With only two weeks until a final roster is picked, Keegan Bradley and the American Ryder Cup roster still seem to have several spots unaccounted for. Europe faces no such uncertainty, conventional wisdom hinting that 11 of the 12 players locked in. So it is that captain Luke Donald confronts an entirely different challenge.
Europe’s automatic qualification period ends on August 24 (a week later than the USA), coinciding with the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship and the DP World Tour’s Betfred British Masters. Donald will complete his roster with his six captain’s picks on September 1, and remarkably, he could field nearly the identical team that captured the cup two years ago outside Rome. Justin Rose’s surprise victory at last week’s FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis only strengthened this possibility.
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But “could” remains the operative word.
While most decisions have been made for Donald, one critical question lingers: who deserves the final pick? European players have struggled to find their best form this season, particularly those competing for the last spot. Unlike previous years when Europe defaulted to veteran experience, there’s a notable absence of seasoned players outside those already secured.
Donald needs 12 players, and unlike his American counterpart Keegan Bradley, the captain won’t be filling one of those spots himself. Here’s how the European team shapes up as qualifying season enters its final stretch.
Already secured
Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood
Photo: Mike Ehrmann
These three belong at Bethpage Black regardless of their qualifying status. Rose’s stats heading into Memphis weren’t flattering, reflecting his feast-or-famine 2025 campaign. Yet his peaks have been impossible to ignore: a Masters playoff heartbreak, top-10 finishes at a pair of signature events (Pebble Beach and Bay Hill) and a strong sixth-place showing at the Scottish Open.
More importantly, Rose’s 2023 Rome performance cannot be overstated. He expertly guided first-timer Robert MacIntyre through opening-match nerves, earning universal locker-room respect. DataGolf’s Bethpage projections may be lukewarm on Rose, but he’s exactly the type of player Americans dread facing.
Virtually guaranteed
Robert MacIntyre, Tyrrell Hatton, Sepp Straka
There’s no reason for this trio to be sweating anything out. That said, two months ago, Straka appeared to be Europe’s third-best player after capturing his second 2025 PGA Tour victory at the Truist Championship. Since then, his major-championship performances have raised concerns. Missing cuts at the Masters, PGA Championship and US Open, plus a forgettable T-52 at Royal Portrush, suggest vulnerability under pressure. Combined with questions about his Bethpage course fit, Straka’s role becomes an X-factor of sorts.
Booking tickets now
Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Ludvig Aberg, Victor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick
Photo: Patrick Smith
Aberg endured criticism after a disappointing stretch from the Players Championship through to the US Open, failing to build on his breakthrough Genesis Invitational triumph. Fortunately for Europe, the Swedish sensation has rediscovered his form recently, posting top-10s at the Scottish Open and St Jude Championship, with a respectable T-23 at The Open sandwiched between.
Two players merit special attention. Rahm, with his LIV Golf association, will be particularly vulnerable to hostile New York crowds – we witnessed similar treatment of Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau at Oak Hill in 2023. The testy Spaniard seems especially susceptible to fan interference, which is something that could turn ugly in all sorts of ways. Lowry presents different concerns. His form has deteriorated since a T-2 at May’s Truist Championship, and his theatrical Saturday celebrations in Rome didn’t endear him to American officials or players. While both sides typically target someone’s celebrations (Justin Thomas usually draws European ire), Lowry could face heightened scrutiny at Bethpage.
The 12th man contenders
Rasmus Hojgaard, Nicolai Hojgaard, Aaron Rai
Photo: Warren Little
The cases for and against this group:
- Rasmus Hojgaard sits eighth in Ryder Cup standings after winning the 2024 Irish Open and finishing second at the DP World Tour Championship. However, his PGA Tour transition has been rocky – he finished the regular season without a single top-10 and missed the playoffs comfortably.
- Nicolai Hojgaard brings 2023 Ryder Cup experience, plus recent form including a T-4 at the Scottish Open and solid T-14 at Portrush. His Bethpage course fit appears reasonable, though his Rome debut was modest: just half a point across three matches while missing the playoffs this season.
- Aaron Rai ranks 31st in the Official World Golf Ranking and impressed with a T-5 at the Wyndham Championship. DataGolf rates him fifth among Europeans in Ryder Cup forecasting behind only McIlroy, Rahm, Fleetwood and Aberg. Yet he hasn’t sustained his breakthrough 2024 campaign into 2025 and lacks Ryder Cup experience entirely.
Analytics favour Rai, but Nicolai Hojgaard appears the current frontrunner based on experience and his projected role in Europe’s future.
Long shots
Matt Wallace, Thomas Detry, Harry Hall, Niklas Norgaard, Thorbjorn Olesen, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
Hall and Detry earned FedEx Cup Playoffs berths, providing prime-time platforms to state their cases while the Hojgaards and Rai watch from sidelines. However, Detry hasn’t impressed since his early-season victory in Scottsdale – a T-18 represents his best finish across 18 subsequent starts. Hall has recorded four PGA Tour top-10s this year but exemplifies a quality player on the outside looking in.
Wallace deserves attention as one of the Danish Championship favourites. He desperately wants team inclusion, and his exceptional short game would prove valuable. He probably needs victory to become a serious candidate.
The wild card
Sergio Garcia
Photo: Franck Fife
This consideration stems entirely from others’ failures rather than Garcia’s current form. Garcia has thoroughly burned bridges with DP World Tour leadership – calling it a “wild understatement” understates the situation. His LIV Golf ties would intensify already-hostile Bethpage crowd reactions.
Yet Garcis remains one of Europe’s greatest Ryder Cup performers, holding the team points record. With no one else truly separating themselves, selecting the competition’s most successful European as the final pick isn’t completely unreasonable.
The verdict
Nicolai Hojgaard
Photo: Harry How
He’s the safest choice, perhaps not ideal for an away Ryder Cup requiring boldness. But it’s also the most defensible selection – one that won’t create unnecessary controversy.
In a year when European golf has lacked standout performances, sometimes the prudent path proves wisest. Donald will trust experience over analytics, continuity over revolution, hoping that Rome’s winning formula can translate to hostile soil.
