2025 Ryder Cup: Team Europe player-by-player guide

Here’s everything you need to know about the European team that will head to New York looking to defend their Ryder Cup crown.

With the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage fast approaching, the teams have now taken shape.

The Europeans romped to victory last time out in Rome, but winning on the road is a completely different beast.

As well as taking on an American side littered with major champions, captain Luke Donald and his players must also overcome the New York fans over the infamous Black course in what is expected to be one of the most hostile atmospheres in the event’s history. 

But before all that, why not get to know the European team a little better?

Team Europe player profiles

In no particular order (other than alphabetical), this is the European team that will head to Bethpage looking to win the Ryder Cup on American soil for the first time since 2012…

Ludvig Aberg

Played: 1 (2023)
Matches: 4
Foursomes record: 2-0-0
Fourballs record: 0-1-0
Singles record: 0-1-0
Overall record: 2-2-0
Points: 2

Such was the rapid rise of Ludvig Aberg that he became the first player in history to play in a Ryder Cup before teeing it up in a major when he was named as one of Luke Donald’s picks for Rome.

The Swede made his professional debut in June 2023 and quickly showed why there was so much hype around him. He was challenged by Donald to convince him he was worthy of a pick and did exactly that with a victory at the Omega European Masters the day before the European captain announced his six wildcards.

He performed admirably in Rome, winning two of his four matches, including a 9&7 victory alongside Viktor Hovland over Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka. Since then, he has become a two-time PGA Tour winner to continue his fast start to pro life.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Played: 3 (2016, 2021, 2023)
Matches: 8
Foursomes record: 0-3-0
Fourballs record: 1-1-0
Singles record: 0-3-0
Overall record: 1-7-0
Points: 1

Matt Fitzpatrick was a captain’s pick for this year’s edition after struggling for form over much of the qualification period. However, after making some swing changes, the 31-year-old Englishman played some excellent golf to convince his captain he was worthy of selection.

You can forgive Fitzpatrick’s poor Ryder Cup record as his first two appearances were in the disastrous campaigns of 2016 and 2021. A former US Open champion, Fitz has what it takes to beat anyone on his day.

Tommy Fleetwood

Played: 3 (2018, 2021, 2023)
Matches: 12
Foursomes record: 4-0-0
Fourballs record: 2-2-1
Singles record: 1-1-1
Overall record: 7-3-2
Points: 8

Tommy Fleetwood stole the show on his Ryder Cup debut at Le Golf National in 2018 and has been a permanent feature of the European team room since. The Englishman combined with Francesco Molinari to devastating effect in Paris – a pairing that would become known as “Moliwood” – to win four from four as Europe established what would be an unassailable 10-6 advantage heading into the final day.

A fierce competitor, Fleetwood is also one of the most likeable guys on tour. He is a seven-time winner on the DP World Tour and also prevailed in the season-long Race to Dubai in 2017.

He won a long-awaited PGA Tour title at the recent Tour Championship, having previously racked up 30 top-fives and two runner-up finishes.

He also boasts some near misses in majors, the closest coming at the 2018 US Open, when a final-round 63 gave him the clubhouse lead before being pipped by Brooks Koepka at Shinnecock Hills.

Tyrrell Hatton

Played: 3 (2018, 2021, 2023)
Matches: 11
Foursomes record: 2-1-0
Fourballs record: 2-1-2
Singles record: 1-2-0
Overall record: 5-4-2
Points: 6

Like some of the great match players that came before him, Tyrrell Hatton is a fiery competitor. His heart-on-his-sleeve way of playing the game has drawn criticism from some, while others appreciate his outbursts and the way he is able to brush them off and still produce his best golf.

He is an eight-time DP World Tour winner – including five Rolex events – while he also saw off an incredibly strong field to clinch the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The one bemusing thing about his career to date is his major struggles. He has finished in the top 10 seven times but has never truly contended for a victory.

Rasmus Hojgaard

Amazingly, there is only one change in Donald’s team from two years ago. After nabbing the final automatic spot, Rasmus Hojgaard replaces brother Nicolai for what will be his Ryder Cup debut in New York. Talk about a baptism of fire.

The Danish twins have shown they have the temperament for the big stage, though, and Rasmus was part of the backroom staff in Rome, so he will at least have some idea of what to expect. 

Perhaps most importantly, though, the 24-year-old has been in good form in the run-up to this year’s Ryder Cup.

Played: 0 (Rookie)

Viktor Hovland

Played: 2 (2021, 2023)
Matches: 10
Foursomes record: 2-2-0
Fourballs record: 0-2-2
Singles record: 1-0-1
Overall record: 3-4-3
Points: 4.5

The smiling assassin, Hovland is a seven-time PGA Tour winner and a former FedEx Cup champion. Since turning pro in 2019, he has also become one of the most likeable figures in the game.

He made his Ryder Cup debut in 2021 during the massacre at Whistling Straits and managed just one point from five matches, but he brushed that off to star in 2023 – particularly alongside Ludvig Aberg.

Shane Lowry

Played: 2 (2021, 2023)
Matches: 6
Foursomes record: 1-1-0
Fourballs record: 1-1-0
Singles record: 0-1-1
Overall record: 2-3-1
Points: 2.5

As passionate as they come, Shane Lowry never knows when he’s beaten and typifies the European spirit that has seen countless teams over the years punch well above their weight.

However, the Irishman also possesses a devastating game when in full flight. He hit the scene in 2009 when he won the Irish Open as an amateur to underline his immense talent and has gone on to enjoy a brilliant career.

There is no denying his biggest achievement individually, though. On The Open’s return to Royal Portrush for the first time in more than 65 years in 2019, Lowry steamrolled the field to win by six and lift the Claret Jug on the Emerald Isle in front of an army of adoring home fans.

It wasn’t until 2021 when he made his Ryder Cup debut and, although it ended in defeat, there was a moment of trademark Lowry defiance on Saturday afternoon that briefly silenced the fervent US fans.

Robert MacIntyre

Played: 1 (2023)
Foursomes record: 0-0-0
Fourballs record: 1-0-1
Singles record: 1-0-0
Overall record: 2-0-1
Points: 2.5

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre was a captain’s pick for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome and enjoyed a unbeaten debut. There were, however, some notions among certain fan circles that it could be one and done for the Scot. That has not been the case.

MacIntyre’s career continues to go from strength to strength, and he has played his was onto the 2025 European team with some stellar golf. He won his maiden PGA Tour event in June of 2024 at the RBC Canadian Open and swiftly followed that up with his second the following month at the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open.

He has also shown he is a man for the big occasion at the majors. Although yet to win, when he was in contention at the 2025 US Open at Oakmont he didn’t falter. MacIntyre set the clubhouse target and it looked like being good enough for at least a playoff until JJ Spaun birdied the 17th and then holed a 65-footer across the 18th green to seal a two-shot win.

Rory McIlroy

Played: 7 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023)
Matches: 33
Foursomes record: 7-5-1
Fourballs record: 5-6-2
Singles record: 4-2-1
Overall record: 16-13-4
Points: 18

Now a veteran of this contest, Rory McIlroy first suited up in the blue and gold of Europe as a curly-haired 21-year-old at the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.

Since then, the Northern Irishman has become one of the most recognizable figures in all of sport and has put together quite the roll of honor.

Now 36, he is a five-time major winner and became just the sixth man in history to complete the career grand slam, when he added the Masters to his previous US Open, PGA Championship, and Open triumphs.

He has also won the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup three times, while on the DP World Tour he is a six-time Race to Dubai champion.

Prior to his Ryder Cup debut, McIlroy described the biennial contest as an “exhibition” and claimed it was “not that big of a deal” for him. His tune has since changed.

Jon Rahm

Played: 3 (2018, 2021, 2023)
Matches: 12
Foursomes record: 4-0-0
Fourballs record: 1-2-2
Singles record: 1-1-1
Overall record: 6-3-3
Points: 7.5

What is it with Spanish players and the Ryder Cup? Following in the footsteps of his idols Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm has already made his mark on this event.

The 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters champion, Rahm is someone you want on your team when the pressure ramps up. After turning pro in 2016, he made his Ryder Cup debut in a winning cause in 2018 at Le Golf National.

However, it was in the US rout in 2021 when Rahm really showed his pedigree, defiantly claiming 3.5 points from a possible five. He was one of Europe’s standouts once again in 2023, so there’s no reason to expect him to shrink in New York.

Justin Rose

Played: 6 (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2023)
Matches: 26
Foursomes record: 7-2-1
Fourballs record: 5-4-1
Singles record: 2-3-1
Overall record: 14-9-3
Points: 15.5

Now a veteran of these matches, few love the Ryder Cup quite like Justin Rose. The Englishman was gutted to miss out in 2021 and made sure he did enough to get a pick for 2023. 

Rose continues to defy his advancing years and mix it with the best of the best. An 11-time PGA Tour winner and the 2013 US Open champion, he finished in a tie for second at the 2024 Open and then lost in a playoff to McIlroy at this year’s Masters. 

The 45-year-old has been a part of four winning Ryder Cup teams from six appearances and has a superb individual record. 

The 2027 captain? Don’t bet against it. (Unless he qualifies, of course…)

Sepp Straka

Played: 1 (2023)
Matches: 3
Foursomes record: 1-1-0
Fourballs record: 0-0-0
Singles record: 0-1-0
Overall record: 1-2-0
Points: 1

Not everybody can break through in a Ludvig Aberg manner, but Sepp Straka continues to go from strength to strength. Now a four-time PGA Tour winner, the 32-year-old is set to make his second Ryder Cup appearance.

He partnered Shane Lowry to claim a point in a whirlwind opening morning at Marco Simone, and although he lost his following two matches, his debut was a positive one.

Team Europe captain and assistants

The 12 European players will be expertly led by…

Luke Donald

Played: 4 (2004, 2006, 2010, 2012)
Overall record: 10-4-1

Luke Donald has put together a mightily impressive career, yet his accomplishments often feel a little overlooked. A seven-time DP World Tour winner and five-time PGA Tour champion – both of which include a World Golf Championship – he is also a former World No.1.

As for the Ryder Cup, the Englishman’s record speaks for itself. Across 15 matches in four appearances for Europe, Donald won 10 and amassed 10.5 points. That means he collected 70 percent of the points on offer to him, which is a remarkable return that few can match.

Being a good Ryder Cup player doesn’t guarantee success as a captain, however, as we have seen on several occasions. But after inheriting the role from Henrik Stenson, who was stripped of the position after joining LIV Golf, Donald didn’t put a foot wrong. In boxing terms, Donald won the captain’s opening ceremony speeches in Rome 10-8 and his players carried that momentum forward.

Few get a second bite at captaincy but there were no arguments against Donald leading the charge in New York. Should he mastermind an away victory, he’ll become just the fourth person to captain back-to-back Ryder Cup wins, following in the footsteps of Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, and Tony Jacklin.

His vice-captains in all have serious Ryder Cup pedigree, so you’d be brave to bet against the blue and gold reigning supreme again.

Speaking of which, Donald will be ably assisted by…

Thomas Bjorn

Played: 3
Overall record: 3-4-2

A successful captain himself in 2018, the Dane played a pivotal role in Donald’s backroom team in Rome.

Edoardo Molinari

Played: 1
Overall record: 0-1-2

Team Europe’s reliable stats man, the Italian is the brains of the operation and will be a vital part of Ryder Cup teams for years to come.

Francesco Molinari

Played: 3
Overall record: 5-4-2

The younger Molinari sibling is a future captain in the making and will be an assistant to Donald for the second Ryder Cup running.

Alex Noren

Played: 1
Overall record: 2-1-0

Admitted getting the call was a “shock” but the Swede is a recent winner and knows how to beat the Americans, having been part of the successful 2018 team in Paris.

Jose Maria Olazabal

Played: 7
Overall record: 18-8-5

A bona fide Ryder Cup legend who was part of three winning teams as a player and the last captain to win on US soil when he inspired the Miracle at Medinah.

• NOW READ: Team USA player-by-player guide