2025 Ryder Cup teams: Captains make their picks to finalise squads

Jonathan Victoria • 03 Sep 2025 Features

Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley have made their final picks.

Team Europe captain Luke Donald announced his six picks to complete the 12-man side that will go up against Team USA later this month at Bethel Page in New York.

His announcement came on Monday and it came as a slight surprise, naming a largely unchanged squad to the 2023 contest in Italy.

On the other side, Keegan Bradley revealed his picks to finalise his squad last week, opting not to pick himself despite many calls to do so, including from President Donald Trump.

Team Europe

As the defending champions aiming to retain in enemy territory, Luke Donald understood the importance of picking not just a strong team, but one made up of players who he can trust to get the job done and have the ability to perform when the pressure is on.

That will no doubt be a large reason as to why he picked a nearly unchanged lineup from the 2023 edition, with the only difference between the two squads being the absence of Nicolai Hojgaard. Funnily enough, though, in his place is his own twin brother, Rasmus.

The six automatic qualifiers provided Donald with a strong base to build from, highlighted by the star of the team, Rory McIlroy, who comes off the back of a season where he finally captured the elusive career Grand Slam after winning the Masters in April.

Also a notable qualifier was Tommy Fleetwood, who ended the season in style by capturing his first PGA Tour victory - by winning the Tour Championship, the most lucrative competition of the year.

Justin Rose will be the oldest player across both sides at 45 years old, but he’s had a stellar season, almost adding to his major count during the Masters by taking McIlroy to a playoff decider.

As for the captain’s picks, Jon Rahm made it in despite a quiet year from him, and that includes his performances on the LIV Tour where he currently competes.

Ludvig Aberg was a surprise rookie pick from the 2023 competition - surprising due to his impressive play, beating world number one Scottie Scheffler and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka during Saturday’s morning session alongside Viktor Hovland.

With that, let’s take a look at the full team plus all the captains:

Automatic Qualifiers

• Rory McIlroy
• Robert MacIntyre
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Justin Rose
• Rasmus Højgaard (R)
• Tyrrell Hatton

Captain’s Picks

• Jon Rahm
• Shane Lowry
• Viktor Hovland
• Sepp Straka
• Ludvig Åberg
• Matt Fitzpatrick

Captains and vice-captains

• Luke Donald (C)
• Thomas Bjorn (VC)
• Alex Noren (VC)
• Edoardo Molinari (VC)
• Jose Maria Olazabal (VC)
• Francesco Molinari (VC)

Team USA

Over on the home side, they will be looking to bounce back after Europe claimed a dominant victory last time out.

Keegan Bradley had two solid automatic qualifiers already in his squad in Scottie Scheffler and J.J. Spaun, who claimed the remaining three majors this year after McIlroy’s Masters win.

The world number one is certifiably unbeatable on his day but had a torrid time during the last competition, failing to win a single matchup. He has added another three majors to his name since then, including two this year alone.

For Spaun, he is making his Ryder Cup debut off the back of a strong year where he claimed his first major title.

Bryson DeChambeau makes a return after missing out in 2023, ready to make his presence felt after picking up the PGA Championship in 2024 and making it into the squad via an automatic qualifier spot.

As for Bradley’s picks, Justin Thomas returns once again after his controversial inclusion in 2023. While he hasn’t lit the world on fire since then, he is certainly a strong asset to have on the team.

Sam Burns has also been included again after making his Ryder Cup debut in 2023. He is the joint-second youngest player on the team, alongside this year’s debutante Ben Griffin.

Speaking of debutantes, Bradley has gone with a rather more inexperienced side, fielding four rookies in total compared to Europe’s sole rookie of Rasmus Hojgaard. Along with Spaun and Griffin, Cameron Young made the squad, being picked by the captain, while Russell Henley’s solid performances over the last 18 months gave the 36-year-old his first Ryder Cup call-up via an automatic qualifying spot.

Here is the full side for Team USA plus captains:

Automatic Qualifiers

• Scottie Scheffler
• J.J. Spaun (R)
• Xander Schauffele
• Russell Henley (R)
• Harris English
• Bryson DeChambeau

Captain’s Picks

• Justin Thomas
• Collin Morikawa
• Patrick Cantlay
• Ben Griffin (R)
• Sam Burns
• Cameron Young (R)

Captains and vice-captains

• Keegan Bradley (C)
• Webb Simpson (VC)
• Brandt Snedeker (VC)
• Kevin Kisner (VC)
• Jim Furyk (VC)
• Gary Woodland (VC)

Ryder Cup on Sky Sports

With the squads set, attention now turns to the end of the month as the biggest bragging rights contest in golf draws closer and closer.

If you’re not already aware, Sky Sports is the exclusive home of the Ryder Cup, which means if you want to tune in during any of the three days, you’ll need to have a valid Sky Sports subscription.

For those who aren’t with Sky already, you can find great Sky Sports deals on Digital TV, giving you access to Sky’s wide catalogue of live TV as well as on-demand content, plus all Sky Sports channels.

Alternatively, you can call our friendly Sky team on 0330 165 6733, where they will help find a deal best suited for you.

If you already have Sky TV but don’t have Sky Sports, it’s easy to add it to your existing subscription. Simply go to amend your package and choose between a 31-day rolling contract (can be cancelled whenever you’d like) or a 24-month commitment. Remember, Sky Sports has a lot more to offer besides golf - you may find another sport to love from all that they have to offer.

For those on Virgin Media or BT, you can also add Sky Sports to your existing TV packages. They’ll have an option to add it on as a 31-day rolling contract which can be cancelled whenever you choose to do so.

Ways to watch Sky Sports

With access to Sky Sports, you’ll be able to watch wherever you are. If you’re at home, simply head over to the live TV channels (405 for Sky Sports Golf). 

But say you wanted to watch in bed. You can do so, via the use of either the Sky Sports web app online (a free download) available on laptops and PC’s, or you can download the free Sky Sports app on your phone or tablet and watch from them.

Console users can also stay tuned in via the Sky Go app, downloadable for free with access to Sky Sports.