Tag: European Ryder Cup team

Q&A: Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Luke Donald riff on the Ryder Cup

“Both teams always fight to the very end because of how much it matters to all of us.”

The captain’s picks have been made, the teams are all set and the countdown to the Ryder Cup, which begins Sept. 29 in Rome at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, has begun in earnest.

In a little more than a week, 12 of the best players from both Europe and the United States will square off in the biennial bash as the Euros look to win the Cup back and continue their dominance at home.

Ahead of the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup, European stalwarts Jon Rahm and Matt Fitzpatrick and European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald participated in a wide-ranging Q&A through a partnership with Rolex that covered what makes this event so special to them as well as a primer on the course and more.

Viktor Hovland becomes third European player to punch ticket to Italy for 2023 Ryder Cup

Hovland has been consistently in the mix all season on the PGA Tour and contended in two majors.

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The European squad bound for the 2023 Ryder Cup is starting to take shape.

Viktor Hovland became the third player to earn his way onto the team for the upcoming matches at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, near Rome, Italy. The six automatic qualifiers for the European team are split, three from a European Points List and three from a World Points List. The 25-year-old Norwegian is the first player to qualify via the World Points List after Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm earned their way via the European Points List.

Ranked No. 5 in the world, Hovland has finished inside the top 25 an impressive 16 times over 21 starts on the PGA Tour this season. He picked up a win at the Memorial and was T-2 at the PGA Championship. Hovland has also been impressive in the other majors this season after earning a T-7 at the Masters and top-20 finishes at the U.S. Open (19) and Open Championship (T-13).

Hovland made his debut for the European squad in 2021 and finished the week 0-3-2 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, where the Americans rolled to a 19-9 victory. He lost to Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa, 3 and 2, alongside Paul Casey in Friday foursomes but picked up half a point with Tommy Fleetwood in the afternoon fourball session against Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay. On Saturday, Thomas and Jordan Spieth defeated Hovland and Bernd Wiesberger, 2 up, in the morning foursomes and then earned his second tie of the week in Sunday singles against Morikawa.

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Jose Maria Olazabal named vice captain for 2023 European Ryder Cup team

Olazabal joins Thomas Bjorn, Edoardo Molinari and Nicolas Colsaerts as vice captains for Donald.

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Luke Donald has turned to one of the most experienced European Ryder Cuppers for his latest vice captain pick.

Jose Maria Olazabal was announced Wednesday as Donald’s fourth vice captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone in Rome, Italy. The competition is set for Sept. 26-Oct. 1.

The 57-year-old Spaniard represented Europe on seven occasions from 1987 to 2006. He has also been a vice captain three times in 2008, 2010 and 2014. Olazabal also was the captain for the incredible European comeback at Medinah in 2012.

In his seven Ryder Cup appearances as a player, which yielded three wins and a tie in 1989, Olazabal played 31 times, winning 18 of those matches and earning 20.5 points. His partnership with Seve Ballesteros remains one of, if not the, best in Ryder Cup history, as the Spanish duo won 12 points from their 15 outings together.

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“With my previous experiences in the Ryder Cup, I am obviously thrilled to be back involved once again,” Olazabal said in a release. “I am really looking forward to feeling that special adrenaline flow, the intensity and the electricity that only the Ryder Cup can bring – I’m really excited to be part of it all again. “It was a very nice surprise to be asked by Luke. I didn’t expect it but I was delighted when the call came. My role will be the same as the rest of the vice captains, namely to support and help Luke and the 12 players in any way we can, so they can perform at their best and be able to win that trophy back.”

Olazabal joins Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, Italian Edoardo Molinari and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts as vice captains for Donald.

“When you think of Jose Maria Olazabal, you immediately think of the Ryder Cup. He brings amazing passion and I couldn’t be more excited to have him on board,” Donald said. “He was my captain when I last played in the Ryder Cup – at Medinah in 2012 – and I thoroughly enjoyed playing for him that year. He picked me to play number one in the singles, and that was hugely gratifying.”

Olazabal has 33 professional wins worldwide, including 23 on the European Tour from 1986 to 2005. He is best remembered for his two Masters triumphs at Augusta National – in 1994 and 1999 – the second being especially emotional as it came in the wake of fears that rheumatoid arthritis might mean he would never play professionally again.

Less than 100 days to Italy: Updated look at the potential European 2023 Ryder Cup team

Here’s an updated look at who could be bound for Italy.

Mark your calendars, golf fans. The Ryder Cup is less than 100 days away.

That’s right, in just about three months the United States will look to not just defend its Cup title against the Europeans, but also win for the first time on foreign soil in 30 years.

Twelve of the best players from the U.S. will take on Europe’s 12 best at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy, for the 2023 Ryder Cup, Sept. 29–Oct. 1, and the teams are starting to take shape.

Qualification for Team Europe began at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship and ends Sept. 3, 2023, three weeks before the Ryder Cup. Six players will automatically qualify, three from a European Points List and three from a World Points List. Captain Luke Donald will then announce his six captain’s picks. DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley said LIV Golf players can still represent Team Europe, but qualification may be difficult.

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Here’s an updated look at what the European team may look like less than 100 days out from Italy.

MORE: Updated look at Team USA

Potential future captains for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup after trio of DP World Tour resignations

Here are 10 potential future European Ryder Cup captains, including a few new names and some old blood.

The prospects for future European Ryder Cup teams took a hit on both the player and captain side this week.

For a player or captain to be eligible to represent Europe, they must be a DP World Tour member. Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood resigned their memberships on Wednesday, and while all three may have been fringe players for the 2023 event in Italy, the trio were sure-fire future captains given their respective history at the biennial bash against the Americans.

Garcia leads the European side in total points scored (28.5) and boasts an impressive 25-13-7 record, while Westwood is the most capped player with 11 appearances and is tied for the third-most points scored (24) with Bernhard Langer. Poulter has been a chest-thumping thorn in the Americans’ side with his 15–8–2 record, 6-0-1 in singles.

MORE: McIlroy responds to Ryder Cup stars resigning from DP World Tour

While a player who has resigned membership could hypothetically request to rejoin the tour the following year if they still remain eligible in terms of an exempt category, each individual case would vary and be subject to any further sanctions which may be imposed for subsequent breaches of the Conflicting Tournament Regulation, as alluded to in a DP World Tour statement this week.

With players who made the move to LIV Golf seemingly out of the picture for the near future, here’s a look at some potential future European Ryder Cup captains, including a few new names and some old blood.

‘It’s certainly a shame’: Rory McIlroy on Europe losing Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood as future Ryder Cup captains

“That was their choice and they knew that these were potentially going to be the consequences,” added McIlroy.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood were going to be long shots, or at best on the fringe, for the European squad at the 2023 Ryder Cup later this year in Italy, but the trio were sure-fire future options to captain the team in the biennial bash against the United States.

After the three players, as well as Richard Bland, resigned their DP World Tour membership on Wednesday, their hopes of being at the helm for Team Europe were dashed.

“Their resignations, however, along with the sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their own choices,” said the DP World Tour via a statement, and world No. 3 Rory McIlroy, the face of the European team, couldn’t help but agree.

“I think it’s a shame, right? I think it’s a shame that you’ve got the highest points scorer ever in the Ryder Cup and two guys that when they look back on their career, that’s probably going to be at least a big chunk of their legacy is the roles that they have played in the Ryder Cup for Europe,” said McIlroy after the first round of the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship on Thursday. “For those three guys to not captain Europe one day, it’s a shame.”

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Garcia leads the European side in total points score (28.5) and boasts an impressive 25-13-7 record, while Westwood is the most capped player with 11 appearances and is tied for the third-most points scored (24) with Bernhard Langer. Poulter has been a chest-thumping thorn in the Americans’ side with his 15–8–2 record, 6-0-1 in singles.

“But as the DP World Tour said in their statement, at the end of the day that was their choice and they knew that these were potentially going to be the consequences of those choices and of those actions and here we are. Yeah, it’s certainly a shame.”

For a player to be eligible to represent Europe, they must be a DP World Tour member.

The players “were sanctioned for serious breaches of the Tour’s Conflicting Tournament Regulation committed last June,” after they played in the inaugural LIV Golf event in London without conflicting event exemption from the tour. On April 6, an independent United Kingdom-based panel, Sports Resolutions, ruled in favor of the DP World Tour to be able to fine and suspend LIV players who played in conflicting events without permission.

Luke Donald will captain the Europeans at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in near Rome, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, after Henrik Stenson was relieved of his duties following his move to LIV Golf last summer.

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Will European Ryder Cup players get an edge next week as Italian Open hits Marco Simone? It’s happened before

You’d wonder if American players in contention for the Ryder Cup would have learned something.

You’d wonder if American players in contention for the Ryder Cup would have learned something.

The 2018 Ryder Cup was played at the National Golf Club of France, and the DP World Tour scheduled the French Open there. Seven members of the European Ryder Cup team played in that tournament. One American player competed, Justin Thomas.

Europe won going away by seven points. Thomas was the lone bright spot for the Americans with a 4-1 record, including a 1-up singles victory over Rory McIlroy in the first match out of the gate on Sunday.

The Italian Open is next week at Marco Simone, the site of the year’s Ryder Cup. However, no American players are entered, since the Wells Fargo Championship the same week is a designated event, with a $20 million purse.

The U.S. team is made up of the top six eligible players in the points rankings with six captain’s picks. The European team includes the top three eligible players from each of the European Points List and World Points List, plus six captain’s picks.

Sep 28, 2018; Paris, FRA; Europe golfer Francesco Molinari celebrates with Europe golfer Tommy Fleetwood after winning their match during the Ryder Cup Friday afternoon matches at Le Golf National. Mandatory Credit: Ian Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Europe golfer Francesco Molinari celebrates with Europe golfer Tommy Fleetwood after winning their match during the 2018 Ryder Cup Friday afternoon matches at Le Golf National. Mandatory Credit: Ian Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Among the European Ryder Cup contenders in the field are Victor Perez, Thorbjorn Olesen, Robert MacIntyre and Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard.

U.S. captain Zach Johnson said he’s not concerned and has trips planned for U.S. players to visit the course later this summer.

“The more times you can get your feet on the site, great,” he told the Associated Press. “But I’ve got some plans in store that will allow the team to get used to a golf course that they’re not familiar with.”

Johnson selected Davis Love III to serve as a vice captain for the 2023 matches, which are slated for Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Love’s Ryder Cup resume includes two stints as captain (2012, 2016) and six appearances as a player.

“The Ryder Cup is one of the truly special events in all of sports, and I am so honored to be named a Vice Captain in Italy in 2023,” said Love in a release. “Zach has worked tirelessly since he was named Captain, and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to help Zach and the entire U.S. Team to win in September.”

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Nick Faldo says LIV Golf players shouldn’t play Ryder Cup: ‘You’ve got to move on’

The debate over whether LIV Golf players should be eligible to play in the 2023 Ryder Cup continues to rage.

The debate over whether LIV Golf players should be eligible to play in the 2023 Ryder Cup continues to rage, and now one of the European side’s most prolific participants has added his two cents.

Rory McIlroy, a Ryder Cup veteran and leader for the European side, has been outspoken in his belief that those who made the jump to LIV Golf should not be on the team bound for Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome, Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Jon Rahm has stated he’d be in favor of LIV players, such as Sergio Garcia, being on the team.

And 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick said he would support LIV players being in the mix for the biennial bash against the Americans next fall because he wants the Euros to field the strongest team possible by selecting the best dozen players.

But Sir Nick Faldo feels otherwise, as he indicated in a frank interview with Sky Sports that was released this week.

“They shouldn’t be there because they’ve gone off and you’ve got to move on,” Faldo told Sky Sports News.

“They’re all at the age where Europe needs to find a new breed of 25-year-olds that can play half a dozen or more Ryder Cups, and I think we’re going to have that.”

Faldo, 65, won 33 times internationally and another nine on the PGA Tour. He won three green jackets at the Masters and three British Opens. His best finish in the U.S. Open was solo second in 1988; he also tied for second in the 1992 PGA Championship. Along the way, he held the top spot on the Official World Golf Ranking for 97 weeks. He was a TV analyst for nearly two decades.

And his success in Ryder Cup play was substantial, as he held a 23-19-4 record in the competition.

“What gripes me is it (LIV Golf) is not growing the game of golf. That really gets me when they fly across the world to a country that’s been playing golf for 100-plus years and say, ‘we’re growing the game of golf’,” Faldo said. “If they keep saying they want to grow the game of golf, go and take it to new regions. Countries in the early days of being interested in golf now. Try that rather than just trying to antagonize everybody.

“Whatever they want to do, go and do it. Let these youngsters play what we deem is real, competitive golf. Once you’ve decided to retire, disappear, move on, or go to another job. No one’s going to talk about you, so just go and do your thing and get on with it.”

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‘I just want to win:’ Why Matt Fitzpatrick isn’t against LIV Golf players being on European Ryder Cup team

“I think there definitely are a few personal relationships that have been dented by this.”

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has some big decisions to make regarding his team for the 2023 event in Italy.

Rory McIlroy, a Ryder Cup veteran and leader for the European side, has been outspoken about LIV Golf players and his belief they should not be on the team bound for Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2023. Jon Rahm, however, has stated he’d be in favor of LIV players, such as Sergio Garcia, being on the team.

Add Matt Fitzpatrick to Rahm’s side of the debate. The 2022 U.S. Open champion told Sky Sports that he would support LIV players being in the mix for the biennial bash against the Americans next fall because he wants the Euros to field the strongest team possible by selecting the 12 best players.

“I think there definitely are a few personal relationships that have been dented by this. I’m not bothered, I just want to win, and I’m sure those boys do too,” said Fitzpatrick, who noted Garcia stands out in particular. “I’m happy to share a room with him, if that’s going to be the case, I can corner him off for everyone else.”

Garcia, Team Europe’s all-time leading scorer with 28 ½ points in 10 appearances, is one of a handful of European players who made the jump to LIV in 2022, including Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson, who was to be the captain of the 2023 European team before he  lost his position in July due to his move to the upstart, Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.

“It was a tough one because (Stenson) had started gearing up for Rome, making notes and putting plans together,” said Fitzpatrick, “And then it’s like, ‘sorry, lads, I’m off.'”

“As long as you go and don’t come back, I don’t have an issue,” Fitzpatrick said of players who made the move to LIV. “Go take the money, go play wherever you want, I could not care less, just don’t come back and then take spots from other guys that want to play.”

“I understand that there’s the likes of Westy, Poulter and Sergio that have played a lot in Europe over the years and have done their bit, and they have,” he continued. “I can’t ever knock them for that, they’ve done way more than I have for the European Tour.”

In two appearances for the Euros in 2016 and 2021 – both ended in lopsided losses to the United States on American soil – Fitzpatrick holds a dismal 0-5-0 record. The Europeans haven’t lost on their own turf since 1993 and will enter the 2023 competition severely outgunned. Twelve Americans are currently ranked inside the top 20 in the world, seven of which have Ryder Cup experience. Team Europe has just five: McIlroy, Rahm, Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry.

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Photos: Luke Donald through the years, from Northwestern and world No. 1 to European Ryder Cup captain

Take a scroll through Luke Donald’s career in golf.

Luke Donald has seen it all throughout his career in golf.

The Englishman came to America for college, where he won the individual title at the 1999 NCAA Championship while at Northwestern, as well as the Haskins Award as the top men’s college golfer of the year.

Donald then turned professional in 2001 where he tallied his first of five PGA Tour wins at the 2002 Southern Farm Bureau Classic (which was shortened to 54 holes due to weather). He also has seven DP World Tour wins, the first coming at the Scandinavian Masters in 2004. Some of Donald’s biggest victories include the 2011 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2011, as well as a pair of BMW PGA Championships in 2011 and 2012.

He became the first player to top both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour money lists in the same year in 2011 and was also named player of the year for both tours. Donald spent 56 weeks ranked as the world’s No. 1 player, and joins fellow countryman Lee Westwood as the only players to achieve the title of world No. 1 without winning a major.

Donald was named as Henrik Stenson’s replacement for the 2023 Ryder Cup matches in Italy after Stenson joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series. The 44-year-old Englishman previously represented Europe in 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012 and served as a vice captain in the past two Ryder Cups. Donald, who boasts a 10-4-1- record in the competition, is set to be the first Englishman since Nick Faldo in 2008 to captain the Europeans.

Take a scroll through Donald’s career in golf.