Golf | Europe name Ryder Cup squad

What do you think of the squad announcement?

Europe will field their most consistent Ryder Cup team in history for this month’s contest, with only one change from the side that triumphed over the United States in 2023.

Author | Liam C

Rasmus Hojgaard is the sole newcomer, taking the place of his twin brother Nicolai after securing his spot through the ranking system.

When captain Luke Donald revealed his six wildcard selections on Monday, he opted for experience ahead of the away match at Bethpage Black in New York, scheduled for 26-28 September.

Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick, all members of the 16½-11½ victory in Rome in 2023, were chosen by Donald.

They will be joined by Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard and Tyrrell Hatton, who earned automatic qualification.

Is it unusual to have so much continuity?

Since the Ryder Cup was opened to European players in 1979, there has never been so little change to a team, with Europe typically making five alterations in each two-year cycle.

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The previous record for fewest changes was three, achieved on three occasions: in 1985 at the Belfry, 1987 at Muirfield Village, Ohio, and 2006 at the K Club in Ireland. On each of these occasions, Europe emerged victorious, with the 1987 win marking the first ever triumph on US soil.

While there has been widespread speculation in recent weeks over who would receive a wildcard, players such as Lowry, Rahm, Aberg and Hovland appeared certain to be selected.

Donald, who guided the team to victory in Rome, acknowledged that he faced some difficult decisions.

He told the media: “The last two weeks are the most difficult part of a captain's job. There are people who are jockeying for position and people who feel like they might have done enough, but then get a call to say they are not in the team and that is tough."

Matt Wallace, who finished 12th on the rankings list, was moved to tears after completing his final round at the European Masters on Sunday, realising he would miss out.

Fellow Englishman Marco Penge, 14th on the list, had also been considered. His powerful game might have suited the demanding length of Bethpage Black, and the 27-year-old has claimed two DP World Tour victories in 2025, rising from outside the top 400 a year ago to world number 60.

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Harry Hall, who finished 17th in qualifying, was attracting attention. He recorded 52 more birdies than any other player on the PGA Tour in 2025 and ranked second for putting, achieving five top-10 finishes.

Yet with Donald aiming to emulate Tony Jacklin as the only captain to win both home and away matches and secure his place among Europe’s Ryder Cup greats, he chose not to include any rookies in his squad.