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September 01, 2025
European Ryder Cup Team: European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has chosen to keep things familiar for Bethpage Black. His lineup looks almost identical to the last one, even matching on surnames.
On Monday, he locked in his 12-man team. The reveal held no shocks and introduced barely any new faces.
Eleven of the twelve golfers who delivered a dominant win in Rome two years ago will tee it up again in the Ryder Cup.
The lone change is a switch between the Hojgaard twins. Nicolai steps aside, while Rasmus claims a spot after earning automatic qualification at just 24.
For Rasmus, the stage won’t feel entirely new. He was already part of Donald’s extended team in 2023, gaining a taste of the week’s intensity and atmosphere.
Keegan Bradley’s captain’s picks sparked months of debate and speculation. Luke Donald’s, by contrast, were simple and direct.
He selected the players ranked seventh through eleventh in the points race—Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Fitzpatrick.
For his final choice, Donald looked deeper down the standings, all the way to No. 24. The pick was an easy one to justify: two-time major champion Jon Rahm.
“Jon sets the tone for our team,” Donald said. “He knows the history of the Ryder Cup and what it means. He also wants to carry on the tradition of great Spanish players who came before him.”
Rahm echoed that excitement. “It’s going to be special. I can’t wait to play at Bethpage. New Yorkers will bring an incredible atmosphere.
It won’t be easy for us, but I’m hoping we deliver a stronger performance than we did in our last trip to the U.S.”
History is on America’s side. The home team has won eight of the past nine Ryder Cups, including the last five straight.
Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton can still take part in this year’s Ryder Cup, even as they fight fines handed down by the DP World Tour for playing in LIV events.
On the PGA Tour, Straka claimed two wins, while Åberg and Hovland each added one of their own. Lowry and Fitzpatrick stayed steady, combining for nine top-10 finishes. Rahm, meanwhile, held onto his title as LIV’s individual champion.
Matt Wallace once again fell just short of making the European team, repeating the heartbreak he felt in 2018. The Englishman was in tears on Sunday after narrowly missing out at the DP World Tour’s European Masters.
It remains uncertain whether a win would have swayed Donald to choose him over a player already in his plans. Still, the 35-year-old was left devastated by the missed opportunity.
Rasmus Hojgaard stands out as the only newcomer on this year’s team. He earned most of his Ryder Cup points with a strong surge late last season on the DP World Tour.
Two weeks ago, he sealed his top-six spot with a clutch performance at the British Masters. He then backed it up with a runner-up finish in Switzerland, sharing second place with Matt Wallace.
Joining him are Donald’s six captain’s picks, who posted a 10-8-4 record in Rome. They link up with a proven core that already includes Hojgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, and Justin Rose.
Europe enters with just one rookie on the roster, something that has happened only four times in Ryder Cup history. The last instance came in 2012.
“There’s a strong sense of continuity from Rome,” Donald said. “It’s unusual to bring back so many of the same players, but it shows their class. That said, competing on American soil is a whole different test. We know just how tough that will be.”
Next week brings warm-up events for both Ryder Cup teams. On the U.S. side, as many as 11 players are set to play the PGA Tour’s Procore Championship in Napa.
Nearly the entire European team, with Sepp Straka the lone exception, is entered in the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour’s premier event.
The Ryder Cup will be held September 26–28 in Farmingdale, New York.
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