The Ryder Cup creeps ever closer with Luke Donald, back again as captain, guiding Team Europe to Bethpage Black in New York aiming to secure a rare away victory over Team USA.
It’s been a fine year for the Europeans, with Rory McIlroy’s Masters victory and career grand slam a standout moment, although Tommy Fleetwood suffered heartache at the Travelers Championship, ensuring he remains the nearly man on the PGA Tour, with the USA’s captain Keegan Bradley storming to victory on the 18th in a thrilling, Ryder Cup-esque atmosphere.
Bradley now has to contend with the temptation of selecting himself to play in September, though Donald’s side remains steady with a number of stalwarts from Rome set to return, including Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland and more.
With the European selection process tweaked for 2025, we take a look at who is in red-hot form, who has work to do and the long shots aiming for a memorable summer to convince Donald they deserve to be on the 12-man team:
Current Team Europe standings for 2025 Ryder Cup
Top six players qualify automatically for team. Standings accurate as of 24 June
- 1. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 3138.45 – QUALIFIED
- 2. Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 1237.43
- 3. Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 1216.55
- 4. Robert MacIntyre (SCO) 1212.11
- 5. Shane Lowry (IRE) 1202.11
- 6. Sepp Straka (AUT) 1146.33
——————————————————————–
- 7. Rasmus Hojgaard (DEN) 1072.33
- 8. Ludvig Aberg (SWE) 909.53
- 9. Justin Rose (ENG) 886.84
- 10. Viktor Hovland (NOR) 882.31
- 11. Thomas Detry (BEL) 750.59
- 12. Matt Wallace (ENG) 707.57
- 13. Niklas Norgaard (DEN) 634.43
- 14. Aaron Rai (ENG) 586.46
- 15. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (DEN) 576.34
- 1.6 Thorbjørn Olesen (DEN) 564.55
- 17. Jon Rahm (SPA) 544.89
- 18. Laurie Canter (ENG) 539.62
- 19. Jordan Smith (ENG) 526.78
- 20. Jorge Campillo (SPA) 506.43
Team Europe for the 2025 Ryder Cup
The locks
Rory McIlroy
The Masters champion. The career grand slam. McIlroy has finally done it and looked set to enter this year’s Ryder Cup with a new aura surrounding him, although his year since fulfilling his Augusta dream has contained a loss of form, a non-conforming driver and continued bizarre bust-ups with the media. Signs were better at the Travelers Championship and a home Open at Royal Portrush could be the motivation required to get him back on track. His Masters victory at Augusta followed another at the Players Championship in a three-hole play-off in an explosive start to the year and Europe will need him to be the beating heart of the team, and probably play all five sessions once again, to pull off a stunning away win. His emotions spilled over in Rome in 2023, though his record was impeccable, going 4-1 over the three days. A repeat is required.
Ludvig Aberg
A second PGA Tour title at the Genesis Invitational in February confirmed Aberg’s aura as one of the greatest talents in a generation as he nailed down a first signature event win. His short putting aside, Aberg looked robotic from tee-to-green at Torrey Pines and outdid Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy by +0.62 and +0.71 respectively over four rounds that week. Next? A major, of course. Although missing the cut at both the US PGA and US Open – the fourth time he has failed to make the weekend in the last six majors – slightly undid an impressive second straight top 10 at the Masters. The Open at Portrush suddenly feels more important than it might have for the talented Swede. He may spark a rivalry with Scheffler if he can get back to his very best and that thumping 9&7 victory in Rome provides a compelling storyline should they meet again at Bethpage.
Tommy Fleetwood
Has steadily improved year on year and is now a permanent fixture in the world’s top 20, even as that pesky first PGA Tour win still agonisingly eludes him and the most devastating near-miss yet – being beaten by Keegan Bradley at the Travelers Championship when leading coming up the 18th on Sunday – will take some serious mental fortitude to recover from. Has also notched a T5 at February’s Genesis Open, although did secured a seventh DP World Tour win at the Dubai Invitational in January 2024 and then brilliantly claimed a silver medal at the Paris Olympics that summer. Something of a Ryder Cup veteran now and will be on the team for a fourth time at Bethpage, having taken three points from four matches in Rome – two of which came from a formidable foursomes partnership with McIlroy – taking his overall Ryder Cup win rate to a remarkable 67 per cent. Will Fleetwood Mac reunite in New York?
Tyrrell Hatton
The one LIV player to defy the system; Hatton has flourished despite the barriers between the rebel tour and the OWGR-sanctioned events. In fact, the fiery Briton has proven efficient and ruthless at times in the select events he has played when world ranking points are on the line, collecting wins at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Hero Dubai Desert Classic and he’s on track to qualify automatically for Bethpage, although will be selected regardless. Currently inside the top 15 in the world by the Data Golf rankings and came close to pinching the US Open before ending T4 as JJ Spaun secured a surprise win. A lock for the team, Hatton appears to be entering his prime at the perfect time to thrive in the cauldron of Bethpage Black.
Viktor Hovland
Has dropped off slightly since his magical summer of 2023 when he triumphed at the Memorial, the BMW Championship and then the Tour Championship to become the third-youngest FedEx Cup winner in history before picking up 3.5 points while playing every session of Europe’s dominant victory Rome. Going down a swing mechanics rabbit hole meant 2024 was largely a lost season by the Norwegian’s high standards but he is on the right track once more. Triumphed at the Valspar in March an unexpected win, to continue a dominant year for Europe on the PGA Tour, and has finished in the top 30 at every event bar one (T54 at the Truist Championship) since, including a T3 at the US Open. That was until a neck injury caused a final-round withdrawal at the Travelers Championship, which is hopefully just a minor issue. Europe will need him to be a talisman to triumph at Bethpage, so pencil him in for at least four sessions.
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Justin Rose
A runner-up finish at Augusta locked him in for Bethpage but will be small consolation after play-off heartache for a second time in the Masters saw him edged out by McIlroy. His response to that agonising loss was typically classy as he genuinely congratulated his Ryder Cup teammate. It’s hard to think anyone would be a more universally popular than Rose if he somehow managed to capture a second major title at The Open at Portrush this summer. Selection for the last Ryder Cup felt like a race against Father Time for Rose, so this one could have been a struggle yet he’s still at the top of his game and that experience will prove vital to Donald, while Augusta banishes any lingering temptation to end his love affair with the Ryder Cup. Rose was part of Europe’s most recent away victory in Medinah in 2012, and notched 1.5 points in Rome. Might need a captain’s pick, but we can safely book Rose in for a seventh Ryder Cup appearance.
Jon Rahm
Entering 2025, a concern for Team Europe and Luke Donald was that this was not the same Jon Rahm who was arguably the closest player to Scottie Scheffler at one point. Out of the top 50 in the world, the Spaniard desperately needed a reaction at the majors this year and he’s got it. Three top-15 finishes (T14, T8 and T7) so far is impressive, back up to second in the DataGolf rankings and he’ll fancy having a crack at Portrush, with his supreme Open record that has seen three top sevens, a T11 and a T34 in the past five editions. Ryder Cup eligibility shouldn’t be an issue despite his presence on LIV Golf, so he’s a guaranteed captain’s pick should he miss out on the top six (as feels likely) although a win on LIV at some point this summer ahead of Bethpage would go down nicely in terms of preparation.
Likely in the team
Bob MacIntyre
Truthfully, he’s all but a lock at this point. Currently ensconced in the top six of qualification and a sublime weekend performance at the US Open saw him finish second behind JJ Spaun, who needed heroics over the final couple of holes on Sunday to deny the Scot a first major title. The result still pushed the left-hander up into the top 15 in the world rankings however. A stunning 2024 saw MacIntyre claim breakthrough victories on the PGA Tour (Canadian Open) and a home championship (Scottish Open),before partnering up with one of his sporting heroes, Andy Murray, at the BMW Championships Pro-Am. Quite how significant his maiden Ryder Cup, under the tutelage of Justin Rose in a partnership that could be re-formed, was in this breakthrough is unclear, yet there is a swagger to the Scot and he should be a European stalwart over the next decade, having taken two-and-a-half points from three matches in 2023.
Shane Lowry
Just one solo win worldwide (the 2022 BMW PGA Championship) since his scintillating triumph at The 2019 Open at Portrush is a slight concern although who’s to say he won’t repeat the trick at the Northern Irish course this July. Did combine with good friend Rory McIlroy to claim the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs event in April 2024 and was a runner-up to Rory McIlroy at Pebble Beach in February. Top 15s since at the Cognizant Classic (T11), the Arnold Palmer Invitational (7th), the Valspar (T8), the Truist Championship (T2 having tied for the lead heading into the final day) and the Canadian Open (T13) show he isn’t far away. He is a foundational piece for Donald and able to match with multiple players on the team. Truthfully, he’s another player likely to be a “lock” when you factor in his experience, though he only returned a 1-1-1 record in Rome.
Sepp Straka
A captain’s pick in 2023, the Austrian forged a close bond with Shane Lowry, splitting foursomes before dropping a nailbiter in singles with Justin Thomas to post a 1-2-0 debut at the Ryder Cup. Respectable. Slightly ironic then perhaps that it was Lowry and Thomas he beat to win the Truist Championship in May. Entered 2025 as one of the most likely men in the 2023 cohort to miss out on a spot at Bethpage, especially after an underwhelming end to 2024, but has been a runaway freight train in the first half of the year to all but lock down his spot once more. The Truist was his fourth PGA Tour title and the third had come in January when he held off that man Thomas again to win The American Express in California. Has also racked up top-20 finishes for fun, doing so at the Players Championship, the Memorial, RBC Heritage, Arnold Palmer Classic, Cognizant Classic, Phoenix Open, Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Sentry, demonstrating almost ludicrous consistency. The only blot is a dismal major record this year, which has seen him miss the cut at each of the first three. If he can replicate the T2 he claimed at The Open ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Portrush this summer, that would be a weight off Donald’s mind ahead of Bethpage.
In contention
Matt Fitzpatrick
The 2022 US Open champion’s pedigree should mean he’s not far off the ‘locks’ category but Fitzpatrick desperately needs to rectify his undeniable loss of form with a good summer of results. Has shown flashes of the green shoots of recovery, most notably a T8 at the US PGA, and has also seemingly eradicated the missed cuts that were plaguing him but a first win since 2023 would be nice. A dismal-looking Ryder Cup record (1–7–0) on paper does go against him, though. Narrowly missed a putt in singles against Max Homa in Rome to win the cup, which could have changed the narrative. His length off the tee should enable him to compete at Bethpage Black if he is selected.
Rasmus Hojgaard
If the 11 men above will be on the plane barring a shock, the fight for the 12th and final spot in the team appears wide open and will likely be decided by results this summer. Rasmus Hojgaard may be the man in possession currently, almost by default, sitting just outside the automatic qualification spots in seventh. Two promising finishes on the PGA Tour early in 2025 (T12 at the Phoenix Open and T22 at Pebble Beach) to vault him up the list have largely been followed by a whole lot nothing. The highlight before that was scintillating victory at the Irish Open in September 2024, where he outduelled McIlroy with a Sunday 65 to win by a stroke, and a third place at the British Masters shortly after showed how competitive he can be in elite company. Look out for his distance off the tee (currently safely in the top 10 on the PGA Tour this season), which could be useful at Bethpage.
Nicolai Hojgaard
Europe’s less-heralded Scandinavian rookie from 2023, Nicolai Hojgaard – twin brother of Rasmus – picked up half a point from his three matches in Rome which he secured alongside Rahm against the power pairing of Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka in Friday’s fourballs. He showed flashes of his undoubted quality, as well as his youth, across the weekend and the experience will stand him in good stead for future Ryder Cup appearances. Now on a PGA Tour card for 2025, the Dane needs to fend off competition from his brother Rasmus and other contenders with some solid finishes to retain his place for New York but is currently just stringing together some largely uninspiring results.
Sergio Garcia
It would be a stunning return for the Spaniard, but his Ryder Cup record is phenomenal: 25–13–7 (.633). Cut at the Masters, but was on a tear with LIV, winning at LIV Golf Hong Kong and with an overall record of T-6, T-18, 1, T-32, 3 through the first five events of the year. Has cooled off since and will need to recapture that to stand a chance. The hostility has thawed somewhat and Rahm, though out of form himself, might hold some sway if Donaldo makes provisions to bring him in despite his LIV allegiance.
Aaron Rai
A top-20 player in the world in September 2024 was not something many in the sport outside of Team Rai anticipated. But remarkable consistency, culminating in a maiden victory on the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship, put him in a commanding position to seize a Ryder Cup debut next year. A T23 at the Tour Championship, and making three cuts in the 2024 majors, including T19 at Pinehurst in the US Open, suggested Rai was trending nicely and looked the most likely to force Donald’s hand to shake things up. Hasn’t really kicked on in 2025 and could do with another win or a good showing at Portrush, otherwise it’ll be tricky to wrest the 12th spot away from the other contenders.
Outsiders
Thomas Detry
The Belgian appears to be a player on the rise as he enters his 30s, climbing into the world’s top 25 by cruising to victory at the Phoenix Open in February 2025 for his first PGA Tour victory and thrusting himself into the heart of the Ryder Cup conversation. That came after 2024 saw him become a consistent, if not spectacular, performer in US tournaments, missing just two cuts from March through to September, sprinkling in regular top-30 finishes as well as a T2 at the Houston Open, T4 at the PGA Championship, T14 at the US Open and T9 at the Olympics. The victory in Phoenix was the next step but needed to continue his upward trajectory to earn a spot on Donald’s team in New York and has instead shown little.
Matt Wallace
Wallace has started to recapture the form that saw him go on a blazing hot streak back in 2018 to claim three European Tour titles and a top-20 finish at the US PGA Championship in a six-month period, before a T-3 at the following year’s PGA – which coincidentally was held at Bethpage Black. He was as high as 23 in the world at one point and he started the qualification period for the 2025 Ryder Cup like a freight train. A top-10 at the British Masters, a brilliant European Masters victory to seal a first DP World Tour title for six years and a creditable T-12 at the star-studded BMW PGA Championship made up an impressive September 2024 for the 35-year-old Englishman. Getting more PGA Tour opportunities in 2025 will only help and has made no secret of his desperation to make the Ryder Cup team. Work to do despite creditable major performances in the form of a T17 at the US PGA and a T23 at the US Open but a strong summer would open up the path to the 12th spot in Donald’s side.
Alex Noren
Ageing like a fine wine, T-13 at the Open and T-12 at the PGA Championship in 2024 showed Alex Noren’s enduring class and he is one of the most meticulous, hard-working players in the game. The Swede can call on experience from the 2018 winning side, too, producing a 2-1-0 record, including a heavy, 5&4 win over Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, before returning in singles to beat the latter. Has his work cut out to get back in and lacks a big result in 2025 to hang his hat on, with a T17 at the PGA Championship probably the best.
Matthieu Pavon
A breakthrough 2024, capitalising on a late dash in 2023 to secure a PGA Tour card, saw Pavon win the Farmers Insurance Open and produce impressive finishes at the Masters (12th) and US Open (5th). A polished series of performances gave him a shot at becoming the first French player in the Ryder Cup since Victor Dubuisson in 2014 and just the fourth player overall to appear, alongside Thomas Levet and Jean van de Velde, but hasn’t sniffed the top of a leaderboard in 2025.
Predicted European team for the 2025 Ryder Cup
- Rory McIlroy
- Ludvig Aberg
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Viktor Hovland
- Jon Rahm
- Bob MacIntyre
- Shane Lowry
- Justin Rose
- Sepp Straka
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Rasmus Højgaard
This would be almost identical to the side that vanquished the United States in Rome and although plenty will change between now and September, Rasmus Højgaard holds an automatic qualifying spot, therefore bumping his brother overall, given the likes of Fleetwood, MacIntyre and Hovland will require wildcards. There’s plenty of time for the likes of Thomas Detry, Rasmus Hojgaard or Aaron Rai to knock off one of the other players towards the bottom of the list, while it also relies on the LIV Golf situation not stopping the selections of Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, or even Garcia.
