Europe face arguably their toughest test in Ryder Cup history heading to Bethpage Black in New York in a bid for a rare away win.
Luke Donald returns as captain and luckily for him he'll be bringing back almost all of his victorious 12 from Rome in 2023.
The vast majority of the team almost picks itself, and most people would select the same 10 names, but those final couple of spots could chop and change between now and selection time.
The top six in the standings after the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo on Sunday August 24 will qualify automatically, with three of those already booked in.
Donald will then select his six wildcard picks the week commencing Monday September 1.
Team Europe Ryder Cup standings
(Top six qualify automatically; Q = officially qualified for the team)
Pos. |
Name |
Points |
|---|---|---|
1. |
Rory McIlroy (Q) |
3440.78 |
2. |
Justin Rose (Q) |
1519.62 |
3. |
Tommy Fleetwood (Q) |
1483.61 |
4. |
Robert MacIntyre |
1375.94 |
5. |
Tyrrell Hatton |
1279.33 |
6. |
Sepp Straka |
1264.27 |
7. |
Shane Lowry |
1243.11 |
8. |
Rasmus Hojgaard |
1150.91 |
9. |
Ludvig Aberg |
1063.11 |
10. |
Viktor Hovland |
954.01 |
11. |
Matt Wallace |
867.02 |
12. |
Matt Fitzpatrick |
811.18 |
Selected others
- 13. Thomas Detry
- 14. Aaron Rai
- 15. Jordan Smith
- 16. Niklas Norgaard
- 19. Harry Hall
- 22. Jon Rahm
- 26. Nicolai Hojgaard
- 138. Sergio Garcia
Europe Ryder Cup wildcard contenders
There's no real discussion needed for the LIV Golf pair of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton regardless of qualification standings - they're both in.
Most people would agree Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg are also sure-fire picks, while Sepp Straka missing events down the stretch could mean he needs a pick to make his second Ryder Cup appearance.
Matt Fitzpatrick's experience would give him the nod ahead of Matt Wallace you'd think, although Fitzpatrick has a poor Ryder Cup record in America having lost all five matches he's played in away from home.
Sergio Garcia seemed a real possibility earlier in the season with Donald knowing experience is huge for this Ryder Cup in particular, but the record Ryder Cup points scorer may not have done enough in the second half of the season.
Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard are a fascinating case with Rasmus a possible rookie but outperforming his brother, who played in Rome, during qualifying this year. Will Donald take them as a package deal?
And what about Harry Hall as a real wildcard? He's got quality credentials from a superb year on the PGA Tour and he's a superb putter, which can often be the difference.
