PGA Tour winner makes bold Ryder Cup prediction after Viktor Hovland’s Valspar Championship triumph

PGA Tour pro Michael Kim has issued a warning to the US Ryder Cup team after Viktor Hovland's Valspar Championship win. He feels the Europeans are hitting form early, with just a few months to go before this year's biennial event.

On Sunday, March 24, Viktor Hovland fired a 4-under 67 to win the 2025 Valspar Championship. He posted a one-shot win over Justin Thomas to claim his seventh PGA Tour victory. Additionally, he became the fifth European player to win this season.

Following Hovland's win, Michael Kim cautioned the Americans about the Europeans' recent form.

"European squad is peaking a little too early… I think…," he wrote on X.

So far this season, Sepp Straka, Thomas Detry, Ludvig Aberg, Rory McIlroy, and Viktor Hovland have earned wins on the PGA Tour. McIlroy has claimed two wins, including the Players Championship.

On the contrary, Brian Campbell, Joe Highsmith, Russell Henley, and Harris English are the four Americans to have won in 2025. However, barring English, the rest are first-time winners with no Ryder Cup experience at all. It will be interesting to see if the US squad catches up in form soon or if the Europeans continue to dominate the season.

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Who is leading in the Ryder Cup standings? ft. Viktor Hovland

Scottie Scheffler leads the standings for Team USA - Source: Getty

Here's a look at the Ryder Cup standings for both the teams:

Team USA

1. Scottie Scheffler - 11,641.25
2. Xander Schauffele - 10,025.06
3. Collin Morikawa - 8,037.10
4. Russell Henley - 7,244.20
5. Bryson DeChambeau - 6,993.00
6. J.J. Spaun - 4,634.97
7. Maverick McNealy - 3,990.49
8. Justin Thomas - 3,831.24
9. Patrick Cantlay - 3,762.91
10. Lucas Glover - 3,332.58
11. Billy Horschel - 3,230.58
12. Tony Finau - 3,069.63
13. Brian Harman - 2,892.70
14. Harris English - 2,872.56
15. Akshay Bhatia - 2,818.61
16. Michael Kim - 2,733.71
17. Wyndham Clark - 2,706.00
18. Tom Hoge - 2,641.18
19. Keegan Bradley - 2,410.98
20. Daniel Berger - 2,240.20

Team Europe

1. Rory McIlroy (NIR) - 1962.75
2. Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) - 922.84
3. Rasmus Højgaard (DEN) - 813.43
4. Shane Lowry (IRL) - 736.68
5. Ludvig Åberg (SWE) - 650.13
6. Thomas Detry (BEL) - 564.67
7. Niklas Norgaard (DEN) - 554.03
8. Matt Wallace (ENG) - 536.87
9. Laurie Canter (ENG) - 520.62
10. Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) - 511.05
11. Paul Waring (ENG) - 465.13
12. Robert MacIntyre (SCO) - 459.40
13. John Parry (ENG) - 444.20
14. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (DEN) - 413.00
15. Julien Guerrier (FRA) - 395.80
16. Antoine Rozner (FRA) - 393.18
17. Thorbjørn Olesen (DEN) - 392.04
18. Sepp Straka (AUT) - 381.32
19. Jorge Campillo (ESP) - 379.31
20. Aaron Rai (ENG) - 355.53