Luke Donald's Crucial Decisions: Who Will Complete Team Europe's 2025 Ryder Cup Squad?

The 2025 Ryder Cup is quickly approaching with the USA Ryder Cup team now locked in. As the 2025 Ryder Cup approaches at Bethpage Black in New York (scheduled for 26–28 September), Team Europe stands poised once again under the leadership of captain Luke Donald, who returns to the role following his successful 2023 stint.

Six players have already secured their spots through automatic qualification: Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, and Rasmus Højgaard, with the latter the only one not to compete in the Ryder Cup before. With Donald yet to reveal his six captain's picks, the suspense remains palpable.

Top contenders include Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Sepp Straka, all delivering compelling cases for selection based on recent form and past Ryder Cup performances. As Donald prepares to complete his squad, set to be revealed on 1 September, fans and pundits alike await to see whether a balanced mix of seasoned veterans and in-form finishers will try to deliver a win for Europe for the first time on American soil since 2012.

The Race for Europe's Six Captain's Pick Spots

Shane Lowry

Missing the final automatic spot by just a few points after Rasmus Højgaard edged ahead, Lowry now relies on one of Luke Donald's six captain's picks. Given his experience, strong Ryder Cup pedigree, and narrow miss, he is widely viewed as one of the near certainties for selection.

Sepp Straka

Despite a strong PGA Tour season with wins and a high FedEx Cup standing, Straka's Ryder Cup hopes face uncertainty due to recent personal issues that saw him withdraw from the BMW Championship. If Straka is ready for the Ryder Cup, he is another near certainty for selection.

Viktor Hovland

A key contender for a wildcard, Hovland's consistent form and impactful match-play history make him a highly probable pick. He's regarded as among the most certain additions via the captain's selection.

Ludvig Åberg

Virtually locked in for selection, Åberg's breakthrough season and prior Ryder Cup performance in 2023 strongly bolster his chances. His rising form and proven match-play impact make him a standout wildcard choice.

Jon Rahm

Despite not qualifying automatically due to limited DP World Tour appearances, Rahm's dominance in LIV and major events makes him all but guaranteed a captain's pick even though he plays his golf on the LIV tour.

Harry Hall

Hall has impressed this season with breakout performances and impressive putting. However, his lack of Ryder Cup experience casts him as more of an outside pick—interesting, but less likely than the seasoned contenders.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick is in strong contention for one of the picks. His recent form, including top finishes, and Ryder Cup experience make him a solid choice, though his form at the beginning of the year was worrying; but he seems to have found that spark.

Matt Wallace

Wallace has been in the mix due to DP World Tour form and past success. Still, he's viewed as more of a long shot behind the established names, though not completely outside the conversation for Donald.

Nicolai Højgaard

Højgaard was a pick back in 2023 following strong form, and with his twin brother Rasmus set to make his Ryder Cup debut this time around, Nicolai could be a good choice if Donald wants a partner who will suit the debuting Rasmus Højgaard.

Alex Norén

Norén's recent British Masters win props up his case as a dark horse. His veteran presence and timely success make him a plausible alternative, although he is a strong outsider to be picked.

European Team Prediction

The European team looks like it will have a lot of continuity to it from 2023, with 5 of the 6 players in the automatic spots being on the team in 2023. I believe Donald will go with continuity in his wildcard picks and pick 6 players who were on his team in 2023, with Nicolai Højgaard the only one from 2023 not to feature in the 2025 team, in my opinion. The predicted team is as follows:

• Rory McIlroy
• Robert MacIntyre
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Justin Rose
• Tyrrell Hatton
• Rasmus Højgaard
• Shane Lowry
• Sepp Straka
• Viktor Hovland
• Ludvig Åberg
• Jon Rahm
• Matt Fitzpatrick

Conclusion

The Ryder Cup is not far away, and the wildcard picks are close to being chosen. With the USA Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley having many choices to finalise his team, will he pick himself? We will find out when his picks are made on August 27th.