Ryder Cup 2025: Europe standings and predicting Luke Donald’s team for Bethpage Black

The Ryder Cup creeps ever closer with Luke Donald, back again as captain, guiding Team Europe in the 2025 edition of the event at Bethpage Black in New York with the goal of securing a rare away victory over Team USA.

It’s been a fine year for the Europeans, with Rory McIlroy’s Masters victory and career grand slam a standout moment, while Justin Rose outduelled JJ Spaun in a captivating play-off to win the FedEx St Jude Championship, although Tommy Fleetwood again suffered heartache in that event and at the Travelers Championship to ensure he remains the nearly man on the PGA Tour.

It was USA’s captain Keegan Bradley who stormed to victory over Fleetwood on the 18th at the Travelers in a thrilling, Ryder Cup-esque atmosphere and the skipper now has to contend with the temptation of selecting himself to play in September, though Donald’s side remains steady with a number of stalwarts from Rome set to return, including Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland and more.

With the European selection process tweaked for 2025, we take a look at who is in red-hot form, who has work to do and the long shots aiming for a memorable summer to convince Donald they deserve to be on the 12-man team:

Current Team Europe standings for 2025 Ryder Cup

Top six players qualify automatically for team. Standings accurate as of 11 August

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Team Europe for the 2025 Ryder Cup

The locks

Rory McIlroy

The Masters champion. The career grand slam. McIlroy has finally done it and looked set to enter this year’s Ryder Cup with a new aura surrounding him, although his year since fulfilling his Augusta dream has contained a loss of form, a non-conforming driver and continued bizarre bust-ups with the media. He’s on the up again now though, with a T6 at the Travelers Championship, a T2 at the Scottish Open and a T7 at a home Open at Royal Portrush. His Masters victory at Augusta followed another at the Players Championship in a three-hole play-off in an explosive start to the year and Europe will need him to be the beating heart of the team, and probably play all five sessions once again, to pull off a stunning away win. His emotions spilled over in Rome in 2023, though his record was impeccable, going 4-1 over the three days. A repeat is required.

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Justin Rose

A runner-up finish at Augusta probably locked him in for Bethpage but will be small consolation after play-off heartache for a second time in the Masters saw him edged out by McIlroy. His response to that agonising loss was typically classy as he genuinely congratulated his Ryder Cup teammate. He then showed he is still remarkable under pressure by producing a miraculous Sunday back nine and then beating JJ Spaun in a captivating play-off to win the FedEx St Jude Championship – a 12th PGA Tour title of his illustrious career – just two weeks before the end of the Ryder Cup qualification period to nail down a seventh appearance at the competition. Selection for the last Ryder Cup, where he eventually notched 1.5 points in Rome, felt like a race against Father Time for Rose, so this one could have been a struggle yet he’s still at the top of his game and that experience will prove vital to Donald,

Ludvig Aberg

A second PGA Tour title at the Genesis Invitational in February confirmed Aberg’s aura as one of the greatest talents in a generation as he nailed down a first signature event win. His short putting aside, Aberg looked robotic from tee-to-green at Torrey Pines and outdid Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy by +0.62 and +0.71 respectively over four rounds that week. Next? A major, of course. Although missing the cut at both the US PGA and US Open – the fourth time he has failed to make the weekend in the previous six majors – slightly undid an impressive second straight top 10 at the Masters and a solid T23 at the Open at Portrush. He may spark a rivalry with Scheffler if he can get back to his very best and that thumping 9&7 victory in Rome provides a compelling storyline should they meet again at Bethpage.

Tommy Fleetwood

Has steadily improved year on year and is now a permanent fixture in the world’s top 20, even as that pesky first PGA Tour win still agonisingly eludes him and the most devastating near-miss yet – being beaten by Keegan Bradley at the Travelers Championship when leading coming up the 18th on Sunday – will take some serious mental fortitude to recover from. Followed that up with more heartache at the FedEx St Jude Championship when he led with a couple of holes to go, only to bogey 17 and miss out on a play-off against Rose and JJ Spaun by a stroke. Has also notched a T5 at February’s Genesis Open, although did secure a seventh DP World Tour win at the Dubai Invitational in January 2024 and then brilliantly claimed a silver medal at the Paris Olympics that summer. Something of a Ryder Cup veteran now and will be on the team for a fourth time at Bethpage, having taken three points from four matches in Rome – two of which came from a formidable foursomes partnership with McIlroy – taking his overall Ryder Cup win rate to a remarkable 67 per cent. Will Fleetwood Mac reunite in New York?

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Tyrrell Hatton

The one LIV player to defy the system; Hatton has flourished despite the barriers between the rebel tour and the OWGR-sanctioned events. In fact, the fiery Briton has proven efficient and ruthless at times in the select events he has played when world ranking points are on the line, collecting wins at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Hero Dubai Desert Classic and he’s on track to qualify automatically for Bethpage, although will be selected regardless. Currently inside the top 15 in the world by the Data Golf rankings and came close to pinching the US Open before ending T4 as JJ Spaun secured a surprise win. Another major top 20 followed at Portrush. A lock for the team, Hatton appears to be entering his prime at the perfect time to thrive in the cauldron of Bethpage Black.

Viktor Hovland

Has dropped off slightly since his magical summer of 2023 when he triumphed at the Memorial, the BMW Championship and then the Tour Championship to become the third-youngest FedEx Cup winner in history before picking up 3.5 points while playing every session of Europe’s dominant victory Rome. Going down a swing mechanics rabbit hole meant 2024 was largely a lost season by the Norwegian’s high standards but he is on the right track once more. Triumphed at the Valspar in March an unexpected win, to continue a dominant year for Europe on the PGA Tour, and has looked solid since, including a T3 at the US Open. A neck injury caused a final-round withdrawal at the Travelers Championship but that has been no issue since. Europe will need him to be a talisman to triumph at Bethpage, so pencil him in for at least four sessions.

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Jon Rahm

Entering 2025, a concern for Team Europe and Luke Donald was that this was not the same Jon Rahm who was arguably the closest player to Scottie Scheffler at one point. Out of the top 50 in the world, the Spaniard desperately needed a reaction at the majors this year and he’s got it. A trio of top-15 finishes (T14, T8 and T7) in the first three majors of the season, plus a T34 at the Open, was impressive and he’s back up to third in the DataGolf rankings. Ryder Cup eligibility shouldn’t be an issue despite his presence on LIV Golf, so he’s a guaranteed captain’s pick, and a T2 at LIV Chicago, narrowly missing out to Dean Burmester in a play-off, counts as good preparation ahead of Bethpage.

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Bob MacIntyre

Has consolidated himself as a genuinely world-class player since the last Ryder Cup and looks set to be a stalwart for the next decade. Currently ensconced in the top six of qualification and a sublime weekend performance at the US Open saw him finish second behind JJ Spaun, who needed heroics over the final couple of holes on Sunday to deny the Scot a first major title. The result still pushed the left-hander up into the top 15 in the world rankings however and .he racked up another major top 10 at the Open at Portrush. A stunning 2024 saw MacIntyre claim breakthrough victories on the PGA Tour (Canadian Open) and a home championship (Scottish Open), before partnering with one of his sporting heroes, Andy Murray, at the BMW Championships Pro-Am. Quite how significant his maiden Ryder Cup, under the tutelage of Justin Rose in a partnership that could be re-formed, was in this breakthrough is unclear, yet there is a swagger to the Scot, having taken two-and-a-half points from three matches in 2023.

Likely in the team

Shane Lowry

Just one solo win worldwide (the 2022 BMW PGA Championship) since his scintillating triumph at the 2019 Open at Portrush is a concern and even a return to the Northern Irish course this July only yielded a T40. Did combine with good friend Rory McIlroy to claim the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs event in April 2024 and was a runner-up to McIlroy at Pebble Beach in February. Top 15s since at the Cognizant Classic (T11), the Arnold Palmer Invitational (7th), the Valspar (T8), the Truist Championship (T2 having tied for the lead heading into the final day) and the Canadian Open (T13) show he isn’t far away but has dipped a little over the past couple of months and the form isn’t quite where you’d want it to be. Still, he is a foundational piece for Donald and able to match with multiple players on the team. Truthfully, he’s another player likely to be a “lock” when you factor in his experience and popularity among the team, though he only returned a 1-1-1 record in Rome.

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Sepp Straka

A captain’s pick in 2023, the Austrian forged a close bond with Shane Lowry, splitting foursomes before dropping a nailbiter in singles with Justin Thomas to post a 1-2-0 debut at the Ryder Cup. Respectable. Slightly ironic then perhaps that it was Lowry and Thomas he beat to win the Truist Championship in May. Entered 2025 as one of the most likely men in the 2023 cohort to miss out on a spot at Bethpage, especially after an underwhelming end to 2024, but has been a runaway freight train in the first half of the year to all but lock down his spot once more. The Truist was his fourth PGA Tour title and the third had come in January when he held off that man Thomas again to win The American Express in California. Has also racked up top-20 finishes for fun, doing so at the Players Championship, FedEx St Jude Championship, Scottish Open, the Memorial, RBC Heritage, Arnold Palmer Classic, Cognizant Classic, Phoenix Open, Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Sentry, demonstrating almost ludicrous consistency. The only blot is a dismal major record this year, which saw him miss the cut at each of the first three and post a nondescript T52 at the Open. Perhaps a slight weight on Donald’s mind ahead of Bethpage.

Matt Fitzpatrick

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The 2022 US Open champion’s pedigree should mean he’s not far off the ‘locks’ category but Fitzpatrick desperately needed to rectify his undeniable loss of form with a good summer of results and to his credit, he’s largely done that although a first tournament win since 2023 remains elusive. A T8 at the US PGA was the first flash of a green shoot of recovery before a top-20 at the Travelers Championship, T8s at the Rocket Classic and Wyndham Championship, a T4 at the Scottish Open and, most importantly, a T4 at the Open continued the trend. A dismal-looking Ryder Cup record (1–7–0) on paper does go against him, though. Narrowly missed a putt in singles against Max Homa in Rome to win the cup, which could have changed the narrative. His length off the tee should enable him to compete at Bethpage Black.

In contention

Rasmus Hojgaard

If the 11 men above will be on the plane barring a shock, the fight for the 12th and final spot in the team appears wide open and will likely be decided by either a last-gasp win for a contender or Donald’s gut feel. Rasmus Hojgaard may be the man in possession currently, almost by default, sitting just outside the automatic qualification spots in eighth. Two promising finishes on the PGA Tour early in 2025 (T12 at the Phoenix Open and T22 at Pebble Beach) to vault him up the list have largely been followed by a whole lot of nothing with a T16 at the Open about the best of it. The highlight before that was scintillating victory at the Irish Open in September 2024, where he outduelled Rorypg McIlroy with a Sunday 65 to win by a stroke, and a third place at the British Masters shortly after showed how competitive he can be in elite company. Look out for his distance off the tee (currently safely in the top 10 on the PGA Tour this season), which could be useful at Bethpage.

Nicolai Hojgaard

Europe’s less-heralded Scandinavian rookie from 2023, Nicolai Hojgaard – twin brother of Rasmus – picked up half a point from his three matches in Rome which he secured alongside Jon Rahm against the power pairing of Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka in Friday’s fourballs. He showed flashes of his undoubted quality, as well as his youth, across the weekend and the experience will stand him in good stead for future Ryder Cup appearances. Now on a PGA Tour card for 2025, the Dane needs to fend off competition from his brother Rasmus and other contenders by producing something spectacular to retain his place for New York but is currently just stringing together some largely uninspiring results barring T4 at the Scottish Open in an event that doesn’t reveal much about Bethpage suitability.

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Aaron Rai

A top-20 player in the world in September 2024 was not something many in the sport outside of Team Rai anticipated. But remarkable consistency, culminating in a maiden victory on the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship, put him in a commanding position to seize a Ryder Cup debut. A T23 at the Tour Championship, and making three cuts in the 2024 majors, including T19 at Pinehurst in the US Open, suggested Rai was trending nicely and looked the most likely to force Donald’s hand to shake things up. Hasn’t really kicked on in 2025 and could do with another win in the next couple of weeks, otherwise it’ll be tricky to wrest the 12th spot away from the other contenders.

Outsiders

Thomas Detry

The Belgian appears to be a player on the rise as he enters his 30s, climbing into the world’s top 25 by cruising to victory at the Phoenix Open in February 2025 for his first PGA Tour victory and thrusting himself into the heart of the Ryder Cup conversation. That came after 2024 saw him become a consistent, if not spectacular, performer in US tournaments, missing just two cuts from March through to September, sprinkling in regular top-30 finishes as well as a T2 at the Houston Open, T4 at the PGA Championship, T14 at the US Open and T9 at the Olympics. The victory in Phoenix was the next step but needed to continue his upward trajectory to earn a spot on Donald’s team in New York and has instead shown little over the past few months.

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Matt Wallace

Wallace has started to recapture the form that saw him go on a blazing hot streak back in 2018 to claim three European Tour titles and a top-20 finish at the US PGA Championship in a six-month period, before a T3 at the following year’s PGA – which coincidentally was held at Bethpage Black. He was as high as 23 in the world at one point and he started the qualification period for the 2025 Ryder Cup like a freight train. A top-10 at the British Masters, a brilliant European Masters victory to seal a first DP World Tour title for six years and a creditable T12 at the star-studded BMW PGA Championship made up an impressive September 2024 for the 35-year-old Englishman. Getting more PGA Tour opportunities in 2025 will only help and has made no secret of his desperation to make the Ryder Cup team. Work to do despite creditable major performances in the form of a T17 at the US PGA and a T23 at the US Open and it’s now or never if he wants to pinch the 12th spot in Donald’s side.

Sergio Garcia

It would be a stunning return for the Spaniard, but his Ryder Cup record is phenomenal: 25–13–7 (.633). Cut at the Masters, but was on a tear with LIV, winning at LIV Golf Hong Kong and with an overall record of T6, T18, 1, T32, 3 through the first five events of the year. Has cooled off since and will need to recapture that to stand a chance. The hostility has thawed somewhat and Rahm, though out of form himself, might hold some sway if Donald makes provisions to bring him in despite his LIV allegiance.

Predicted European team for the 2025 Ryder Cup

This would be almost identical to the side that vanquished the United States in Rome and although plenty will change between now and September, Rasmus Hojgaard nicks the final spot, bumping his twin brother out of the team. Time is running out for the likes of Aaron Rai, Nicolai Hojgaard or Matt Wallace to knock off a player towards the bottom of the list with some strong results, while it also relies on the LIV Golf situation not stopping the selections of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.