Ryder Cup 2025: Rahm, Hovland, Aberg highlight European captain's picks; our staff reacts

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald decided to run 2023’s winning team back to Bethpage Black.

Donald announced his six captain’s picks on Monday, all six of whom competed in Rome: Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick. The six captain’s picks are joined by Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Robert MacIntyre and Rasmus Hojgaard. Eleven of the 12 members on ther 2023 team are returning, with the lone newcomer—Rasmus—an unofficial part of the last squad, having helped with various team duties while his brother Nicolai played.

“When you get to represent 11 other guys, your captains, your vice captains, the fans rooting for us, it feels like you’re playing for something bigger than yourself,” Hovland said during the press conference.

The picks were far from a surprise, as Rasmus’ snagging the final automatic selection last week was the only true drama remaining in the European process. Matt Wallace, Harry Hall and Nicolai Hojgaard were among those in the running for captain’s picks that were ultimately left off.

Rahm will be competing at his fourth Ryder Cup. Despite not winning a title on LIV Golf this year, Rahm still captured its season-long individual championship. The Spaniard also contended at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Joining Rahm as a four-time selection is Fitzpatrick. After being mired in a slump, the 2022 U.S. Open winner came on strong over the summer months with six top-10s since June.

Aberg, after making the 2023 team despite never playing in a major, returns thanks to winning the Genesis Invitational earlier this year. Though Hovland has not recaptured the form he showed in late 2023 when winning the FedEx Cup champ, the Norwegian has showed glimpses of rejuvenation, including a third-place finish at Oakmont during the U.S. Open.

Straka finished last at the Tour Championship, although that doesn’t diminish a campaign that saw the Austrian win twice on tour. Lowry enters as the No. 23 player in the world thanks to two runner-up finishes in 2025.

The Europeans are the defending champs; however, they have lost three of the past four matches played on American soil.

“That has been a big part of my preparation,” Donald said, nodding to the European team’s past struggles. "We created a strong culture ... we understand our place in the game of golf. We have a chance to set a standard. No just at this Ryder Cup, but at Ryder Cups to come."

The Ryder Cup begins Sept. 26.

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So what to make of Luke Donald's picks? We asked our staff to break it all down.

Most surprising pick?

None. These were telegraphed weeks ago. Given the success of 2023, and the lack of formidable runs from other contenders, this was as easy as it gets for Donald. —Joel Beall

Matt Fitzpatrick. But only mildly surprising. Given his record, 1-7-0, he’s not exactly filled with confidence. Given his experience, he seems logical, though still a decided weak link. —Dave Shedloski

Shane Lowry, but only in the sense that his recent form hasn’t been as stellar as his points total indicates. There was no way Donald was going to leave him off after Lowry got pipped of the last automatic spot for the team. He’s been a different player in these matches, so you need that energy for the team room. —Ryan Herrington

There wasn’t one. I’d pick Matt Fitzpatrick if I had to, but he’s turned his game around since the U.S. Open and is more than deserving. These have been the six on the radar for the past two months. —Jay Coffin

I'm with the group here, the only thing that would have surprised is any one of these guys being left off the team. So I'll just use this section to say that I feel bad for Matt Wallace, who is becoming a regular Ryder Cup bridesmaid. It would've been sort of badass for Donald to pick him over Rahm ... and also incredibly controversial, distracting, and overall dumb. Which is why he didn't do it. Fair play, Mr. Donald. —Shane Ryan

Least surprising pick?

Jon Rahm. Despite the lack of noise since defecting to LIV last year, he remains a top-5 player in the world. —J.B.

Ludvig Aberg. Tremendous talent. Nothing bothers this chap. —D.S.

I’ll go with Rahm. The emotion that he’s showed being part of this team in recent years is an intangible that amplifies his talent and makes him a critical cog for Europe if they're going to pull off the upset. —R.H.

I suppose if there wasn’t one surprising pick then there wouldn’t be one that was the least surprising. But I digress. It has to be Rahm. But Lowry and Hovland aren’t too far behind on the list. —J.C.

Again, nobody is less surprising than anyone else, but I guess leaving Ludvig off might have shocked me the most. But it's marginal between him and literally all five other guys. —S.R.

Biggest thing Donald should be concerned about?

His team hasn't been playing that well since April. Oh, and save for a Sunday miracle/meltdown in 2012, the Euros haven't truly competed in America since 2004. —J.B.

Complacency. Seriously, with a team this stacked with experience and coming off that convincing win in Europe, Donald and crew have to feel pretty good about their chances at Bethpage. Which is a surefire trap. —D.S.

The crowd at Bethpage will be a critical factor in the outcome of the matches. Donald has to find a way to convince his players that the first few holes of every match are the most critical, in hopes of keeping the U.S. crowds as quiet as possible. His team has the talent to beat the U.S. but has to make sure the emotions of the moment don’t get the best of them. —R.H.

New York crowds. Meaning it’s an away game for Europe and the home team often wins. Luke Donald did a wonderful job two years ago and, by all accounts, has done so again with a similar team. But that Bethpage Black gallery is going to be bonkers. —J.C.

How do you prepare this group for the massive, unruly crowds? I'm on record saying this has been the single most decisive factor in the results of the last five Ryder Cups—all home blowouts—and while having veterans will help, it's still the single biggest obstacle between Europe and a rare road victory. I'm not even sure you can prepare for this, beyond hiring 50,000 lunatics with good American accents for a practice round. —S.R.

Who wins?

Americans, in a blowout. —J.B.

Yesterday, I figured USA by 1 point. Today, I'm going with the rarest outcome: a tie. Europe keeps the Cup. —D.S.

The Americans in a close one. Just think winning on the road is too big a challenge these days. —R.H.

The U.S., close. Home turf being the difference. —J.C.

America. I'm never picking against the home team again, or at least until a road team actually wins one. —S.R.