Luke Donald Defines the European Team for the Ryder Cup
Captain Luke Donald announced the six selections for the European Ryder Cup team, as Europe seeks its first away win since 2012. Donald already had a stellar team, including Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, and the captain’s picks completed what appears to be one of the strongest European teams in recent memory. Eleven of the players who participated in Rome last year, where Europe won 16½-11½, are returning. However, no visiting team has achieved victory since the “Miracle at Medinah” 13 years ago. Europeans will face the United States team at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, from September 26 to 28. The United States selections are now known, with captain Keegan Bradley opting not to include himself.The Captain
Luke Donald
There was a time when the European team captains used to repeat appearances. Between 1979 and 1995, Europe had only three different captains: John Jacobs, Tony Jacklin, and Bernard Gallacher. That’s nine tournaments divided among three different captains. Europe has not had a repeat captain since then. The United States has not used the same captain for two consecutive tournaments since Ben Hogan in 1949. What Donald will do at Bethpage is certainly rare. Interestingly, he only produced three victories, two of which were under Jacklin in ’85 and ’87. If Donald leads Europe to another victory, he would be the only other person to achieve that feat. Even so, Donald will have the group’s backing. It was at a press conference after the match at Marco Simone that Rory McIlroy gave him his blessing.Donald, who led Europe to a resounding victory in Italy, also hopes to become the first European captain to win on American soil since José María Olazábal with the “Miracle of Medinah”.I think everyone here would be very happy to have him back.
Rory McIlroy
Great opportunities don’t come along very often in life and I firmly believe that when they do, you have to seize them with both hands. This is one of those moments.
Luke Donald
Classifieds
Rory McIlroy
Ryder Cup Appearances: 7 appearances (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023) Individual record: 16 wins, 13 losses, 4 ties Rory McIlroy was the first player to qualify for the European team in this Ryder Cup, and his eighth appearance in the famous event comes after one of his most memorable seasons. The Northern Irishman completed his career Grand Slam by winning the 2025 Masters in chaotic fashion. That wasn’t his only victory, he also had two wins before the Masters at Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass. McIlroy’s form after April has been a bit patchy, but he has managed four top-10 finishes since then, including The Open at Royal Portrush.Robert McIntyre
Appearances in the Ryder Cup: 1 appearance (2023) Individual record: 2 wins, 0 losses, 1 draw Robert McIntyre may not have won any titles on the PGA Tour this year, but it has been a fantastic season for the Scot, who has two second places, in the US Open and the BMW Championship, and six top 10s. His second Ryder Cup appearance comes after a near-perfect debut that saw him go undefeated, including a singles victory on Sunday over Wyndham Clark.Tommy Fleetwood Ryder Cup Appearances: 3 appearances (2018, 2021, 2023) Individual record: 7 wins, 3 losses, 2 ties Like McIlroy, Fleetwood will enter this Ryder Cup with a slightly different feeling than in previous ones. The Liverpool-born golfer earned his first PGA Tour victory after 164 attempts. His victory at the FedEx Cup at East Lake Golf Club put a happy ending to what was a historically difficult period. Simply put: he was the best golfer who had never won on the Tour. His 30 top-five finishes without a win were the most on the PGA Tour in the last 100 years, according to ESPN Research. With that overcome, Fleetwood can focus his attention on the Ryder Cup, where he has been a reliable contributor to the European team. His seven match wins in the last three Cups have seen him defeat players like Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth. In the last edition at Marco Simone he paired with McIlroy. Will we see the same at Bethpage?Bob has had great performances on both sides of the Atlantic this season, and that good form combined with his 2023 experience will be invaluable in New York.
Luke Donald
Justin Rose
Ryder Cup Appearances: 6 appearances (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023) Individual record: 14 wins, 9 losses, 3 ties At 45 years old, Justin Rose will be the oldest member of the European team and brings experience and talent to this squad. Arrives at the Ryder Cup in fantastic form, winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August, as well as achieving a sixth place in the Scottish Open and 16th place in The Open. That comes in the same year that he finished second behind McIlroy in a playoff at the Masters. The 2023 Ryder Cup was the first time Rose was selected for the tournament, as he had qualified for all his previous appearances, and he was paired twice with McIntyre, where they won and tied before falling to Patrick Cantlay. Rasmus Højgaard Appearances in the Ryder Cup: None Individual record: N/A Rasmus Højgaard will make his Ryder Cup debut this year after securing the final qualifying spot with a tied 13th-place finish at the British Masters. It hasn’t been Højgaard’s best year on the PGA Tour: he previously achieved a victory every year since his debut in 2019. This year, he has only achieved one top 10, a second place at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. At 24 years old, the Dane will likely be the youngest member of the team, and he hopes to do better than his brother, Nicolai, in his rookie appearance in 2023, when he lost two and tied one, including a singles defeat to Xander Schauffele. Tyrrell Hatton Ryder Cup Appearances: 3 appearances (2018, 2021, 2023) Individual record: 5 wins, 4 losses, 2 ties Hatton, the only LIV player to secure automatic qualification for the European team, will embark on his fourth Ryder Cup. English managed to secure his spot for the tournament despite his LIV qualifying points not counting towards his ranking. However, his wins at last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links and the Dubai Desert Classic, along with his major record that saw him tied for fourth at the US Open, were enough to book his place. Hatton was one of the best players on the European team in the last edition, winning three of his four matches and remaining undefeated.Captain’s Picks
Shane Lowry
Appearances in the Ryder Cup: 2 appearances (2021, 2023) Individual record: 2 wins, 3 losses, 1 tie Lowry may not have shown the form we see so often in the majors at golf’s most important team event, but the 38-year-old will add valuable experience to Donald’s team. The Irishman, McIlroy’s best friend in golf, failed to achieve automatic qualification by less than four points and has consistently impressed on the PGA Tour, with two second places this year at Pebble Beach and Truist. He will be desperate to add to his 2.5 Ryder Cup points, and was Donald’s first pick.Jon Rahm
Ryder Cup Appearances: 3 appearances (2018, 2021, 2023) Individual record: 6 wins, 3 losses, 3 ties While Rahm only holds the 24th position in the European ranking, there was no way the Spaniard wouldn’t be selected for Bethpage. Rahm, whose low position is due exclusively to the lack of participation in DP World Tour events, claimed his second consecutive LIV Golf title in 2025 and also impressed in the majors, with top-15 finishes at Augusta, Quail Hollow, and Oakmont. Two-time major winner and a formidable matchplay opponent, the 30-year-old is also a natural talent for the Ryder Cup, earning 7.5 points from his three appearances. He is expected to be a key cog in Donald’s team again. Sepp Straka Ryder Cup Appearances: 1 appearance (2023) Individual record: 1 win, 2 losses, 0 ties Straka seemed to be a lock for the Ryder Cup earlier this year after two PGA Tour victories in four months. While he is still part of the team, it’s fair to say his form has been a bit shaky since May. The Austrian, who missed the cut in three of the four majors in 2025 despite being backed for success, finished in a distant 30th place at the Tour Championship with seven over par and has been inconsistent with his putter in particular. Even so, its development since 2023 has not gone unnoticed by Donald. Viktor Hovland Ryder Cup Appearances: 2 appearances (2021, 2023) Individual record: 3 wins, 4 losses, 3 ties It has been an unstable 2025 for Hovland, after three consecutive missed cuts in February and March with a surprising victory at the Valspar. His performance there, and his form since then, secured his place. Hovland made the cut in all four majors, finishing third at Oakmont, and ended his season with a top 10 at the BMW Championship before finishing 12th at the Tour Championship. The Norwegian also has an excellent Ryder Cup record, playing in all five sessions of both matches in which he has participated. Hoping to rekindle his excellent partnership with Aberg at some point at Bethpage. Ludvig Aberg Ryder Cup Appearances: 1 appearance (2023) Individual record: 2 wins, 2 losses, 0 ties The surprise choice and revelation star of Marco Simone will surely be a force to be reckoned with at Bethpage, and for many years to come. Aberg won the Genesis this year and finished seventh at the Masters before slowing down a bit. His form returned at the Scottish Open, and he entered Donald’s announcement with five consecutive top-25 finishes. The Swede, who is still only 25 years old, won half of his matches in his debut and has been given the opportunity to further improve his record. Matt Fitzpatrick Appearances in the Ryder Cup: 3 appearances (2016, 2021, 2023) Individual record: 1 win, 7 losses, 0 ties Similar to Hovland, Fitzpatrick’s place seemed in serious doubt at the beginning of the year. However, an eighth place finish at the PGA Championship kickstarted his campaign. Fitzpatrick has six top 10s in 11 tournaments since then, and it’s that form that earned him a fourth appearance in the Ryder Cup. However, what does need to improve is Fitzpatrick’s record in the Ryder Cup. Fitzpatrick only has one match win, with McIlroy in four balls two years ago, and has never claimed a single point in the United States.
