The post Ryder Cup Europe tabs Luke Donald again. This time will be different appeared first on Golf.

The post Ryder Cup Europe tabs Luke Donald again. This time will be different appeared first on Golf.

For the third-straight term, Team Europe has tabbed Luke Donald as its Ryder Cup captain, letting him pursue something that has never happened in the 100-year history of the event: the same man leading three consecutive winning teams. 

The question that remains unanswered, now 18 months from the event, is who will join him? Who will the Americans tab as their captain? And who from LIV Golf will be in the fold for the European team?

Donald has been a favorite for the role, likely ever since the winning evening of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black five months ago. It was during that victorious press conference that Donald was asked about the potential for a third term. Before he could answer, his team of 12 began chanting, Two more years! Two more years!

Eventually, Donald spoke up, saying, “My answer is I’m going to enjoy tonight.” 

He enjoyed that night and a handful of months before making the call. He weighed the pros and cons, even positing, “what if this doesn’t go right and we are the first team to lose at home in 34 years, does that taint anything?”

That answer is some 17 months away.

Donald has been heralded for his attention to the minutiae, not just empowering his vice captains to make strategic decisions but also changing out the bedding in the team hotel last fall. The sheets weren’t nice enough. If any of his decisions as a leader have felt like too much, the end result has always validated them. The Europeans thumped the Americans in Rome in 2023. Then they thumped them again on Long Island in 2025. The Americans have been playing catch-up to the Euros for years. Logistically, at the very least, that is set to continue. 

Donald officially took the throne Wednesday, but has been leaning toward the decision for most of the last month. He’ll almost surely bring back members of his backroom staff — like statistician Edoardo Molinari — for the Cup at Adare Manor. Molinari played a major role in deciding course setup during the ’23 Cup in his home country of Italy, so much so that he was considered by some a candidate for the captaincy himself. Besides that, Donald said he’ll begin mapping out his vice captains in the coming months.

As for his American counterpart, that captaincy remains very unclear. Tiger Woods has been “asked for input” on the role, he said, adding he hasn’t made his decision yet. For the last few years, Woods has been awfully busy scheming out the future of the PGA Tour — too busy to commit to the many duties of a captaincy. It has left the PGA of America scrambling at times, especially in the case of Keegan Bradley, who was appointed to the position four months later than normal in 2024. Nonetheless, Woods would be considered the favorite for the role at the moment, in part because any others would likely be first-timers in the position. 

It could be Webb Simpson, who has been involved with teams in the past. It could be Brandt Snedeker, who is set to captain the American Presidents Cup team later this fall. Will Bradley get another run at it? Or has Stewart Cink waited for this to be his turn? The PGA of America will likely continue waiting on Woods until he makes a decision. While it isn’t direly needed at the moment, each week that passes means one week closer to next year’s Cup. 

A similarly foggy deadline exists for one of Team Europe’s best players, Jon Rahm, who has publicly expressed plenty of angst toward the DP World Tour, who operates Ryder Cup Europe. Rahm was allowed to compete for Team Europe in 2025 amid an appeal of sanctions levied against him by the European-based tour for his playing LIV Golf events at the same time as DPWT events. There are plenty of complex details behind that story, but most recently, the DPWT announced that eight of its members who play on LIV have reached agreements to add certain DPWT events to their schedule to avoid receiving fines and suspensions. Rahm was not one of those players, and he has since stated he does not intend to reach a similar agreement, putting his 2027 Ryder Cup availability in jeopardy.

So, how will Donald handle that? 

He’s hoping the 16 or 17 months between now and the roster selection will offer “plenty of time” to figure it out. Donald has not spoken with Rahm about the issue yet, but admitted he will in the coming weeks. Guy Kinnings, DPWT CEO, joined Donald on Wednesday’s virtual press conference and was asked about the options Rahm has moving forward.

“I think it’s pretty straightforward,” Kinnings said. “You know, he either withdraws an appeal and settles fines or he goes through the appeal process, and that process is underway. And then we’ll obviously then have to go with whatever the decision is made in that appeal hearing.” 

The post Ryder Cup Europe tabs Luke Donald again. This time will be different appeared first on Golf.

The post Does Ryder Cup captaincy lead to nightmares — literally? Luke Donald’s had 1 appeared first on Golf.

The post Does Ryder Cup captaincy lead to nightmares — literally? Luke Donald’s had 1 appeared first on Golf.

Luke Donald’s nightmares may be over. 

Nightmares? 

Didn’t the man just captain the European Ryder Cup team to a road victory, two years after captaining the Euros to a home win, which, by all measures, is the dream scenario?

Indeed. And the success was certainly sublime to Donald. But to get there took work. Or, maybe more accurately, work work, which apparently came all the way to bed with Donald, making for an interesting revelation on Tuesday ahead of the DP World Tour’s event in India. It came after a reporter had asked the former world No. 1 player how he was adjusting to readying for tournament golf just a couple weeks after the Ryder Cup. 

“To be honest, I’m not sure if I have,” Donald said. “Yeah, it happened after Rome [two years ago], and it’s kind of the same with this one.”

Why was that?

“The captaincy really does — the lead-up to the Ryder Cup, you’re spending five or six weeks just thinking about all kinds of different things, partnerships, pairings, the golf course, the gifting,” he said.  

“There’s just so much that goes into it that your mind is kind of clogged.”

How so? 

It’s in your head even when your eyes are closed. 

“I’ve had many nights where I’ve woken up with Ryder Cup dreams,” Donald said, “and things where I had forgotten my radio one night and there’s still one game out on the course and I was panicking and I was trying to get to the game. Just things like that. It just takes a little bit of time for you to settle down.

“I think actually coming here, playing a tournament will actually help. It will get my mind more back on what I need to do this week.

“It’s a fun problem to have after a win in the Ryder Cup, but I’m excited to get back to playing.”

News

Tuesday, Donald was also asked a few other Ryder Cup questions. 

– He answered what qualities would make Rory McIlroy a good fit for the Ryder Cup captaincy.

“Well, just the fact that he loves the Ryder Cup more than anything,” Donald said. “He made it quite evident that winning an away Ryder Cup would really be the icing on an amazing year that he had this year.

“Yeah, he loves what it represents. You’ve seen the emotion from losing to winning. Anyone that has that passion for a Ryder Cup, I think, would make a good captain.”

– He was asked whether he would captain in 2027, and he gave his reaction to the thought that he was being called Europe’s greatest captain. 

“Well, I’m trying to still enjoy this one, whether it be a captain or whether I’m not a captain,” Donald said. “If I’m not a captain in two years’ time and the captain wants me to be there, then I’m sure I would be happy to help him in any way he wanted.

“Yeah, it’s pretty humbling when someone says you’re the greatest captain. Maybe it’s a little bit of a reaction in the present moment, but I certainly — I’ve given a lot to it. I’m very happy with the results that came with it, but you need those 12 players. You need the back room teams. You need the vice captains. You need so many others to make that happen.

“Certainly I play a role, but I play a small role in terms of a larger picture. I certainly couldn’t do it without the amazing support we have behind me.”

– A reporter then suggested that Donald needed to motivate the European squad, before asking how a person would produce a winner.

“Well, I disagree a little bit. I don’t think my job is to motivate them,” Donald said. “These are highly motivated players. The Ryder Cup means a lot, and my job is to kind of create a little bit of cohesion, make sure we bring all these players together under a common theme and get them inspired to make them want to win.

“We talk a lot about our history. We talk a lot about the players that came before us. We talk about our role as ambassadors of the game to inspire the next generations.

“I think the Ryder Cup has very deep meaning for a lot of these players, and it brings out the best in them. So that’s my job, really, is to kind of create that culture, that environment, where they feel that they can compete at a very high level because of what’s at stake.”

The post Does Ryder Cup captaincy lead to nightmares — literally? Luke Donald’s had 1 appeared first on Golf.

The post After Europe’s Ryder Cup victory, Luke Donald revealed his secret appeared first on Golf.

The post After Europe’s Ryder Cup victory, Luke Donald revealed his secret appeared first on Golf.

Luke Donald admitted his heart was in his throat on Sunday at Bethpage Black as the Americans’ furious Ryder Cup rally came up just short, allowing Europe to hold on for a 15-13 win.

But while Donald might have started to sweat Sunday as a flurry of red went up on the board, the outcome was only momentarily in doubt. The Europeans entered Sunday singles on Long Island with a massive 12-5 lead over the Americans after dominating the first two days, thanks to Donald and his team’s near-flawless plan. While American captain Keegan Bradley made several curious decisions with his pairings during the first two days of the biennial event, Donald and Europe pressed all the right buttons to take command of the competition. In foursomes, the Europeans’ data-focused approach yielded a 6-2 edge. In four-ball, Donald and his team relied on Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose to have enough in the tank to carry them. The result? A 5.5-2.5 edge for Europe.

To hear Donald tell it, captaining Europe to a road win was simple. He got the best out of McIlroy, Rahm and Fleetwood, while the Americans’ stars failed to do the same for Bradley.

But Donald’s rise to becoming one of the greatest Ryder Cup captains in history is, of course, more complex than rolling out a group of stars. Others have done that and failed spectacularly, especially on the road.

Donald’s success lay in the details. Every. Last. One.

After captaining Europe to a convincing win in Rome in 2023, Donald again pressed all the right buttons at Bethpage to become the fifth European captain to win on foreign soil. As the European celebration commenced, Donald’s team spoke about his attention to detail, which included changing the shampoo at the hotel, getting new bedding and covering cracks in the doors so his team could get better sleep and recover better.

“I really have committed myself to this job because I feel I owe it to the players and I owe it to the Ryder Cup, which has been so special to me. I’ve had so many incredible experiences,” Donald said on Sunday. “So yeah, I’ve had to kind of put my own game a little bit to the side, and every day I’m trying to think about things that could help us, come up with different things that might just give us a little edge.

“My job is literally to give these guys a better chance to win. It can be as simple as some very small things.”

Those details breed confidence in Donald, his staff and their plan. Rory McIlroy doesn’t play better because he has a better shampoo, but his belief and trust in Donald and his blueprint allow him to play more freely than a U.S. side that plays tight.

A lot is made about all the decisions that go into captaining a Ryder Cup team. Some have been successful, like Donald and Paul Azinger, and those who have flopped, like Zach Johnson and Tom Watson.

Of course, most of the success comes at home, where you have control of the course setup and can ride the wave of energy provided by your crowd. To win on the road, especially in front of Bethpage fans that crossed the line many times over the three days, is something entirely different. Donald, who was a member of the last European team to win on American soil in 2012, understood how difficult that task would be and set out to give his players the little extra juice they would need to weather the Long Island crowd and defeat a talented American side.

Donald’s secret wasn’t in analytics or Le Labo shampoo, but in his understanding that his job as captain was to provide his world-class players with the belief that they could etch themselves into history. When you fuel the world’s best with unbridled confidence, the rest often takes care of itself.

“Well, our theme was we were trying to win for a fifth time away,” Donald said. “We talked about it at the beginning of the week. The practice shirts were based off the wins we had already had away: ’87, ’95, ’04, 2012. Everything we did was sort of centered around that, and to make the guys feel that we had done it quite often. In ten Ryder Cups since ’83, we had won four of them and we had come damn close three other times. This wasn’t an impossible task. We knew it was going to be difficult. We wanted to inspire them to know it could be done.

“My job, again, is to give them the reasons to make them believe that they can win.”

This, of course, could have all been very different.

Donald was not the initial European captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. That was Henrik Stenson, who was stripped of his captaincy after leaving to join LIV Golf. The post went to Donald on short notice. He aced his first Cup and backed it up by leading Europe to a resounding victory on American soil. Perhaps the Europeans should send a gift basket to LIV Golf.

With no clear captain waiting in the wings for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland, calls for Donald to go again started as the champagne started flowing.

“Two more years,” Jon Rahm said on Sunday.

“Let’s do it again in Ireland,” Shane Lowry bellowed.

Donald just smiled.

“No comment,” he said.

At that point, there was no need. If Luke Donald wants to go again, the job will undoubtedly be his. But that was a conversation for another day.

On Sunday, Donald’s leadership and culture did the talking, as they had all week. And all that was left was the celebration.

The post After Europe’s Ryder Cup victory, Luke Donald revealed his secret appeared first on Golf.

The post Luke Donald takes cheeky dig at U.S. Ryder Cup players in speech appeared first on Golf.

The post Luke Donald takes cheeky dig at U.S. Ryder Cup players in speech appeared first on Golf.

On Wednesday at the 2025 Ryder Cup, fans at Bethpage Black witnessed a rarity: the Opening Ceremony, one day early. Forecasted thunderstorms forced organizers to move the festivities from their traditional spot on Thursday, on the eve of the first matches, to Wednesday.

The schedule change also meant that the announcement of Friday’s player pairings and matchups was not included in the proceedings, as it usually is. But another tradition was broken, too. Amid his Opening Ceremony speech on Wednesday, European Luke Donald took a couple of subtle digs at the U.S. players.

And his comments did not come in a vacuum. They followed a campaign Donald and the European team have enacted to try and rattle the American Ryder Cup team over money. More specifically, the fact that U.S. players are getting paid this year, and the European pros are not.

Here’s what you need to know.

Ryder Cup player pay controversy from 2023-2025

The origin of Ryder Cup money controversy dates back to the biggest controversy from the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.

There, a European journalist reported that American player Patrick Cantlay refused to wear a U.S. team hat in protest for not being paid to play the Ryder Cup. The accusations touched other American players too, though Cantlay strongly denied them.

News

The controversy, known as HatGate, extended to the course, where fans taunted Cantlay and the American team in Rome, and Cantlay responded by waving an imaginary hat after making putts or winning holes.

Things got serious in one Saturday match featuring Cantlay and Rory McIlroy, where Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava waved his hat on the green in McIlroy’s vicinity, resulting in a shouting match between the teams.

The scuffle spilled into press conferences and into the parking lot.

Then late last year, when the PGA of America announced U.S. Ryder Cup players would receive $300,000 for charities of their choosing plus a $200,000 stipend to use however they wish, European players jumped on it. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry made comments on the topic soon after, with McIlroy saying he would “pay for the privilege to play” the Ryder Cup.

Donald has kept the theme alive throughout the past year in various interviews. This week has been no different.

For example, in a Monday interview with Sky Sports, Donald brought the topic up again as if for the first time.

“This came up and I wanted to get ahead of it. I talked to the 12 guys in Rome when it looked like the U.S. were going to do something different with payments and, you know, every one of them was just like, ‘We don’t want to — this isn’t a week to get paid,'” Donald said.

Then came his Opening Ceremony speech.

Donald throws shade at American Ryder Cup pros in Opening Ceremony

Traditionally, captains’ speeches at the Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony are all about sportsmanship, thank yous and a little bit of team boosting.

Donald’s speech certainly hit on all those points. It was in no way a broadside against the U.S. team.

Take his kind words about U.S. captain Keegan Bradley, for example.

“To Keegan, Jillian and your two boys, Logan and Cooper, Diane and I have really valued our friendship over the years, and we know that bond will last well beyond this week no matter the outcome. It’s been a pleasure to share this Ryder Cup captaincy with you. Thank you for your friendship and all the memories along the way.”

Or these comments about the U.S. team.

“To the 12 players of Team USA, your talent and passion are never in doubt. We know you’ll bring your best. We promise to do the same.”

But Donald’s speech also featured thinly-veiled digs at the American players over the money issue.

“We come to you this week not just as individual players from nine different nations but as one team, a team defined by history, by unity and by belief that we are playing for something far greater than ourselves,” Donald began, laying the seeds for his slight at the U.S. players. “The Ryder Cup means so much to each and every one of us. It is unlike anything else in our sport.”

When he brought up the topic of money for the first time, he did so by arguing that the European Ryder Cup players are too noble to play the Ryder Cup for money.

“It is not about prize money or world ranking points,” Donald said. “It’s about pride. It’s about representing your flag, your shirts, and the legacy you leave behind.”

News

He then continued to list the things that his European team plays for other than money.

“We play for our families, our teammates, our countries, our continent, and for the generations before us who made this event what it is today.”

The question many American fans, and perhaps players, were asking themselves at this point in the speech was this: Is he suggesting that the U.S. Ryder Cup players don’t play for their families, country and flag, but play only for money?

Donald provided that answer when, later in his speech, he brought up the topic of player pay again.

“We are fueled by something money cannot buy: Purpose, brotherhood, and a responsibility to honor those who came before us, while inspiring those whose time is yet to come,” Donald said.

It’s important to note that several former European Ryder Cup stars knowingly threatened their future involvement in the event by taking large sums of money to join LIV Golf, among them Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia. In fact, the original captain for the 2023 European Ryder Cup team was Henrik Stenson, but Stenson was removed from the position after joining LIV himself. Donald was his replacement.

Additionally, the $300,000 stipend American players will receive this year, which some have already said they will give to charity, is an insignificant amount compared to the many millions each player earned on the course this season.

At this point, captain Donald and the European’s strategy to paint the American Ryder Cup players as caring only about money and not winning is clear. What isn’t obvious is why they think this is a sound strategy.

Whether it’s the Ryder Cup or a playoff series in other professional sports, teams’ regularly draw inspiration from opponents’ critiques. Usually, the goal is to not provide the other team with any “bulletin-board material” that might fire them up.

We’ll have to wait to see which team ends up benefitting from the Ryder Cup player-pay controversy when the first matches tee off Friday morning.

The post Luke Donald takes cheeky dig at U.S. Ryder Cup players in speech appeared first on Golf.

The post Keegan’s ‘powerful moment’ stirs emotions: Ryder Cup Day 1 best lines appeared first on Golf.

The post Keegan’s ‘powerful moment’ stirs emotions: Ryder Cup Day 1 best lines appeared first on Golf.

The Ryder Cup, after last being played two years ago, is now just four days away. But that’s also 96 hours. Or 5,760 minutes. Or 345,600 seconds. Point being, the biennial matches are as close to us as a hole on a par-3 — but yet feel as far away as one on a brutally long par-5. The second hand can seem stuck until Friday. 

And then there are the press conferences. They, too, can mostly drag. After all, there are only so many ways to slice a golf ball, so to say.

But there are tasty morsels. 

So, over the next four days, as a means to get us to the moment when the balls are in the air at Bethpage Black, we’ll offer a highlight or two. They might be technical. They might be insightful. They might be emotional. They might be technically insightful, emotionally said. 

Monday, for 25 minutes, just U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and European captain Luke Donald talked, and we heard about pay-for-play and a “powerful moment” on the first tee, which you watch here and read more about below:

The pay-for-play questions  

A question on Ryder Cup pay-for-play was asked. Then a few more. Two years ago, the subject was much discussed after a report had surfaced that Team USA’s Patrick Cantlay believed players should be paid to play the Ryder Cup and that he was not going to wear a team hat to demonstrate his frustration — then Marco Simone fans started to wave their hats at him and chaos followed. 

This year, the Americans will get $500,000 — $300,000 of which will go to charities, and the use of the remaining $200,000 will be determined by the player. (Previously, U.S. players had received $200,000, all of which went to charity.) And Bradley answered four questions on the topic on Monday. A few thoughts were repeated. The questions are in italics. 

About the U.S. team getting paid for the first time this year, can you just explain to us why you’ve decided to give all of your money to charity? And just to clarify, are all your team going to follow your example? Have you got a unified approach to this?

“Well, the PGA of America came to me, they wanted to bring the Ryder Cup into the present day,” Bradley said. “The charity dollars hadn’t changed since 1999 and they asked me to sort of shepherd their way into making it into 2025.

“I think for everyone it’s a personal decision. A lot of guys aren’t comfortable sharing what they’re going to do with their money, but we’re going to donate.

“For us, the PGA of America, this happens after the Ryder Cup, so this is something that we’ll worry about after. But ultimately, the PGA of America asked me to help out with this, and this is the best way we came up with to do it.”

To clarify, why are you giving your stipend as well as the charity donation?

“I think that’s a personal decision,” Bradley said. “I don’t donate to charities to publicize what we’re doing. These guys on our team are incredible people, and they do a lot of incredible things with charity dollars and with their foundations. A lot of them aren’t comfortable sharing that sort of information, and I feel the same way.”

News

Keegan, just following on from the question there about the payment for your team, what do you say to those who take that as evidence that it means more to Europe?

“Well, I’m not concerned about what Europe does or what they think,” Bradley said. “I’m concerned about what my team is doing.

“I was tasked with a job the PGA of America asked me to do, and this was what we decided. We wanted to bring the Ryder Cup into today’s age, and we felt like this was the best way to do it. We copied a lot of what the Presidents Cup does.

“We did the best we could, and I think a lot of good is going to come from this. I think the players are going to do a lot of good with this money, and I think it’s great.”

Obviously you rightly recognize that the players are able to do a lot of good with it, but I think the optics of it are questionable, given the finances already involved in golf. Do you have any regret about that aspect?

“I don’t really get that,” Bradley said, “but I think the goal here was that the charity dollars hadn’t been raised in 25, 26 years, and that’s what we started out doing.

“Again, we did a lot of what the Presidents Cup did, and these players are going to do the right thing and do a lot of really good with this money. You can say that, but I think that the players are really good people and are going to do a lot of good things.”

The takeaway: Expect this to be asked a few times throughout the week. But there seems to be some speaking points. As for the Presidents Cup example, last year, Golfweek’s Adam Schupak reported that players and captains were given $250,000 to do with as they pleased; previously, according to the event’s website, they allocated “an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his choice.” 

The playing question 

In making his captain’s picks, Bradley did not choose himself, and he was asked if he’s been wondering about if he had. 

Yes, Bradley said — and he also said he’d been thinking of something else. 

News

“I’ve also thought about how impossible it would be,” he said. “… I was picked to do this job as captain, and there’s been certain things that I’ve done during the week or lead-up that if I was playing, I don’t think I could have done at the level that I needed to do them at.

“I catch myself every now and then looking down the fairway, seeing the guys walk down the fairway and think how badly I’d like to do that, and how badly I’d want to be in the group with Scottie Scheffler and seeing him play and being his teammate.

“But I feel like I’ve been called for a bigger cause here, to help our guys get ready to play and play at the highest level. But in the back of my mind, I’m always thinking, ‘I could have been out there.’ But ultimately, I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed being the captain and how I’ve enjoyed not having to worry about getting to sleep and getting my rest or how I haven’t had to think about what time I’m going to go practice or meet my coach and then meet the guys. It simplified things a lot for me.”

The takeaway: If Bradley and the U.S. win the Cup, he’ll be praised for the decision. If they lose, one of the biggest questions will be why the world’s 13th-ranked golfer wasn’t playing at the Ryder Cup. 

‘A powerful moment’

Monday morning, Bradley brought together his team on the 1st tee. The national anthem was played. The group huddled close. Bradley said he’d been thinking of doing something like that for about a year. 

But why?

“Well, I think anytime that guys can be together,” he said, “I think it’s really powerful to be on that first tee without the crowds and just be you guys.

“Every second that the guys are together and can have a powerful moment, I think it brings them closer together. That was a really fun time to be out there with those guys and share that moment and hear the national anthem. I really think that I had this vision of doing that for about a year, and to be out there and see it and see how emotional the guys got was a really special time for our team.”

Did anyone’s reaction catch him by surprise?

“Well, I wasn’t really surprised; it was a powerful moment,” Bradley said. “You’re looking around and seeing all the guys staring at what we were doing and so into it in such an emotional way. A lot of people have worked really hard to get to this point in their lives.

“Like Luke said, you never know when your last Ryder Cup is. You never know if you’re going to play one or 10 or whatever. For a lot of guys, whether it was the players, the caddies, the coaches, to be on that first tee in New York City at Bethpage Black at a Ryder Cup is a very powerful moment.

“Sometimes in your life and in your career, you have to take stock in what’s happening around you. I think one of my biggest regrets earlier in my career wasn’t enjoying things more. And for that moment out this morning, guys were really taking that in and enjoying it, and that was a beautiful thing.”

The takeaway: Bradley’s captaincy appears to have no shortage of motivational moves. Don’t be surprised if you see more throughout the week. You can watch Monday’s below.

The post Keegan’s ‘powerful moment’ stirs emotions: Ryder Cup Day 1 best lines appeared first on Golf.

The post Ryder Cup snubs: 9 bubble players left off 2025 European Ryder Cup team appeared first on Golf.

The post Ryder Cup snubs: 9 bubble players left off 2025 European Ryder Cup team appeared first on Golf.

Matt Wallace said little. Just 16 words in all. But his thoughts were unmistakable. 

Moments after he had finished play on Sunday at the Omega European Masters, he’d been asked about the Ryder Cup, then he broke down. 

After 35 seconds, he answered. 

This content is available only to InsideGOLF members. Log in to continue watching, or join InsideGOLF for full access.

$89.88/year

Join Now Log In

“I’ll never give up on the Ryder Cup, you know,” he said. 

“I just won’t, so that’s it.”

On Monday, what Wallace likely already knew then was confirmed, as Luke Donald named Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick as his six allotted captain’s picks for the European team. Still, when asked about Wallace and other snubs, Donald acknowledged on Sky Sports that he had seen Wallace’s interview.

“Obviously an extremely difficult call to make to Matt,” Donald said. “Obviously watched all the golf yesterday, saw his emotion. It just shows what it means to Europeans to represent your country, to represent your flag, to represent that crest. 

“It’s so sad. It’s a difficult part of the job to call these people that have played their hearts out for 12 months and think they’ve done enough. And I really hope that some of those near-misses will be part of the team in two years’ time.”

With that, here is a look at nine bubble players left off the European Ryder Cup team.   

Ryder Cup snubs: 9 bubble players left off 2025 European Ryder Cup team

Matt Wallace 

Rank in the final European Ryder Cup team standings: 12th 

Why he is considered a snub: Wallace is the highest-ranked player in the European Ryder Cup team standings to be left off the team. His enthusiasm for the Ryder Cup was clear on Sunday after he broke down when asked about the biennial event. 

Why he was left off the team: Wallace has not won this year on either the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour, and he’s never played on a Ryder Cup team. He’s also ranked 115th this season on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. 

Thomas Detry 

Rank in the final European Ryder Cup team standings: 13th

Why he is considered a snub: Detry won the WM Phoenix Open. He also posted five other top 25 finishes this season on the PGA Tour. 

Why he was left off the team: All of Detry’s top 25 finishes came before the U.S. Open, and he’s never played on a Ryder Cup team. He’s also ranked 99th this season on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Total, 111th in SG: Tee to Green, 123rd in SG: Approach the Green, and 110th in SG: Around the Green.

Marco Penge 

Rank in the final European Ryder Cup team standings: 14th 

Why he is considered a snub: He’s won twice this year on the DP World Tour, and he finished second at the Genesis Scottish Open. He’s also ranked eighth this year on the tour in driving distance. 

Why he was left off the team: Inexperience. The wins were the first of his career on the DP World Tour, and he’s played in just four major championships. 

News

Aaron Rai 

Rank in the final European Ryder Cup team standings: 15th 

Why he is considered a snub: He’s posted 10 top 25 finishes this year on the PGA Tour. He also won last year’s Wyndham Championship. 

Why he was left off the team: Rai has not won this year, and he’s never played on a Ryder Cup team. He’s also ranked 120th this season on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting. 

Jordan Smith 

Rank in the final European Ryder Cup team standings: 16th

Why he is considered a snub: Smith made the cut in the two majors he played in this year. He’s also posted two runner-up finishes this season on the DP World Tour 

Why he was left off the team: Smith hasn’t won since 2022. He also has never played on a Ryder Cup team. 

Harry Hall 

Rank in the final European Ryder Cup team standings: 17th 

Why he is considered a snub: Hall posted 15 top 25 finishes this season on the PGA Tour, and he qualified for the Tour Championship. He has not missed a cut since the Players Championship. He’s also ranked fifth this year on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Total, and second in SG: Putting.

Why he was left off the team: Inexperience — Hall has never played on a Ryder Cup team. He’s also ranked 112th in SG: Off the Tee, and 101st in SG: Approach the Green. 

Nicolai Hojgaard 

Rank in the final European Ryder Cup team standings: 18th 

Why he is considered a snub: Hojgaard was a member of the team two years ago, and his brother, Rasmus, is on this year’s team. He also tied for second two weeks ago at the Betfred British Masters, and the Hojgaard brothers were runners-up at the Zurich Classic, the PGA Tour’s lone team event. 

Why he was left off the team: He hasn’t won since 2023. He’s also ranked 146th this season on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Around the Green. 

Alex Noren 

Rank in the final European Ryder Cup team standings: 26th 

Why he is considered a snub: Noren is the highest-ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings to be left off the team, and he played on the 2018 team. He also won the Betfred British Masters two weeks ago, and he played in the final pairing at this year’s PGA Championship. 

Why he was left off the team: Noren lost strokes this year on the PGA Tour in Off the Tee and Approach the Green. He’s also never won on the PGA Tour. 

Sergio Garcia 

Rank in the final European Ryder Cup team standings: 140th

Why he is considered a snub: Garcia is the all-time points leader in Ryder Cup history. He also won this year’s LIV Golf Hong Kong event. 

Why he was left off the team: Garcia’s best finish in three major appearances this year was a tie for 34th at the Open Championship. Over his last eight LIV Golf starts, he posted one top 10. 

The post Ryder Cup snubs: 9 bubble players left off 2025 European Ryder Cup team appeared first on Golf.

The post European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald finalizes roster with 6 captain’s picks appeared first on Golf.

The post European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald finalizes roster with 6 captain’s picks appeared first on Golf.

Last week, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley ended months of speculation by officially leaving himself off the American team. Instead, Bradley selected Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns during an official announcement from PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas.

Bradley’s captain’s picks join six team members who had already qualified automatically for the team: Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau.

News

On the surface, the European team selection process seemed far less fraught than the gut-wrenching decision facing Bradley. Captain Luke Donald — whose squad won the Ryder Cup by the commanding margin of 16.5-11.5 at the 2023 edition in Rome — was expected to field a nearly duplicate team this year. Donald’s auto-qualifiers for 2025 include Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard and Tyrrell Hatton. Of those names, Hojgaard is the only rookie.

Luke Donald’s captain’s picks

On Monday, Donald selected the rest of the players who will take on the Americans in the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Long Island: Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick.

With his picks, Donald didn’t stray too far from the points ranking. Shane Lowry was ranked 7th, Sepp Straka 8th, Ludvig Aberg 9th, Viktor Hovland 10th and Matt Fitzpatrick 11th.

Lowry has played in two Ryder Cups with a 2-3-1 record; Straka has played in one Cup with a 1-2-0 record; Aberg has played in one Cup with a 2-2-0 record; Hovland has played in two Cups with a 3-4-3 record; and Fitzpatrick has played in three Cups with a 1-7-0 record.

Jon Rahm, who joined LIV Golf ahead of the 2024 season, was 24th on the European Ryder Cup points list but has been a member of three Ryder Cup teams, with a 6-3-3 record. In Rome in 2023, Rahm was 2-0-2.

Matt Wallace, who was 12th on the European points ranking, made headlines over the weekend with an outpouring of emotion at the DP World Tour’s Omega European Masters. He finished two shots shy of defending his 2024 title, and had to compose himself for more than 30 seconds after being asked about his Ryder Cup chances.

“I’ll never give up on the Ryder Cup,” Wallace eventually said.

With both teams now set, Europe will arrive at the 2025 Ryder Cup with 11 of the 12 players who prevailed over the U.S. in Rome, while the U.S. will field a team that includes four first-timers.

The 2025 Ryder Cup begins on September 26.

This content is available only to InsideGOLF members. Log in to continue watching, or join InsideGOLF for full access.

$89.88/year

Join Now Log In

The post European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald finalizes roster with 6 captain’s picks appeared first on Golf.

The post Ryder Cup rule change opens door for Keegan Bradley as playing captain: Report appeared first on Golf.

The post Ryder Cup rule change opens door for Keegan Bradley as playing captain: Report appeared first on Golf.

As we get closer and closer to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, the question of whether U.S. captain Keegan Bradley will be a playing captain is heating up.

Now, according to a report from U.K. newspaper the Telegraph, Team Europe captain Luke Donald has agreed to a rule change that would allow Bradley to play on the team without sacrificing his captain’s duties.

Here’s what you should know.

Europe agrees to Ryder Cup rule change at Bradley’s request

A key aspect of every Ryder Cup is the “captain’s agreement,” a list of rules and regulations agreed upon by both teams’ captains ahead of each Ryder Cup. The captain’s agreement rarely changes.

That is not the case this year.

According to the Telegraph’s report, Bradley requested a rule change to this year’s agreement involving one clause. The clause states that only captains can talk to players during matches on the course. Not vice captains.

News

This has been a big concern for Bradley when considering whether to play on the team or not. If he were to be playing in a session, no one else on the U.S. team would be allowed to give advice and motivation to players during those sessions.

But Bradley requested that the rule be changed so that should he be a playing captain and involved in a match, he could designate one vice captain to be acting captain while on the course. That designated vice captain would then be allowed to advise players during their matches.

Any change the captain’s agreement requires approval by the Ryder Cup and the European captain. A source told the Telegraph that Donald agreed to the rule change, saying, “Keegan [Bradley] went to Luke [Donald] with this clause and Luke generously agreed. We don’t want any bad blood between the camps.”

You can read the full report from The Telegraph here.

Will Keegan Bradley play the 2025 Ryder Cup

With the key rule change out of the way, Bradley is much more likely to end up playing for the U.S. team. But it’s his play on the course that’s put him in this position in the first place.

Bradley was famously snubbed as a captain’s pick for the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cupteam , and his devastation upon receiving the rejection was caught on camera by Netflix.

Then last July, the shocking news came that Bradley would be captain of the 2025 U.S. team. Adding to the shock is that Bradley is only 39 years old, far younger than most captains, and in the prime of his career.

Immediately questions about Bradley being the first U.S. playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963 arose. Bradley was adamant from the get-go that that would only happen if he played his way on the team.

Since then, Bradley has captured two PGA Tour victories and risen to No. 7 in the Official World Golf Ranking, better than any European player except World No. 2 Rory McIlroy.

With four weeks to go until Bradley announces his six captain’s picks, he sits at 10th in the U.S. Ryder Cup rankings.

The post Ryder Cup rule change opens door for Keegan Bradley as playing captain: Report appeared first on Golf.

The post At the PGA Championship, a different event is top of mind appeared first on Golf.

The post At the PGA Championship, a different event is top of mind appeared first on Golf.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Luke Donald doesn’t really deserve to be at Quail Hollow, and he knows it. But he’s more than happy to sit here, in the air-conditioned interview tent, tied for second place and actually answering questions about his game for a change. 

You see, Donald is only in the field via a special invite from the PGA of America as the current European Ryder Cup captain. And 24 hours earlier, that’s what had him in the same press conference seat answering 17 questions about the Ryder Cup — scheduled for four months from now — and not a single one about his own game. 

“Well, that’s what I signed up to,” Donald said after shooting a bogey-free 67, adding that the imbalance of attention doesn’t bother him. But there’s a level of pride that exists in any pro golfer, particularly those who once graced the top of the World Ranking. You’d always love to be talking about your game first.

Donald’s surprisingly solid play — tied for the best opening round in a major in his career — is completely a coincidence, thanks mostly to a hot putter, but it is no less part of a trend at this PGA Championship. All eyes are on this tournament, sure, but most minds are quietly thinking about the Ryder Cup, too. 

Just ask American captain Keegan Bradley — who carved his own 68 out of Quail Hollow. He saw Donald’s score and immediately told the press he was excited to text his future opponent. Bradley was grouped with two potential Ryder Cuppers — Andrew Novak and Maverick McNealy — and suggested the honor was likely a distraction for them. He also suggested nothing they could do Thursday or Friday would determine if they’re on or off the American squad.

And yet, the question exists because Ryder Cup years do this to everyone. Two PGAs ago, at Oak Hill in New York, Brooks Koepka basically guaranteed his spot on the team by winning his fifth major. Any number of pros on the leaderboard could do the same thing this week. Which makes the inverse worth noting, too. Koepka’s opening 75 should have Bradley thinking some things. It was just last week that Koepka got a special invite to a prospective-player team dinner Bradley hosted in Philadelphia.

The questions about who is in Ryder Cup form or who’s invited to Ryder Cup meals persist because the Cup is big business. It nets the PGA of America an extra $25 million during years it’s held in the U.S. It’s this year-end beacon off in the distance that everyone wants a piece of. The questions also persist because they’re not always answered with the most clarity, especially in these politically angsty pro golf days. Jon Rahm was asked if he has been told he’ll have a spot on Donald’s team. He refused to answer, saying that was a question for Donald. When Donald was asked about Rahm’s prospects, given the ongoing appeal to suspensions he’s earned for playing LIV Golf, Donald said it was a question for DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings.

A different merry-go-round of press conference vagueness took place for Bradley, too, after he said Bryson DeChambeau was also at the dinner in Philly, only for DeChambeau to clarify later that he was not. Rather, he tuned in via Zoom after his flight was delayed, but heard it was “pretty inspirational.” Patrick Reed, who sits at 25th in the American team points list, second-highest among LIV golfers, was not invited. 

Because of the ongoing stalemate between the investment wings of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, qualification lists only tell part of the story. For Reed to get a proper look, he’d be wise to play well this week, just like he did in a T3 finish at last month’s Masters. Same goes for Sergio Garcia, who has played great on LIV but missed the cut in Augusta. Donald says his team of statisticians consider the results of major weeks “quite a lot.” 

And yet, a recent standard was set for only six automatic qualifiers on each team, gifting captains the power to choose half their team. The reason rests in weeks like this one — where plenty of points are on the line, plenty of hype in the air and the fact that four good days (even at a major) does not make a Ryder Cupper. Phil Mickelson’s PGA win four years ago was his only top-10 finish that season. By the time the Ryder Cup team came together, Mickelson was relegated to watching as a vice captain. 

Bradley may do the opposite — play so well that he has to surrender the captaincy in favor of playing. He’s currently 22nd on the American points list — a win would move him to 12th — and the reality of a difficult decision gets previewed in every press conference he conducts. After his three-under first round, one question got right to the point.

Do you want to be a playing captain?

“I don’t know,” Bradley said. “I want to help the team best I can. If that means playing, I’ll do that.” 

This week should help him figure that out, on a big, hilly golf course that could play a bit like Bethpage Black will in September. Bradley has set a soft target of next month’s U.S. Open to reassess his standing against the others trying to qualify. Thursday is just one round of one tournament, but it’s the round we’ve got at the tournament the world cares about this week. Top of mind it will stay until something else replaces it.

The post At the PGA Championship, a different event is top of mind appeared first on Golf.

The post Former world No. 1 shares best tips for pinpoint iron shots appeared first on Golf.

The post Former world No. 1 shares best tips for pinpoint iron shots appeared first on Golf.

Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Timeless Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we hear from Luke Donald on his advice for hitting pinpoint iron shots from a story originally published in our January 2004 issue. For unlimited access to the full GOLF Magazine digital archive, join InsideGOLF today; you’ll enjoy $140 of value for only $39.99/year.

It’s become harder than ever to compete on the PGA Tour as a short-hitter, but at last week’s Mexico Open, Brain Campbell proved it’s still possible to have success with limited ball speed. Despite ranking as the shortest hitter on Tour entering the week, Campbell earned his first-ever Tour win. To make the win even sweeter for the short-hitter, he bested the longest hitter on Tour — Aldrich Potgieter — in a playoff to get his hands on the trophy.

“It’s hard to look at a guy next to you hitting it 60 to 80 yards past you,” Campbell said. “But you’ve really just got to stay focused on what you’re there to do and do the best you can.”

Campbell isn’t the first pro to find success despite lagging behind his competitors in the distance department. In fact, back in 2011, Luke Donald ascended to world No. 1 despite finishing the season ranked 147th on Tour in driving distance.

In honor of all golfers out there lacking in the distance department, we’re looking back at a few tips from one of the most successful short-hitters of all-time in Donald. Back in 2004, Donald shared a few of his tips with GOLF Magazine about how to stick it close with your irons.

Luke Donald’s pinpoint iron tips

By PGA Tour standards, my 275-yard average off the tee isn’t exactly John Daly-esque. But what I’ve learned that a sharp iron game can help me keep pace with the big hitters. I’ve always put a premium on my irons. In fact, I holed out the very first iron shot I hit on Tour — a pitching wedge for eagle at the 1999 Buick Challenge. And I still work hard to keep my iron play sharp. In the final round of the 2002 Southern Farm Bureau classic — my first Tour win — my 8-iron to the par-3 12th hole left a dent in the cup.

How can my iron game help you? In this article, I’ll discuss the swing keys I live by, from posture and swing shape to hitting the ball high or low. Give these tips a try and you may soon be throwing darts, too.

Address: Posture first

A pre-shot routine is critical to establishing good posture. I start by gripping down on the club with my right hand until my spine tilts slightly away from the target. Then, I bend toward the ball from my hips. I want to feel as if my shoulder are directly over my hips. To check this, I sometimes let my arms hang and make sure my palms line up with the creases on my pants.

After I set my posture, I aim the clubface and align my body, then check ball position, inching up or back depending on the shot. For long irons, I play the ball opposite the logo on my shirt; for mid irons, off my left ear; for short irons, just ahead of my sternum.

Backswing: Left shoulder low

My main backswing thought is to turn my left shoulder under my chin. My shoulders rotate on a diagonal plane, which helps me stay in my address posture. If I do this right, the club swings on the correct path and the clubface is square at the top, setting up the proper inside-out approach to the ball.

To work on your turn, find a slope and practice hitting balls below your feet. With the emphasis on staying down to reach the ball, you’ll keep your left shoulder low.

Starting down: Arms wide

From the top, I resist the urge to fire my hips or chest toward the target, letting my arms swing down first. This is key for me, as I have a tendency to get too aggressive with my hips, which makes the club drop behind me.

If your sequence is correct, you’ll swing down on a wide arc. And wider means more speed. To stay wide, try the pump drill. Start with your left arm parallel to the ground and swing to the top. Then, keeping your back toward the target, swing your arms down and try to increase the distance between your hands and shoulders. Stop when your hands are about waist high, and repeat.

Impact: Divot after strike

lf you maintain your forward tilt, the clubhead will swing down on the proper descending angle, cutting a divot after the ball. That’s how you hit pure irons. I focus on keeping my butt out and pointing my chest at the ball through impact. This allows me to extend my arms and swing down and through. Many amateurs do the reverse: They pull their butts in and spin their chests open. As a result, the club either gets stuck behind them (too shallow) or swings over the top (too steep).

In the end, my divots tell me all I need to know about my swing. If my divot is rectangular and about the same width as the clubhead, I made solid contact.

Low shot: drive the elbow

To keep an iron shot low, I position the ball two inches back in my stance, which delofts the clubface. I center my body weight and turn my left elbow out so it points toward the target. This promotes a flatter, more U-shaped swing through the hitting zone. The clubhead stays low after impact and the ball comes out with less backspin

High shot: Make a full release

For extra height, I play the ball two inches forward in my stance, which keeps my hands behind the ball and effectively increases the club’s loft. Then I swing back on a wide arc and focus ona high, full finish. This promotes an earlier release, with the wrists rechecking and the clubhead swinging upward shortly after impact. The shot flies high and stops quickly.

The post Former world No. 1 shares best tips for pinpoint iron shots appeared first on Golf.