The wait is sort of over! Luke Donald and his European facet journey to the US this month to defend the Ryder Cup in Farmingdale, New York at Bethpage Black.
Donald has a star-studded solid at his disposal — that includes 2025 stars Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood — and his captain’s picks finalised what appears to be like to be one of many strongest European sides in current reminiscence.
Eleven of the squad that half in Rome final time, when Europe received 16½-11½, return, however the process forward is daunting: No crew visiting crew has received the Ryder Cup since 2012, when Group Europe delivered the “Miracle of Medinah.”
Here’s a have a look at Group Europe and the way they’ve fared getting into the Ryder Cup.
CAPTAIN
Luke Donald
There was a time when Group Europe captains would normally return for back-to-back appearances. At the beginning of the fashionable Ryder Cup period, between 1979 and 1995, Europe had solely three totally different captains: John Jacobs, Tony Jacklin and Bernard Gallacher. That is 9 tournaments break up between three totally different captains.
Group Europe have by no means had a repeat captain since. Group USA have not used the identical captain for 2 straight tournaments since Ben Hogan in 1949. What Donald will do at Bethpage is actually uncommon.
Apparently, it solely yielded three victories, two of which got here underneath Jacklin in ’85 and ’87. Ought to Donald information Europe to a different victory, he can be the one different particular person to handle that feat.
Nonetheless, Donald could have the backing of the group. It was in a postmatch information convention at Marco Simone that Rory McIlroy gave his blessing.
“I feel everybody sitting right here can be very blissful to have him once more,” he mentioned.
Donald, who led Europe to a commanding victory in Italy, will even be hoping to turn out to be the primary European captain to win on U.S. soil since José MarÃa Olazábal with the “Miracle of Medinah.”
“Nice alternatives do not come alongside fairly often in life and I am an important believer that once they do, it’s essential seize them with each fingers,” Donald mentioned in his announcement assertion.
“That is one in every of these moments.”
QUALIFIED
Rory McIlroy
Ryder Cup appearances: 7 appearances (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023)Particular person match report: 16 wins, 13 defeats, 4 ties
Rory McIlroy was the primary participant to qualify for Group Europe at this Ryder Cup, and his eighth look on the well-known occasion comes after one in every of his most memorable seasons.
The Northern Irishman infamously ended his Augusta Nationwide heartbreak and accomplished his profession Grand Slam by successful the 2025 Masters in a trademark chaotic vogue. That wasn’t his solely victory, although: He additionally had two wins earlier than the Masters at Pebble Seaside and TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy’s post-April kind has been barely extra up-and-down — he missed the reduce on the Canadian Open and tied forty seventh on the PGA Championship — however he has nonetheless managed 4 top-10 finishes since then, together with at The Open at Royal Portrush.
In his ultimate begin earlier than the Ryder Cup, he completed tied-Twentieth with a 12-under scorecard throughout 4 rounds Wentworth within the PGA Championship.
Robert McIntyre
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 look (2023)Particular person match report: 2 wins, 0 defeats, 1 tie
Robert McIntyre might not have clinched any titles on the PGA Tour this yr, nevertheless it’s been a unbelievable season nonetheless for the Scot who has two runner-up finishes — on the U.S. Open and BMW Championship — and 6 top-10s.
His second look on the Ryder Cup comes after he made a near-perfect debut that noticed him go undefeated, together with a Sunday particular person victory over Wyndham Clark.
“Bob has put in some huge performances on each side of the Atlantic this season, and that effective kind mixed together with his expertise from 2023 will probably be invaluable in New York,” Donald mentioned when McIntyre booked his spot.
Tommy Fleetwood
Ryder Cup appearances: 3 appearances (2018, 2021, 2023)Particular person match report: 7 wins, 3 defeats, 2 ties
Identical to McIlroy, Fleetwood will enter this Ryder Cup with a barely totally different feeling than all of the final. The Liverpool-born golfer picked up his first PGA Tour win after 164 makes an attempt that have been plagued by close to and painful misses.
His lifting of the FedEx Cup at East Lake Golf Membership put a cheerful finish to what was a traditionally tough spell. Put succinctly: He was the most effective golfer to have by no means received on Tour. His 30 top-five finishes with out a victory have been probably the most on the PGA Tour prior to now 100 years, in keeping with ESPN Analysis.
With that over, Fleetwood can flip his consideration to the Ryder Cup the place he has been a dependable contributor for Group Europe. His seven match wins over the previous three Cups have seen him take down the likes of Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.
He twice partnered McIlroy final day out at Marco Simone. Will we see the identical once more at Bethpage?
Justin Rose
Ryder Cup appearances: 6 appearances (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023)Particular person match report: 14 wins, 9 defeats, 3 ties
At 45 years outdated, Justin Rose would be the oldest member of Group Europe and he brings expertise in addition to expertise to this roster.
He comes into the Ryder Cup in unbelievable kind, successful the the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August, in addition to managing a sixth-place end on the Scottish Open and sixteenth place at The Open. That is available in the identical yr that he completed second behind McIlroy in a playoff on the Masters.
The 2023 Ryder Cup was the primary time that Rose had been picked for the match — he had certified for all his earlier appearances — and he was paired twice with McIntyre the place they received and tied earlier than he fell to a 2&1 defeat to Patrick Cantlay.
In his ultimate occasion earlier than the Ryder Cup, Rose was in rivalry after two days on the BMW Championship at Wentworth, sitting at 11-under, solely to fall away over the weekend and end tied-61st.
Rasmus Højgaard
Ryder Cup appearances: NoneIndividual match report: N/A
Rasmus Højgaard will make his Ryder Cup debut this yr after he secured the ultimate qualification spot with a tied-Thirteenth end on the British Masters.
It has not been Højgaard’s finest yr but on the PGA Tour: He has beforehand managed one win yearly since he debuted in 2019. This yr, he has simply made a single top-10 — a second-place end on the Zurich Basic of New Orleans.
At 24 years outdated, the Dane will doubtless be the youngest member of the crew, and he will probably be hoping to do higher than his brother, Nicolai, did on his rookie look in 2023 when he misplaced two and drew one, together with a singles defeat to Xander Schauffele.
Tyrrell Hatton
Ryder Cup appearances: 3 appearances (2018, 2021, 2023)Particular person match report: 5 wins, 4 defeats, 2 ties
The lone LIV participant to safe automated qualification for Group Europe, Hatton will embark on his fourth Ryder Cup.
The Englishman managed to earn his berth for the match regardless of his LIV rating factors not counting towards his qualification. Nevertheless, his victories eventually yr’s Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks and the Dubai Desert Basic, alongside his main report that noticed him tied-fourth on the U.S. Open, was sufficient to e-book his place.
Hatton was one in every of Group Europe’s finest performers final day out, successful three of his 4 matches and going undefeated.
CAPTAIN’S PICKS
Shane Lowry
Ryder Cup appearances: 2 appearances (2021, 2023)Particular person match report: 2 wins, 3 defeats, 1 tie
Lowry might not have proven the shape we so typically see in majors in golf’s premier crew occasion, however the 38-year-old will add precious expertise to Donald’s facet.
The Irishman, McIlroy’s finest buddy in golf, missed out on automated qualification by lower than 4 factors and has persistently impressed on the PGA Tour, with two second-place finishes this yr at Pebble Seaside and the Truist.
He’ll be determined so as to add to his 2.5 Ryder Cup factors, and was Donald’s first choose.
Jon Rahm
Ryder Cup appearances: 3 appearances (2018, 2021, 2023)Particular person match report: 6 wins, 3 defeats, 3 ties
Whereas Rahm is simply twenty fourth within the European rankings, there was no method the Spaniard would not be picked for Bethpage.
Rahm, whose lowly place is completely on account of a scarcity of begins in DP World Tour occasions, claimed his second straight LIV Golf title in 2025 and in addition impressed within the majors, with top-15 finishes at Augusta, Quail Hole and Oakmont.
A two-time main winner and an imposing matchplay opponent, the 30-year-old can also be a Ryder Cup pure, claiming 7.5 factors from his three appearances. Count on him to be a key cog in Donald’s crew once more.
Sepp Straka
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 look (2023)Particular person match report: 1 win, 2 defeats, 0 ties
Straka appeared a Ryder Cup lock earlier this yr after two PGA Tour victories in 4 months. Whereas he nonetheless makes the crew, it is honest to say his kind has been a bit shaky since Might.
The Austrian, who missed the reduce in three out of 4 majors in 2025 regardless of being backed for fulfillment, completed a distant thirtieth on the Tour Championship at seven over par and has been inconsistent together with his putter particularly.
Nonetheless, his improvement since 2023 has not gone unnoticed by Donald.
Viktor Hovland
Ryder Cup appearances: 2 appearances (2021, 2023)Particular person match report: 3 wins, 4 defeats, 3 ties
It has been a topsy-turvy 2025 for Hovland, following up three straight missed cuts in February and March with a shock win on the Valspar. His exhibiting there, and kind since, secured his place.
Hovland made the reduce in any respect 4 majors — ending third at Oakmont — and ended his season with a top-10 on the BMW Championship earlier than inserting twelfth on the Tour Championship. The Norwegian additionally has a stellar Ryder Cup report, enjoying in all 5 periods of each matches he is been concerned in.
Count on him to rekindle his effective partnership with Aberg sooner or later at Bethpage.
Ludvig Aberg
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 look (2023)Particular person match report: 2 wins, 2 defeats, 0 ties
The shock choose and breakout star from Marco Simone is definitely going to be a drive to be reckoned with at Bethpage, and for a few years to come back.
Aberg received the Genesis this yr and completed seventh on the Masters earlier than going off the boil barely. His kind returned on the Scottish Open, and he went into Donald’s announcement on the again of 5 straight top-25 finishes.
The Swede, nonetheless simply 25, received half his matches on his debut and has been given the possibility to enhance his report additional.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Ryder Cup appearances: 3 appearances (2016, 2021, 2023)Particular person match report: 1 win, 7 defeats, 0 ties
Equally to Hovland, Fitzpatrick’s place appeared in severe doubt earlier on within the yr. An eighth-place end on the PGA Championship, nonetheless, kickstarted his marketing campaign.
Fitzpatrick has six top-10s in 11 tournaments since then, and it is that kind that earned him a fourth Ryder Cup look.
What does want to enhance, nonetheless, is the Englishman’s Ryder Cup report. Fitzpatrick has solely a single match win — with McIlroy in 4 balls two years in the past — and has by no means claimed a single level Stateside.
