Captain Luke Donald will bring a veteran Team Europe to the 45th Ryder Cup later this month at Bethpage Black in New York.
Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick were named by Donald as captain’s picks on Monday, six of the 12 players set to defend Europe’s Ryder Cup trophy win over the United States in convincing fashion near Rome in 2023.
They join the six automatic qualifiers: Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard and Tyrrell Hatton.
Of the group, only Hojgaard is a Ryder Cup rookie, and the team has a combined 32 Ryder Cup appearances. By contrast, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley’s team includes four players making their debut on the Ryder Cup stage.
Other than Hojgaard, all 11 played for Team Europe at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. The 12th player then was Nicolai Hojgaard, his twin brother.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the 12 that we have,” said Donald, making his second consecutive tour as captain.
“I couldn’t be more excited to lead the gentlemen we have.”
Lowry and Rahm, the first two players announced by Donald, were considered shoo-ins to make the team. It will be the fourth appearance for both.
Donald was full of praise for them.
“He thrives on the biggest stages. His passion for the Ryder Cup is second to none,” Donald said of Lowry, from Ireland.
Rahm, a two-time winner of the LIV individual title, is the latest in a long line of great Spaniards in the Ryder Cup, taking the baton from Sergio Garcia. Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Garcia played in a combined 25 Ryder Cups from 1979 to 2021.
“Jon sets the standard for us. He’s meticulous in what he does,” Donald said. “He’s the first person up and the last person out of the team room. He understands the history of the Ryder Cup, and he wants to follow in the footsteps of the amazing Spanish players who have led the way.”
Aberg and Hovland made history in 2023 at Marco Simone, setting the Ryder Cup record for largest margin of victory in an 18-hole match when they defeated Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 9-and-7.
Aberg, from Sweden, was a rookie last time around, just three months into his pro career. He is happy to have the chance again at Bethpage Black from Sept. 26-28.
“I definitely feel more experienced this time. Last year it was so short into my professional career,” Aberg said. “It was the first time I experienced all of those things, in the locker room with all of those legends. And I knew I wanted to be on the team again.”
Hovland, a Norwegian, said he relishes the chance to play his individual sport as part of Team Europe.
“This feels awesome. I can feel my palms getting sweaty,” said Hovland, who will make his third consecutive appearance. “I’m just super excited to get going and to see everyone. … Playing here makes you feel part of something.”
Straka, from Austria, was a Ryder Cup rookie in 2023. For Englishman Fitzpatrick, celebrating his 31st birthday on Monday, this is his fourth selection.
Fitzpatrick didn’t have his best PGA Tour season, finishing with five top-10 scores in 21 events. But his T8 at the PGA Championship kick-started his run to the Ryder Cup, as did his recent performance on the DP World Tour.
“Matt said himself he didn’t get off to the best start this year. But he has turned it around impressively,” Donald said. “I challenged Matt to play the last two events in Europe and to get to the last group on Sunday this past two weeks shows you what he has.”
Bradley’s American team consists of automatic qualifiers Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau, along with captain’s picks Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns.
The 13th player could be the home crowd on Long Island. While Ryder Cups are known for over-the-top fan behavior, New Yorkers often take things a step further. But Rahm is ready.
“The environment might be the biggest challenge, but it can be used in your advantage,” Rahm said. “In my experience, New York fans can actually be quite fun.”
