Before the health troubles, Billy Horschel faced performance issues. He missed the cut at the 2025 Masters and failed to finish inside the top 20 at the 2025 RBC Heritage. Following that, he eventually stepped back from the 2025 Zurich Classic due to a lower-body injury. This time, the golfer wasn’t only dealing with poor performance but also health problems. However, when he announced earlier in May, “After consulting with doctors and my team, I have decided to have right hip surgery early next week out in Colorado,” the news was less surprising and more concerning. Nevertheless, amidst self-depreciating jokes, things (and health) are finally looking up for Horschel.

During the challenging third round of The 2025 PLAYERS in March, Horschel, still weeks away from announcing his injury, jokingly told NBC Sports, “I have no God-honest control of my golf swing, and I don’t know where the golf ball is going right now, so I’m trying to get into the house as fast as I can.” The 38-year-old scored 77 in the third round and finished the event at T42. He later mentioned that he would undergo hip surgery within a week after his initial announcement, something that he didn’t go through, after all.

The eight-time PGA Tour winner thanked everyone for their well-wishes in his latest X update, “I want to give an update on my surgery and recovery… To the surgery itself, no, I did not have hip replacement. But the surgery I did have was very successful.” He continues, “I am back home now. Working with my team, my PT, Sophie, and my trainer, Alex, here at TPC Sawgrass Performance Center. Excited about the progress we made. Excited about the progress we have. Going forward, I am excited to get back to golf activities.

“I am excited to have golf clubs back in my hands and seeing you in the next couple of weeks. But thank you guys for everyone’s help. Thank you for the messages again. Very appreciative of it. And [I] looked forward to maybe another update when I have a golf club, and I start practicing again. Thank you guys so much.” 

However, the suddenness of his May announcement reminded many people of his unexpected withdrawal from the 3M Open in July 2024. Back then, he had to pull out due to fever, body aches, and a stiff back. Now, in the 2025 season, he missed the PGA Championship and is now likely to miss the U.S. Open as well. While his presence at the upcoming majors seems uncertain, Billy Horchel sounded hopeful when he talked about his 2024 major performance at the 2024 The Open: “I did a lot of great things that I can take on to the next few years of majors, and hopefully one of these will be my time to step through the door and hold one of them.”

Horschel finished eighth at the PGA Championship and competed until the final holes at The Open Championship, where he secured a runner-up position, marking his best performance in a major. However, does Horschel’s possible absence from majors mean the same for his Ryder Cup chances?

Is the Bethpage out of Billy Horschel’s hands?

This timing isn’t great for his chances of making the Ryder Cup team. The eight-time PGA Tour winner has participated in one Presidents Cup but has never made a Ryder Cup team. However, his strong finish in the 2014 FedEx Cup Playoffs led to a delay in the selection of captain’s picks. He missed the cut at the first playoff event (The Barclays) but tied for second the following week, just before the captain’s picks were announced. Although he did not get selected, he went on to win the next two events and the FedEx Cup title.

Currently, Horschel ranks 21st in the Ryder Cup standings with 3,370.78 points. The top six players after the 2025 BMW Championship in mid-August will automatically qualify for the team. The final six spots will be filled by captain’s picks from Keegan Bradley, who is currently 16th in the standings and also trying to make the team. Horschel’s time away from competition makes it nearly impossible for him to qualify based on points, so his only chance for a Ryder Cup spot will be to return early and impress Captain Bradley with strong performances in limited tournaments.