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:
Team Europe automatic qualifiers - Jon Rahm
“Rahmbo” produced a devastating run of three victories in five starts to start the year, before brilliantly adding a second major to his CV by winning the Masters at Augusta and qualification for the Ryder Cup became a mere formality. A statement from the Spaniard and evidence that he would probably outlast Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler should all three of those who have claimed the world No 1 ranking this year perform to their potential.
A 4-3-1 record in two Ryder Cup appearances, Rahm will be a cornerstone of European golf in this transitional period. Donald might just pencil him in for at least three points when plotting the blueprint to bring about the United States’ downfall.
Team Europe automatic qualifiers - Rory McIlroy
As McIlroy goes, Team Europe goes. If the Europeans are going to pull out a win against a star-studded American line-up, they need McIlroy – who mathematically secured automatic qualification with weeks to spare – to be the best player at the event. It will have to be the intimidating 2012, 2014 or 2016 version of Ryder Cup Rory, rather than the one-point McIlroy reduced to tears after feeling he let his teammates down that we saw in 2021.
The Northern Irishman will be the emotional heartbeat of Donald’s squad but as he’s shown by putting himself front and centre during golf’s civil war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, that’s a role he’s more than comfortable with. The wait for an elusive fifth major goes on but a Ryder Cup victory would go some way to assuaging that pain.
Europe announce team for 2023 Ryder Cup
So here we have it. The Ryder Cup is less than a month away. Zach Johnson confirmed Team USA this time last week and now it’s the turn of European captain, Luke Donald to do the same, with the Englishman set to announce the final six members of his team at 14:00pm BST.
We’ve got a couple of hours until then, so let’s first start by taking a look at the six confirmed members of Team Europe.
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