Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)
- Age: 36
- World Ranking: 2
- Ryder Cups: 8 – 2010 (winners), 2012 (winners), 2014 (winners) 2016, 2018 (winners), 2021, 2023 (winners), 2025.
This will be McIlroy’s eighth appearance and he has matured into a leader on and off the course. Where his initial inclination ahead of his debut at Celtic Manor in 2010 was to describe the match as “an exhibition” his words and deeds since have shown how much the Ryder Cup means to him. He is passionate, even fiery, in his actions and the Northern Irishman – who completed the career Grand Slam with his Masters win in April – has had his sights on Bethpage all season.
Tommy Fleetwood (England)
- Age: 34
- World Ranking: 6
- Ryder Cups: 4 – 2018 (winners), 2021, 2023 (winners), 2025.
Embraced the Ryder Cup from the get-go in standout debut in Paris seven years ago and is headed into Bethpage with the momentum bounce of finally winning on the PGA Tour, capturing the Tour Championship last month to win on his 164th event on the US circuit. Fleetwood is arguably the most popular man in the teamroom and a comfortable fit with so many players for both fourballs and foursomes.
Robert MacIntyre (Scotland)
- Age: 29
- World Ranking: 9
- Ryder Cups: 2 – 2023 (winners), 2025
The left-handed Scot will be making his second appearance following on from his successful debut in Rome. This time, he is likely to shoulder greater responsibility having navigated his way into the top 10 in the official world rankings and a proven winner on the PGA Tour (winning the Scottish Open and Canadian Open last year) and with a strong season to date, featuring runner-up finishes in the US Open and the BMW. Bottomless pit of passion to boot.
Justin Rose (England)
- Age: 45
- World Ranking: 12
- Ryder Cups: 7 – 2008, 2012 (winners), 2014 (winners), 2016, 2018 (winners), 2023 (winners), 2025
No wilting from this Englishman who has matured like a red wine in playing some of the best golf of his career through the year, defeating US Open champion JJ Spaun in a playoff for the FedEx St Jude Championship (his 12th career win on the PGA Tour). Rose also lost out to McIlroy in the Masters playoff earlier in the year. This will be his seventh Ryder Cup and, with McIlroy, is one of only two survivors from the last European win on US soil at Medinah in 2012.
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Rasmus Højgaard (Denmark)
- Age: 24
- World Ranking: 52
- Ryder Cups: Debut
Sealed the last of the six automatic qualifying places on Luke Donald’s team available when the process finished at the recent British Masters and will follow in his twin brother Nicolai’s footsteps in playing in the Ryder Cup. Unfortunately has opted to withdraw from this week’s Amgen Irish Open where he as due to defend his title. Rasmus has blown hot and cold for much of the season but finally found a rich vein of form when it mattered, with runners-up finishes in the Danish Championship and the Omega European Masters in recent weeks.
Tyrrell Hatton (England)
- Age: 33
- World Ranking: 25
- Ryder Cups: 4 – 2018 (winners), 2021, 2023 (winners), 2025
To his great credit, Hatton – who plays on the LIV Golf circuit – earned his ticket to New York with a hugely impressive impact in limited tournament outings, kick-started early on in the qualifying process with wins in the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Another player who wears his heart on his sleeve and will relish being the pantomime villain to the anticipated boisterous galleries at Bethpage.
Shane Lowry (Ireland)
- Age: 38
- World Ranking: 23
- Ryder Cups: 3 – 2021, 2023 (winners), 2025
Narrowly missed out on an automatic spot on the team – he finished just four points behind Hatton, the equivalent effectively of one putt through the yearlong process – but got the safety net of a pick from Donald. Lowry’s passion for the event is beyond doubt, his background in team sports adding to his desire. Set to play an even bigger role in the team room on this, his third, Ryder Cup appearance.
Jon Rahm (Spain)
- Age: 30
- World Ranking: 80
- Ryder Cup appearances: 4 – 2018 (winners), 2021, 2023 (winners)
Always guaranteed to get a wild card from Donald, the Spaniard has embraced the old spirit of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal in his Ryder Cup appearances. He didn’t win on the LIV circuit this season – losing two playoffs – but still managed to claim player of the year honours and brings his unique winning mentality into the team room. Another fiery competitor.
Sepp Straka (Austria)
- Age: 32
- World Ranking: 13
- Ryder Cups: 2 – 2023 (winners), 2025
He became the first Austrian to play in the Ryder Cup when on the winning team in Rome two years ago. Straka won twice on the PGA Tour this season, in the American Express Championship and the Truist, where he usurped Shane Lowry down the stretch. But there will be some concerns about his form as he missed out on the BMW Championship in the FedEx Cup and then finished 30th of 30 in the Tour Championship. He will be the only team player missing from next week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Viktor Hovland (Norway)
- Age: 27
- World Ranking: 15
- Ryder Cups: 2 – 2021, 2023 (winners), 2025
After enduring a tough start to the season – four missed cuts in five – the Norwegian had a dramatic change in form when he won the Valspar Championship to kick-start an impressive season that also saw him finish third in the US Open. Hovland made the cut in all four Majors this season and hasn’t missed a cut since The Players back in March.
Ludvig Åberg (Sweden)
- Age: 25
- World Ranking: 14
- Ryder Cups: 2- 2023 (winners), 2025
Was a surprising and inspired captain’s pick by Donald in Rome. Barely a wet day into the pro ranks then, the Swede has shown his class with a couple of strong seasons on the PGA Tour. Won the Genesis Invitational – his second career win stateside – earlier in the year and, although he suffered disappointing missed cuts in both the US PGA and the US Open, has shown improved form of late with three top-10s in his last five tournaments.
Matt Fitzpatrick (England)
- Age: 31
- World Ranking: 29
- Ryder Cup appearances: 4 – 2016, 2021, 2023 (winners), 2025
For a man obsessed with numbers, they haven’t always added up for him in the Ryder Cup for which he has a horrid individual record (one win and seven losses). The Englishman – winner of the US Open in 2022 – has shown decent form in recent weeks to sway Donald’s wild card thinking. Fitzpatrick didn’t make it to the Tour Championship for the FedEx Cup finale but responded with a tied-sixth in the British Masters and tied-fifth in the European Masters.
