How the Junior PGA Championships and Other Criterion Inform the Junior Ryder Cup Qualifying Process

The 2025 Junior Ryder Cup is almost here and some might be asking, who exactly will make the 2025 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team. Well, we’ve got you covered.

The United States Team, who will take on their European counterparts from September 23 - 25 at Nassau Country Club and Bethpage Black in New York, will feature six boys and six girls who are U.S. citizens and are members of the high school graduating class of 2026, or younger. 

The winner and runner-up from both the Girls and Boys Divisions at the Junior PGA Championships will earn positions on the 2025 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team, provided they are eligible to represent the U.S. and are members of the high school graduating class of 2026 or younger. 

The  2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior Champion earns a spot, and if the champion is not eligible, the next highest ranked player on the USA Junior Ryder Cup points list will be selected.

The 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur Champion earns a spot, and if the champion is not eligible, the next highest ranked player on the USA Junior Ryder Cup points list will be selected.

The top two girls and boys from the USA Junior Ryder Cup points list. Events earning points include Junior PGA Championships, AJGA Invitationals, USGA Junior Amateurs and select independent events. In addition, points are awarded to those juniors who make the cut in a 2024/2025 PGA Tour, LPGA Tour or USGA national event. Points can begin to be awarded starting with the 2024 Junior PGA Championship.

All USA Junior Ryder Cup points list ties will be broken by each player’s respective 2025 Junior PGA Championship finish. If still tied, the lowest single round at the 2025 Junior PGA Championship, second lowest round, etc.

If still tied, a scorecard playoff using the player’s final 18 hole scorecard during the 2025 Junior PGA Championship will determine the spot.

If there is a tie for 2nd place in the 2025 Junior PGA Championship and one of the players is already locked in a spot via the points list, that player will not need to participate in the playoff.

The final two spots will be one boy and one girl Captain's Picks for which the PGA of America will consider multiple national ranking systems such as Junior Golf Scoreboard, Rolex AJGA Rankings, World Amateur Golf Rankings, along with the remaining top Junior Ryder Cup points finishers to pinpoint the remaining top boy/girl selections. 

To be eligible to make the United States of America team as a Captain’s Pick, boys and girls must play in the current year’s Junior PGA Championship, unless they are in the final match of the US Junior Amateur or US Girls’ Junior.

The final United States of America Junior Ryder Cup Team will be announced by the PGA of America on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, following the 49th Junior PGA Championships.