing on maintaining his score. “I’m still a little low on energy, so I’m going to manage it over the next few days and hope to get some of it back,” Hojgaard commented.
