Along with the Irish golfer, for whom it will be a third appearance in the competition, Donald named Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka as his six Captain’s Picks.

They join the six automatic qualifiers – Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard, Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose – to compete the 12-man European team for the 2025 Ryder Cup in New York.

McIlroy will be the most experienced player on the team with seven previous appearance in the biennial competition.

The contest against the United States, will take place at Bethpage Black, Farmington, New York, from September 26-28.

First away Ryder Cup

Sweden’s Åberg and Straka of Austria will each be playing in their first away Ryder Cup, having made their debuts in the 16 ½ – 11 ½ victory in Rome two years ago.

Norwegian Hovland, who paired up with fellow Scandinavian Åberg in a record-breaking foursomes win in Rome, will be making his third consecutive appearance.

Fourth Ryder Cup for Fitzpatrick and Rahm

Englishman Fitzpatrick and Spain’s Rahm are the most experienced of the Captain’s Picks, with three previous appearances apiece. Fitzpatrick teed it up in 2016, 2021 and 2023, with Rahm now making it four in a row, following his debut in Paris in 2018.

11 of the 12 players from Rome return

European Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, said of his side:

“We are a settled and united team with a strong culture, with 11 of the 12 players from the victory in Rome returning, and an exciting, talented rookie in Rasmus Højgaard, who was around our team environment in Rome.

“We also have a lot of experience and that is going to be important going to Bethpage because we know the challenge that awaits us.

“Although the team itself is similar to Rome, I have approached this captaincy from a very different angle. A different challenge requires different thinking and strategies.

“I’m excited that we now have our 12 players in place, and together we are all fully focused on trying to retain the Ryder Cup in New York and trying to create history.”

EUROPEAN TEAM FOR THE 2025 RYDER CUP

Ludvig Åberg (Sweden). Age 25. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2023)

Matt Fitzpatrick (England). Age 31. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2016, 2021, 2023)

Tommy Fleetwood (England) Age 34. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2018, 2021, 2023)

Tyrrell Hatton (England). Age 33. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2018, 2021, 2023)

Rasmus Højgaard (Denmark) Age 24. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 0 (Rookie)

Viktor Hovland (Norway). Age 27. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2021, 2023)

Shane Lowry. Age 38. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2021, 2023)

Robert MacIntyre (Scotland). Age 29. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2023)

Rory McIlroy. Age 36. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 7 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023)

Jon Rahm (Spain). Age 30. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2018, 2021, 2023)

Justin Rose (England) Age 45. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 6 (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2023)

Sepp Straka (Austria). Age 32. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2023)

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It will be a second time in the Ryder Cup for Lowry, and a first of European soil, having played at Whistling Straits in the USA two years ago.

Donald has also chosen Ludvig Åberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Nicolai Højgaard, Justin Rose and Sepp Straka for the European Ryder Cup side. This year’s competition place at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome, from September 29 – October 1.

The six captain’s picks join Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm, all of whom qualified automatically for the contest against the United States.

Sweden’s Åberg, Denmark’s Højgaard and Austria’s Straka will all make their Ryder Cup debuts at the end of the month.

For England’s Tommy Fleetwood it will be a third consecutive Ryder Cup, following his debut in 2018 when he won four points out of five in Paris. Justin Rose, another English player, will be making his sixth appearance at the Ryder Cup, and his first since Paris five years ago.

Luke Donald

European Captain Donald said: “I am delighted to announce Ludvig, Tommy, Nicolai, Shane, Justin and Sepp as part of Team Europe for the Ryder Cup, joining the six players who qualified automatically.
 
“We have great depth of talent in Europe, and that is perfectly illustrated with the team we now have confirmed for Rome, which is a strong blend of players with previous Ryder Cup experience combined with exciting and talented rookies.
 
“I’m really pleased to have this team now in place, and we are all looking forward to going to Rome later this month and trying to win back the Ryder Cup.”

EUROPEAN TEAM FOR THE 2023 RYDER CUP

Ludvig Åberg (Sweden). Age 23. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 0 (Rookie)
Matt Fitzpatrick (England). Age 29. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2016, 2021)
Tommy Fleetwood (England) Age 32. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2018, 2021)
Tyrrell Hatton (England). Age 31. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2018, 2021)
Nicolai Højgaard (Denmark). Age 22. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 0 (Rookie)
Viktor Hovland (Norway). Age 25. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2021)
Shane Lowry (Ireland). Age 36. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2021)
Robert MacIntyre (Scotland). Age 27. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 0 (Rookie)
Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland). Age 34. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 6 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021)
Jon Rahm (Spain). Age 28. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2018, 2021)
Justin Rose (England) Age 43. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 5 (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)
Sepp Straka (Austria). Age 30. Previous Ryder Cup appearances: 0 (Rookie)

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The hosts will be aiming to win the Ryder Cup back after losing out to Europe in 2018 by seven points.

Europe, on the other hand, have dominated proceedings since the turn of century with all but two instalments of the famous competition ending in their favour.

The first two days of the competition is played with four-ball and foursome matches with the home captain selecting the order.

In four-ball, each side has a two-man team in a given match and each competitor plays their own ball. Whichever golfer has the lowest score on a hole secures a point for their team.

In foursome, players on a two-man team take alternating shots. Whichever duo combines for the lowest score on a hole secures a point for their team.

The final round of competition is played in a singles format. Twelve singles matches will take place with each golfer facing a member of the opposing team head to head.

28 points are on offer for the two teams with 14.5 enough to secure a win but the holders only need 14.

Steve Stricker and Pádraig Harrington succeed Jim Furyk and Thomas Bjorn as captains of the two teams and the latter will be hoping to emulate Bjorn’s success.

Harrington and his vice-captains opted to bring Shane Lowry, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia to Whistling Straits alongside the automatic qualifiers.

Lowry will make his debut in the famous competition this weekend while Poulter and Garcia have history with it.

The pair have been top points scorers in the Ryder Cup three times each and bring their veteran experience to Team Europe.

Tommy Fleetwood and Lee Westwood are other players who have had strong Ryder Cup campaigns in the past that are involved with the side once more.

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm has had a strong year and could be the key for this European side in their hunt for a second Ryder Cup in a row.

In the red corner, 2018 captain Furyk returns as one of Stricker’s vice-captains alongside Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Zach Johnson and Davis Love III.

Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau will have to put whatever differences they have aside for the benefit of the team.

Patrick Reed, who played a big role in recent campaigns for the Americans, is not on the team this year.

However, they have no shortage of world-class golfers with Justin Spieth, Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay looking to expand on strong years.

The USA have hinted at the use of a pod system over the week – the concept of the pod system groups four players together, who will then interchange pairings within that group throughout the first two days of the Ryder Cup.

Thomas, Spieth, DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler is a potential pod that Stricker could deploy after the quartet practiced together in midweek.

Harrington has chopped and changed the European practice groups, thus the intentions of Team Europe do not seem as clear.

Teams

Team USA: Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Bryson De Chambeau, Harris English, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas.

Captain: Steve Stricker

Vice-captains: Fred Couples, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson.

Team Europe: Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Tyrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Jon Rahm, Bernd Weisberger, Lee Westwood.

Captain: Pádraig Harrington

Vice-captains: Luke Donald, Robert Karlsson, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson.

Schedule

Odds

Team USA 4/9

Tie 11/1 – Europe 9/5 to lift the trophy

Team Europe 5/2

Where To Watch

Sky Sports have the rights to the competition in Ireland and coverage will start at 1 pm on Friday and Saturday and 5 pm on Sunday.

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Lowry is one of three wildcards and is set to make his Team Europe debut alongside Ryder Cup veterans Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter in this year’s instalment of the competition.

The Irish golfer had missed out on the automatic spots after a 17th-placed finish at the BMW PGA Championship.

The 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year needed to finish in the top eight of the tournament to earn an automatic spot after Bernd Weisberger and Lee Westwood did enough at Wentworth.

However, all three will be teammates for the Ryder Cup after Harrington announced his choices on Sunday evening.

Lowry said to Sky Sports: “It’s been a career-long dream to play in the Ryder Cup. I remember when the points race started, I said it was my number one goal and it has been for the last two years.

“I’m just incredibly proud of what I have achieved. But there’s no point going over there to make up the numbers. I want to win points and help bring the cup back.”

The Offaly native will be one of three rookies partaking in their maiden Ryder Cup tournament for Harrington’s team.

Weisberger and Viktor Hovland will also make their debuts against Team USA this year after earning automatic qualifications.

However, although the rookie tag is placed on Lowry for this competition, the 34-year-old will come into the tournament with major-winning experience.

“He is a rookie but nobody thinks of him as a rookie,” Harrington said on Sky Sports after announcing his picks.

“He’s a major champion, a World Golf Championship winner. If I’ve picked a rookie it’s probably because they have delivered twice to get in the team.”

The 2021 Ryder Cup will take place from Friday, September 24 to Sunday, September 26.

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The Irishman will pair up with Rory McIlroy for the tournament as the duo will aim to win the first medal in golf for Ireland at the Olympics.

Lowry noted that it felt good seeing what the Olympics meant to those who chose him and hopes to do the country proud when he plays at the Kasumigaseki Country Club next month.

“I think it’s just pretty cool that I’m going,” said the one-time major winner.

The 2019 Open Champion is going over there searching for success and not for the experience alone, adding that he wants a medal.

Lowry ruled himself out of contention for the first-ever golfing tournament at the Rio Olympics in 2016 due to the outbreak of the Zika virus at the time.

At that time, he was recently newlywed to his wife Wendy and they were planning to have a family.

Statement on my Olympic Games participation pic.twitter.com/KY4YBzFa3g

— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) June 28, 2016

Based on that, he was advised not to travel to Rio to take part in the Olympic games and instead put his family’s welfare first.

Five years later, a year longer than expected, he will represent his country at the Olympics, something he described in his statement from June 2016 as an honour that would bring him “a huge source of pride.”

The Ryder Cup is another tournament that is also in the sights of the Irish golfer.

Lowry feels he is on course to be chosen by Pádraig Harrington to represent Europe in their defence of the trophy at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

His ability to stay in Ireland ahead of the upcoming Open Championship and subsequently his appearance at the Open will help his case as Whistling Straits is a links course, much like many courses in Ireland and Britain.

Lowry believes he only needs to replicate the form he has been in over the last year to be picked.

“I’ve put myself pretty close to the team. I think some good golf over the next couple of months will do that.”

Tee times and broadcast details for the 2021 Irish Open are available here.

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Jon Rahm sunk two long putts on the 17th & 18th at Torrey Pines to edge a stroke ahead of Louis Oosthuizen in a drama-filled final round late last night. He then faced an anxious wait as the South African golfer still had four to play. A bogey on the 17th put paid to Oosthuizen’s challenge and Rahm became the 121st winner of the U.S. Open.

In doing so Rahm became the first Spaniard to lift the prestigious trophy and only the fourth to claim a major title.

Rahm is no stranger to final-round drama. He shot a scintillating 62 in the final round at Lahinch in 2019 to come from five shots back to claim his second Dubai Duty-Free Irish Open title. He had previously won the title in 2017 at Portstewart.

The win at Torrey Pines lifts Rahm to the number one spot in the world rankings. Which will serve as a boost to Padraig  Harrington’s European Ryder Cup team also.

Rahm’s win somehow felt pre-ordained. He had led the Memorial by six shots after 54 holes, only to be informed that he had tested positive for Covid on the 18th after his third round two weeks ago. Two negative tests allowed him to exit his self-isolation just in time travel to La Jolla, California in order to compete at the U.S. Open.

Aptly, as the win fell on father’s day, the proud dad was greeted by his wife Kelley and his infant son Kepa as he strolled off the 18th. He cradled his son as he waited for the final holes to finish before his victory was confirmed.

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The Tour’s Tournament Committee voted unanimously to ratify the changes which will see qualifying resume on January 1, 2021, ahead of golf’s greatest team contest which will now be staged from September 24-26, 2021.

All points earned to date on both the European and World Points lists, which started at the 2019 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and which were paused after the 2020 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in March this year, will continue to count.

In addition, one or more points multipliers may be introduced during the course of the 2021 European Tour season to ensure that strong performance closer to the match in September 2021 is given added importance. These will be agreed once the 2021 European Tour schedule has been announced and communicated to the Membership prior to 1st January.

As in 2020, Qualification points will not be available anywhere in the world during 2021 from a tournament played opposite a Rolex Series event, further enhancing the status of the premier series of events on the European Tour.

Overall, there will be no modification to the qualifying criteria ratified by the Tournament Committee last year: i.e. the first four qualifiers for Team Europe will come from the European Points list, the next five from the World Points list and Captain Pádraig Harrington will have three wildcard picks.

The change to the qualifying process maintains the normal length of the qualification period plus a further two months, as January and February in both 2020 and 2021 are included. The end date of the qualification period will be confirmed when the 2021 Race to Dubai schedule is announced.

European Captain Pádraig Harrington said the announced changed:

“I think the proposals that have been outlined are fair to all players involved in the qualification process, whether they have already amassed points or will be looking to do so from next January onwards.”

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The 43rd Ryder Cup, scheduled for the week of September 22-27 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, USA, has been rescheduled for the week of September 21-26, 2021.

Likewise, the 2021 Presidents Cup, initially scheduled for September 30-October 3, 2021 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, will now be played September 19-25, 2022.

Guy Kinnings, Europe’s Ryder Cup Director, said of the decision:

“The Ryder Cup is rightly celebrated as one of the world’s greatest sporting occasions, made special and totally unique in our sport by the fervent atmosphere created by the passionate spectators of both sides.

“While that point is significant, it is not as important as the health of the spectators which, in these difficult times, is always the main consideration. We considered all options including playing with a limited attendance but all our stakeholders agreed this would dilute the magic of this great occasion.”

Irish golfer Pádraig Harrington, Captain of the European Ryder Cup Team, spoke about the change of date for the event, admitting:

“Rescheduling the Ryder Cup was never going to be an easy decision given the many factors to take into consideration. But I believe it is the right assessment given the unprecedented circumstances we are facing at this time.

“When you think of the Ryder Cup you think of the distinctive atmosphere generated by the spectators, such as around the first tee at Le Golf National two years ago. If that cannot be responsibly recreated at Whistling Straits in September, then it is correct that we all wait until it can be.”

For Ryder Cup qualifying, both the United States and European teams will revisit their respective selection processes in the near future.

Tickets purchased for The 2020 Ryder Cup via rydercup.com will be automatically valid for the corresponding day(s) in 2021.

With the decision to play The 2020 Ryder Cup in September 2021, all subsequent Ryder Cups after Whistling Straits will also shift to odd years: 2023: Marco Simone Golf and Country Club (Rome); 2025: Bethpage Black (Farmingdale, New York); 2027:Adare Manor (Co. Limerick); 2029: Hazeltine National Golf Club (Chaska, Minnesota); 2031: Europe (to be determined); 2033: The Olympic Club (San Francisco); 2035: Europe (to be determined); 2037: Congressional Country Club (Bethesda, Maryland).

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Davis Love previously captained the Americans in 2012 and 2016, will now team up with Ryder Cup captain, Steve Stricker. Love has a 50% strike rate in terms of win as captain, the USA lost in 2012, but beat Europe who were captained by Darren Clarke four years later 18-11. Zach Johnson was also a member of that team in 2012. However, he has been on the losing side 4 times. RTE Sport that Padraig Harrington has selected England’s Luke Donald and Sweden’s Robert Karlsson as his vice captains. Last month Harrington said that it is unlikely the Ryder Cup will go ahead unless there is fans. He said, There’s no doubt that it makes the tournament so much better.

The Ryder Cup is scheduled to take place in Whistling Straits in September, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, it is likely it will go, however crowds and spectators may be limited at the event, if any. Speaking to the PGA of America Steve Stricker said, “With the Ryder Cup it’s important to surround yourself with quality individuals who you can lean on and who have the best interests of the team in mind”. He continued, “Both Zach and Davis share a passion to compete at the highest level and are strong communicators, which is important, especially when we’re in the heat of competition.”

Zach Johnson said he is really privileged to be named as vice captain. He said, “In a domestic Ryder Cup it’s important to defend ‘our turf’ and to do so on behalf of Steve – in his home state at Whistling Straits – is a great opportunity for our team to make a statement.” Davis Love said he is anxious to get to work and he is confident that Stricker has a good program in place. He said, “I’m confident in the program he has in place and am anxious to get to work”.

The action will get underway at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. The event runs from September 25th to 27th.

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