Ryder Cup 2025: Predicting Team Europe including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and wildcards

Team Europe will look to retain the Ryder Cup later this year after brilliantly defeating Team USA in Rome in 2023. The countdown to the 2025 Ryder Cup continues as Team Europe plot their route to upsetting the United States at Bethpage Black in New York and becoming the first away side to win a Ryder Cup since ‘the miracle at Medinah’ in 2012. The US entered the 2023 competition as big favourites to defend the trophy they claimed with a dominant victory at Whistling Straits in 2021 but captaincy brilliance from Luke Donald and stunning performances from the likes of Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton led Europe to a sublime 16.5-11.5 triumph in Rome.

Popular skipper Donald has already been confirmed as captain once again for the 2025 edition and will try to secure that most elusive of Ryder Cup accomplishments – an away win – having been a player in the European triumphs on the road in both 2004 and 2012. The European selection process has been tweaked for 2025, with six players qualifying automatically via one overarching Ryder Cup points list as opposed to three via the world rankings and three via the European points list. Donald will still then have six captain’s picks to make up the team of 12 and faces a number of tough calls, including complications around the eligibility of talismen Jon Rahm and Hatton, who both play in the LIV Golf breakaway league.

Here, The Independent sports team examines who is a lock to make the European side and where Donald might turn to find an inspirational wildcard:. Rory McIlroy. Europe’s beating heart, Rory McIlroy’s emotion spilled over in Rome, but his record was impeccable, going 4-1 over the three days. The Irishman has expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton’s involvement and his stance may well sway any potential shift in policy. The major drought continues, yet McIlroy keeps racking up titles away from the big four tournaments as he stormed through on Sunday to win the PGA Tour signature event Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February, having claimed the DP World Tour Championship and thus a sixth Race to Dubai title at the back-end of 2024. Donald will count on McIlroy going five matches again if Europe can defend the trophy.

Ludvig Aberg. Not a maiden PGA Tour title, but the Genesis Invitational victory confirmed Aberg’s aura as one of the greatest talents in a generation as a first signature event win. Next? A major, of course. His short putting aside, Aberg looked robotic tee-to-green at Torrey Pines and outdid Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy by +0.62 and +0.71 respectively over four rounds. He may spark a rivalry with Scheffler if he can sustain this level and that thumping 9&7 victory in Rome provides a compelling storyline should they meet again at Bethpage.

Tommy Fleetwood. Has steadily improved year after 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 with a T5 at February’s Genesis Open the latest impressive result but ultimate near-miss. Secured 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 percentage to a remarkable 67 per cent. Will Fleetwood Mac reunite in New York?.

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. It leaves him eighth in the OWGR, but a clearer picture, illustrated by the Data Golf rankings, has him seventh. A lock for the team, despite his divisive personality, 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, although results began to pick up late in the campaign with a T2 at the FedEx St Jude Championship and a T12 at the Tour Championship. Even when struggling he was a top-10 player in the world and is too good not to regain his full form but will need to prove he’s back to somewhere near his best as 2025 progresses. Europe will need him to be a talisman to triumph at Bethpage, so pencil him in for at least four sessions.