Ryder Cup 2023 LIVE: Ludvig Aberg announced as one of six wildcard picks for Team Europe
Luke Donald has announced the final six members of Europe’s Ryder Cup team to take on the US in Rome later this month
With the Ryder Cup fast approaching later this month, Luke Donald has today announced his captain’s picks and the final six members of the European team that will take on Team USA in Rome. The US thrashed Europe when they last met at Whistling Straits in 2021, but the Americans have not won away from home since 1993 and a much-improved European team will hope to maintain that record.
Donald has chosen Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose alongside rookies Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Adrian Meronk just misssing out. They join the six automatically qualified players: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tyrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre.
Team USA was confirmed last week with Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns selected as captain’s picks to join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele
Follow the latest updates from the Ryder Cup announcement below:
Adrian Meronk on lessons from Tiger Woods and journey to the Ryder Cup
Adrian Meronk could be one of the six captain’s picks heading to Rome in a couple of weeks time. The tall Pole has enjoyed a successful year on the DP World Tour with two wins, including the Italian Open which was held at Marco Simone - the sight of this year’s Ryder Cup.
Earlier in the year, The Independent’s Jack Rathborn caught up with the 30-year-old:
Europe’s breakout star on lessons from Tiger Woods and the Ryder Cup journey
The Polish star secured his third DP World Tour victory at Rome’s Marco Simone this month
US announce team for 2023 Ryder Cup
And also a quick reminder of the US team, which was announced this time last week.
The automatic picks were: Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, Brian Harman, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele
The six captain’s picks were: Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns
Read more, including Zach Johnson’s rationale, below:
Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka and Sam Burns among USA’s six Ryder Cup wild cards
Thomas failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs and admitted it had been “humiliating and embarrassing” to card a second-round 81 in the US Open
Europe announce team for 2023 Ryder Cup
There are about twenty minutes until Luke Donald takes to the stage to announce his European Ryder Cup team. A quick reminder of the six that have already made it:
- Rory McIlroy
- Jon Rahm
- Victory Hovland
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Robert MacIntyre
Team Europe captain’s pick contenders - Alex Noren
Making a maiden Ryder Cup appearance after finishing third in the world points list in 2018, Noren went 2-1-0. After missing Whistling Straits, Noren quietly put together a fine 2022, displaying immense character and trust in his game to leave Scotland days before The Open, despite being first alternate, before finishing second at the Barracuda.
Two more runner-up finishes at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the DP World Tour Championship, mixed in with fourth at the Houston Open and fifth in Abu Dhabi and the Swede could be primed to bring a veteran presence to this year’s team. Noren lacks a big performance in the majors this year, but T9 at Rocket Mortgage Classic certainly helps.
Team Europe captain’s pick contenders - Victor Perez
A classy golfer who has become a serial winner on the DP World Tour, Perez, based out of Dundee, could bring some continental European flavour to Donald’s team in Italy. His breakthrough came when triumphing at the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and it’s often the bigger events where he thrives, as shown by beating a stacked field to take the Abu Dhabi Championship earlier this year.
A pretty pedestrian record since a T12 at Oak Hill in the PGA Championship has slowed Perez’s momentum and the compelling early case he made for himself has become somewhat of a distant memory.
Team Europe captain’s pick contenders - Yannik Paul
Capitalising on a fine run of form earlier this year, Yannik Paul gave himself a chance of nabbing the third spot on the European points behind McIlroy and Rahm, although he narrowly fell short to MacIntyre following the European Masters. The German enjoyed a solid year on the DP World Tour and fourth on the European points list is not to be sniffed at, but Paul may fall foul to poor recent form and a lack of big-tournament experience.
Team Europe captain’s pick contenders - Nicolai Hojgaard
At just 22 years old, the Dane could provide a genuine youthful fearlessness in Rome and, importantly, is a superb driver of the ball. He has two wins on the DP World Tour, most notably at the 2021 Italian Open on the Marco Simone course where this Ryder Cup will be played – beating Tommy Fleetwood and future winner Adrian Meronk by a stroke.
When the pressure was on during the build-up to the Ryder Cup, he responded in style with a major-best finish of T23 at the Open, a T14 over the pond at the Wyndham Championship, solo 3rd at the Czech Masters and then put himself in contention heading into Sunday at the European Masters. T
hrow in the 3.5 points he won earlier this year at the Hero Cup (the matchplay event used as a Ryder Cup warm-up for Team Europe where GB&I took on Continental Europe) and the case is hugely compelling. He may unluckily be the final man off the list due to Ludvig Aberg’s emergence, however.
Team Europe captain’s pick contenders - Adrian Meronk
If Donald wants a wildcard to rip it off the tee and provide an intriguing foil for a more accurate, shorter hitter in fourballs, then Adrian Meronk could be just the ticket. The Pole – who became the first man from his country to win on the DP World Tour with success at the Irish Open last July – finished second for strokes gained off the tee last season and has been around the top three once more.
A win at the Australian Open in December 2022 didn’t hurt but the real kicker came when he won the Italian Open this year on the course at which the Ryder Cup will be played. Comfort with the course may prove enough to earn him the call.
Team Europe captain’s pick contenders - Ludvig Aberg
Where to start with the Swedish sensation? The 23-year-old stormed back in the Omega European Masters to chase down Matt Fitzpatrick with four successive birdies from holes 14-17, clinching his first professional win in just his ninth professional start.
No Ryder Cup experience, obviously, but the 23-year-old has played plenty of team golf in the junior ranks and has taken to professional golf in style with a series of impressively high finishes on the PGA Tour as a rookie.
His driving is exceptional, as shown by his leading of the strokes gained off the tee statistic for the entire PGA Tour since debuting and that is a perfect fit for a course where driving will be key. His profile and chances are both boosted by winning the European Masters at the weekend.
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