2025 Ryder Cup Player Profiles: Team Europe

Rory McIlroy

World Ranking: 2
Data Golf Ranking: 2
Ryder Cup Experience: Seven appearances (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023)
Overall: 16-13-4
Singles: 4-2-1
Foursomes: 7-5-1
Fourball: 5-6-2

The strength of the Ryder Cup is that it is less dependent on stars, and more so on the infrastructure of the competition, to succeed. It’s a sudden stage for lesser-known Patrick Reed (2014) or Tommy Fleetwood (2018) to become fixtures. Ian Poulter’s professional identity can be built here. But to the extent there is a main character for this Ryder Cup, it’s Rory McIlroy. He’s the game’s most popular player. He brings the rare combination of most experience – Bethpage is his eighth straight Ryder Cup going back to 2010 – and most talent, flying high in form and far from some old warhorse hanging on with a captain’s pick. His skill sets up well everywhere, but especially Bethpage Black, where he will bomb away as the best driver in the world.

He has also proclaimed that winning an away Ryder Cup remains one of the biggest accomplishments in golf, telling the assembly in Rome, “That's what we're going to do at Bethpage.” He repeated the same level of Joe Namath-style guarantee in a recent pep talk to the GB&I Walker Cup team, saying, “I know we’re going to beat them at Bethpage.” It means everything to him this year and he is putting it on the line. 

Rory was ferocious in Rome, but left the last stateside Ryder Cup with a tearful interview, just one point, and a level of inconsistency that actually had him sitting down for a session. That feels like ages ago given his current form and maturation as a strategic player and player-leader in the world golf and for this generation’s European team room. He’s seen it all, including the Hazeltine hostilities, and is one of only two who have actually experienced an away win. A recent win at the Irish Open is encouraging following his post-Masters summer haze

So you have the game’s most popular player strutting into an event with an opportunity that is a massive motivator for someone who has achieved just about everything. Expect him to go all five sessions and be the star of the show.

Robert MacIntyre

World Ranking: 9
Data Golf Ranking: 20
Ryder Cup Experience: One appearance (2023)
Overall: 2-0-1
Singles: 1-0-0
Foursomes: 0-0-0
Fourball: 1-0-1

Robert “Big Shot Bob” MacIntyre was the final auto-qualifier for Team Europe’s roster in 2023, with many expecting him to be a one-and-done Ryder Cupper and a great pull in any future “Remember Some Guys” conversation. It’s understandable how you’d think that – he was 140th (!) in Data Golf’s ranking going into the event and had his hand held around Marco Simone by veteran Justin Rose. Rosey dragged him to a massive half point late on Friday, ensuring that the Americans wouldn’t secure a single win in the afternoon session. Unfortunately for those who wrote him off, though… MacIntyre has written back.

In the two years since the 2023 Ryder Cup, MacIntyre had a two-win season in 2024, winning a star-studded Scottish Open in front of his home crowd, and a 2025 with two major top-10 finishes. He came out of nowhere on Sunday at the U.S. Open at Oakmont and held the clubhouse lead before J.J. Spaun’s heroics. Despite not adding to his win total in 2025, MacIntyre was a factor late in big events – yes, he melted at the BMW Championship with Scottie Scheffler breathing down his neck – and proved he belongs in the upper tier of European golfers. He’s an emotional lad who will be fired up for his first road Ryder Cup. If he’s playing well, this is a “villain” that will gladly send the Bethpage fans into a tizzy, something we’ll surely need more of.

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Tommy Fleetwood

World Ranking: 6
Data Golf Ranking: 3
Ryder Cup Experience: Three appearances
Overall: 7-3-2
Singles: 1-1-1
Foursomes: 4-0-0
Fourball: 2-2-1

Whether or not Tommy Fleetwood is the first name that comes to your head when you think about the 2025 PGA Tour season, he is your FedEx Cup champion. All hail the king. Fresh off his first career victory on Tour, Fleetwood returns for his fourth appearance at the Ryder Cup, where he holds a 7-3-2 record.

Tommy Lad has proven to be a foursomes stalwart in the team matches, boasting a 4-0-0 record in the format, and is undoubtedly one of the veteran presences that will be heavily leaned upon in the team room. At No. 3 in the Data Golf Ranking, he’s playing the best golf of anyone on the European side and has a +2.3 SG/Round average over his last 50 rounds. The only other time in his career that he eclipsed a 50-round moving average of +2.0 SG/Round or more was in the fall of 2023, leading into the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Perhaps more importantly, Tommy is a fan favorite for just about everyone in golf, including Americans. Now, I do think the New York crowd will still be able to turn against the lovable Englishman, but it’s going to require a serious effort to turn him into an actual villain. - Will Knights

Justin Rose

World Ranking: 14
Data Golf Ranking: 53
Ryder Cup: Six appearances (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2023)
Overall: 14-9-3
Singles: 2-3-1
Foursomes: 7-2-1
Fourball: 5-4-1

The eldest statesman! At 45, Justin Rose is seven years older than Shane Lowry, the second-oldest competitor in this year’s Ryder Cup. In an era where players are performing best between ages 27 and 36, Rosey’s ability to hang on to competitive relevance well past his prime has been nothing short of brilliant. 

Justin was a fabulous Rory McIlroy wedge away from winning the Masters back in April, ultimately losing to McIlroy in a playoff. He found the winner’s circle at another strong field in Memphis in August after birdieing four of his final five holes to force a playoff with J.J. Spaun. In between those results, Rose’s form varied, including a five-tournament stretch that featured a withdrawal and three missed cuts. 

After Rose’s aforementioned win at TPC Southwind, he said, “I know when it matters, I've still got it. I kind of feel better and better and better as it gets more important.” Inconsistent play is understandable at Rose’s age, but Team Europe will need him to rise to the occasion to pull off a road victory over the American side. 

At the 2023 Ryder Cup, Rose took rookie Robert MacIntyre under his wing, teaming up to win a match and halve another, both in fourball sessions. Given Justin’s age and his form not being on par with the strongest members of Team Europe, he may see limited action at Bethpage, but he could still prove to be a valuable asset and confidence-inspiring veteran presence both on the course and in the team room. 

Tyrrell Hatton

World Ranking: 25
Data Golf Ranking: 32
Ryder Cup Experience: Three appearances (2018, 2021, 2023)
Overall: 5-4-2
Singles: 1-2-0
Foursomes: 2-1-0
Fourball: 2-1-2

I’ve never really had an appetite for sports betting, but if I could place a wager on whether or not Tyrrell Hatton might get punched by a fan — or throw a punch at a fan — during the Ryder Cup, I would be extremely tempted to take out a second mortgage on my house on this as part of some parlay. Shane Lowry might be Team Europe’s bouncer and enforcer, but Hatton is the closest thing they have to The Joker, a man who thrives in chaos and mayhem. He was stellar in Italy as Rahm’s partner, so I’d expect to see that pairing once again, and I suspect the pairing will be a magnet for Long Island knuckleheads. 

It’s easy to view Hatton as kind of a modest talent, at least compared to the elite players in the world. His distance off the tee is average and his putting this year was the worst it’s been since 2019. His +1.09 Strokes Gained: Total number suggests he might be Europe’s weakest player, despite the fact that he was an automatic qualifier. But funny things happen in match play. If nothing else, he’ll likely continue to be one of the event’s best quotes, in victory or defeat. When he found out he’d made the Ryder Cup team for the fourth time, he and Rahm got so hammered in the hotel bar, Hatton woke up covered in his own puke. “God, it was aggressive. It was horrible. But I mean, it was funny at the time,” Hatton said. — Kevin Van Valkenburg

Rasmus Hojgaard

World Ranking: 57
Data Golf Ranking: 50
Ryder Cup Experience: Rookie

Please join me at conspiracy corner for a moment. Nicolai Hojgaard made the 2023 European Ryder Cup team, and Rasmus Hojgaard made the 2025 European Ryder Cup team. What if the Europeans have been quietly putting in place the greatest strategic advantage in the history of the event, but no one considered the implications until now? Think of how hard it would be for the United States to prove the Europeans weren’t swapping one identical twin out for the other, depending on form or fatigue? We’ve basically got a real-life Parent Trap situation unfolding right before our eyes, and no one is talking about this. Things didn’t really crystallize for me until Rasmus missed the cut at the BMW at Wentworth, but what would stop Luke Donald from subbing in Nicolai in the first session? How would Keegan Bradley even begin to make an accusation that he thought it was the wrong Hojgaard playing? Imagine how embarrassed he would be if he raised the issue and then got it wrong? Think of the New York Post backpage! It would be the greatest scandal (or caper, depending on your perspective) in the history of sports, like a Ron Shelton movie with Christopher Nolan directing. It would fill up hours of TV debates, and would be the first golf story to truly break into the mainstream since Tiger. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to wish something into existence more. — Kevin Van Valkenburg

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Shane Lowry

World Ranking: 24
Data Golf Ranking: 39
Ryder Cup Experience: Two appearances (2021, 2023)
Overall: 2-3-1
Singles: 0-1-1
Foursomes: 1-1-0
Fourball: 1-1-0

Team Europe’s bouncer returns after holding Rory McIlroy back in Rome and becoming the focal point of Joe LaCava confrontations. Lowry is a class player, but also makes his waves in these Ryder Cups as an emotional centerpiece. 

Despite competing at the highest levels of world golf for a decade-plus now and winning a major, he has played in only two Ryder Cups. But there was never any uncertainty about his selection this year as a pick, as he got as high as 10th in the world this spring. There has not been much in the way of results, however, since the spring. The form did the early work, and the continuity and camaraderie of past cups made him an obvious choice.

In Wisconsin, he played fourball sessions only, pairing with Rory and Tyrrell Hatton. In Rome, he played only foursomes, pairing with Sepp Straka for an intimidating off-the-bus combination looking to establish the run game up front.

Lowry is a very slight course misfit for Bethpage due to his relatively modest driving distance. But he remains an elite iron player who can be flexible with a handful of partners. Europe is full of firebrands and Lowry is one of them. He is a prime candidate, should things get chippy or hostile with the crowd, to find himself in the center of it all again.

Sepp Straka

World Ranking: 15
Data Golf Ranking: 36
Ryder Cup Experience: One appearance (2023)
Overall: 1-2-0
Singles: 0-1-0
Foursomes: 1-1-0
Fourball: 0-0-0

Straka will be making his second appearance at the Ryder Cup after being a fixture at the top of the FedEx Cup standings in 2025. The big Austrian who calls Valdosta, Georgia, home will bring a Southern drawl to the Euro team room and look to improve on his 1-2-0 record at the 2023 Ryder Cup. Known as the Sepptic Tank to some, Straka’s large presence is misleading as he is more of a precision than power player. 

In 2025, Straka had a strong year, winning the American Express as well as the Truist Championship, a PGA Tour signature event. On top of the wins, the Tank also notched 10 other top 15 finishes and ranked in the top 10 on the PGA Tour in birdie percentage thanks to this well-rounded game. In recent weeks, Straka and his family have been coping with the premature birth of their second child, which led to a disappointing FedEx Cup run. 

Ludvig Aberg

World Ranking: 16
Data Golf Ranking: 15
Ryder Cup Experience: One appearance (2023)
Overall: 2-2-0
Singles: 0-1-0
Foursomes: 2-0-0
Fourball: 0-1-0

It’s been an interesting year for Ludvig Åberg. First, the positives: he finally won a signature event, taking home the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines just weeks after an illness ruined his weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. He then had a chance to win the Masters for the second straight year, holding a part of the lead on the 16th hole on Sunday before going down in a blaze of glory. The negatives? He missed the cut at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open and didn’t have a single top-five finish after his win at the Genesis. He popped a little during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, finishing in the top 10 at the first two postseason events.

A late (but incredibly deserving) addition to the 2023 European roster, Åberg paired with Viktor Hovland in Rome to form what will likely be the latest in a long line of famous Team Europe pairings. The two notably destroyed Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler in Saturday foursomes with a 9-and-7 win that literally sent Scheffler into tears. Koepka got him back in Sunday singles, but Åberg is a better player now than when he was just fresh out of college. Would it really surprise anyone if he ended up as the five-match horse that Luke Donald rides to a road victory?

Viktor Hovland

World Ranking: 11
Data Golf Ranking: 14
Ryder Cup Experience: Two appearances (2021, 2023)
Overall: 3-4-3
Singles: 1-0-1
Foursomes: 2-2-0
Fourball: 0-2-2

He burst on the Ryder Cup scene at Whistling Straits in 2021 and has lived up to expectations as one of Europe’s future stalwarts. This will be the 27-year-old Norwegian’s third Ryder Cup and second on foreign soil. The European star will look to avenge his 0-3-2 record at Whistling Straits with a performance more akin to Rome, which saw him go 3-1-1. 

In 2023, Hovland and Ludvig Aberg created a formidable pairing that led to a couple dominant wins in foursomes. It is expected to see the Scandinavian duo early and often at Bethpage. 

The 2025 season was an up-and-down year for Hovland, highlighted by his win at the Valspar Championship but also mired in inconsistent week-to-week performances. It’s a stark contrast from his form in 2023 when he had won the FedEx Cup and was ranked fourth in the world. This year, Hovland enters 15th in the world and is a bit of a question mark for the European team. 

Matt Fitzpatrick

World Ranking: 29
Data Golf Ranking: 8
Ryder Cup Experience: Three appearances (2016, 2021, 2023)
Overall: 1-7-0
Singles: 0-3-0
Foursomes: 0-3-0
Fourball: 1-1-0

Chicago’s favorite golfing son appeared to be on the outside looking in during the middle of the 2025 season. Fitzpatrick had ballooned to 85th in the OWGR following the Truist Championship and was a far cry from the player who won the 2022 U.S. Open. From there, Fitzpatrick turned it around and finished the season as hot as any player in the world not named Scottie Scheffler.  In his twelve worldwide starts after the Truist, Fitzpatrick notched seven top-10 finishes and flew up the world ranking and European Ryder Cup points list. 

Fitz was likely Luke Donald’s final selection for the team and will look to improve on his putrid Ryder Cup record (1-7-0) over three matches (2016, 2021, 2023). Fitzpatrick entered the 2023 matches having never secured a point for the Europeans, a streak that ended with a fourball win with Rory McIlroy over Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa. 

The one-time Northwestern star is among the most in-form Europeans on the roster and it will be interesting to watch how much captain Luke Donald employs Fitzy. In all of his Ryder Cups, Fitzpatrick has never played more than three times, a streak that seems unlikely to change in 2025.

Jon Rahm

‍World Ranking: 73
Data Golf Ranking: 4
Ryder Cup Experience: Three appearances (2018, 2021, 2023)
Overall: 6-3-3
Singles: 1-1-1
Foursomes: 4-0-0
Fourballs: 1-2-2

Heading into the 2023 matches in Rome, Jon Rahm was pretty widely considered the best player on the planet. He was the reigning Masters champion, had four wins to his name that year, and was riding into Marco Simone with Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland as a part of a three-headed monster who was ready to devour the Americans. They did exactly that. Two years later, Rahm is certainly still seen as one of the best in the world, but his true form is a bit unknown. His final-round charge at Quail Hollow saved his 2025 major season from being completely forgettable, and he was self-effacing about his LIV Golf top-10 streak. Thankfully for the Euros, all of that means next to nothing for team play.

Ever since Rahm burst onto the scene at Arizona State and then at Torrey Pines, he’s been one of the most intimidating figures in golf. His fiery demeanor, imposing presence, and all-around game play well in individual events and make him a draw that few players can stand up to in match play. - Will Knights