With the challengers lined up, all that remains is to choose the defending champions. Luke Donald will announce his captain's picks for Team Europe for the 2025 Ryder Cup on Monday, September 1st, at 3:00 p.m. If all goes as the experts predict, Team Europe 2025 will be a carbon copy of Team Europe 2023.
The term carbon copy isn't chosen by chance: Donald could retain eleven of the twelve champions from Rome. The only new face could be the already qualified Rasmus Hojgaard, twin brother of Nicolai, who won at the Marco Simone.
Ryder Cup, players
Donald leader of a group also including vice-captains Olazabal, Bjrn, Edoardo, and Francesco Molinari starts with a solid core. Five of the six automatic qualifiers have plenty of experience, starting with Rory McIlroy, the undisputed leader of the field and a recent winner of a career Grand Slam.
Englishmen Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood are on fire. At his seventh Ryder Cup (the first was in 2008), Rose won the FedEx St. Jude Championship at the age of 45 a few weeks ago. His good friend Tommy, not to be outdone, took home his first victory on the PGA Tour after 164 matches: he chose the Tour Championship to do so, which also earned him the FedEx Cup and a $10 million check.
Robert MacIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton (the only LIV player currently on the continental team) are having a very positive (and growing) year.
Denmark's Rasmus Hjgaard, thanks to his excellent performances in recent weeks, has secured the last available qualifying spot.
Europe currently has three Englishmen, a Scot, a Northern Irishman, and a Dane.
The rest of the team should mirror the European rankings. Shawne Lowry, seventh in the rankings and overtaken by Hjgaard only in his final qualifying round, will certainly be part of the group. Sepp Straka is also in the mix, having had a good season, and his experience at Rome 2023 will only boost the Austrian's confidence.
Strictly speaking, Donald shouldn't be without his protgs, Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland, the future of continental golf. Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick has an excellent chance of boarding a flight to the United States.
Everyone knows that the European golf world is missing will also be on that plane. Luke Donald is expected to give Jon Rahm, currently under contract with LIV Golf, a call to the phone. The Spaniard hasn't shone in the Majors and hasn't scored any points in the rankings. But Jon Rahm is still the same, and Team Europe can't do without him today, even if he's playing against the Saudis.
The Outsiders
Is a new Aberg possible? Who knows if another star like the one drawn two years ago will emerge from the European hat. The current landscape, however, leaves no room for flights of fancy.
Yet some are suggesting other names among the possible Team Europe players. They're talking about Marco Penge (two wins on the DP and consistently high on the leaderboard), Harry Hall, who, at 28, has twelve top-35 finishes on the PGA Tour, and 35-year-old Matt Wallace.
Bookmakers are leaving some chances for a resurgent Alex Noren, Thomas Detry, and Aaron Rai.
