Ryder Cup 2023 LIVE: Ludvig Aberg announced as one of six wildcard picks for Team Europe
Luke Donald has announced the final six members of Europe’s Ryder Cup team to take on the US in Rome later this month
With the Ryder Cup fast approaching later this month, Luke Donald has today announced his captain’s picks and the final six members of the European team that will take on Team USA in Rome. The US thrashed Europe when they last met at Whistling Straits in 2021, but the Americans have not won away from home since 1993 and a much-improved European team will hope to maintain that record.
Donald has chosen Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose alongside rookies Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Adrian Meronk just misssing out. They join the six automatically qualified players: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tyrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre.
Team USA was confirmed last week with Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns selected as captain’s picks to join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele
Follow the latest updates from the Ryder Cup announcement below:
Luke Donald ‘blown away’ by Ludvig Aberg as Swede handed Ryder Cup wild card
Europe captain Luke Donald admitted he had been “blown away” by the ability of Ludvig Aberg after handing the rising star one of his six wild cards for the 44th Ryder Cup in Rome.
Former world number one amateur Aberg only turned professional in June, but won the final qualifying event in Switzerland on Sunday with a final round of 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre.
The 23-year-old Swede has made the quickest transition from the amateur ranks to the Ryder Cup in the contest’s history, eclipsing the previous record set by Sergio Garcia, who made his debut in 1999 after turning professional following April’s Masters.
Aberg was selected along with Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Poland’s Adrian Meronk missing out despite winning the Italian Open at the host venue in May.
Read more below:
Luke Donald ‘blown away’ by Ludvig Aberg as Swede handed Ryder Cup wild card
Until next time
Thanks for joining us today for Luke Donald’s wildcard picks. We now know the makeup of both teams and the wait is on - just 25 days until the first tee shot at Marco Simone and the start of the Ryder Cup!
We’ll be back then to keep you up to date with every shot, every holed putt and every twist and turn.
See you then!
Final teams confirmed
With Team Europe’s picks done, we have our two completed teams. They are as follows:
Europe: McIlroy, Rahm, Hovland, Hatton, Fitzpatrick, MacIntyre, Fleetwood, Straka, Rose, Lowry, Hojgaard, Aberg.
USA: Scheffler, Clark, Cantlay, Harman, Homa, Schauffele, Koepka, Spieth, Morikawa, Fowler, Thomas and Burns.
Despite America’s thumping victory last time out, it looks like we are set for a tight encounter this time around. America has the bigger names, but Europe has an exciting blend of in-form players and the crucial home advantage.
Tough to call.
Ryder Cup 2023: Meet Team Europe including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and each wildcard pick
The Ryder Cup 2023 is fast approaching with Luke Donald naming his six wildcard picks to complete his European team for Rome.
The United States are favourites to defend the trophy they claimed with a dominant victory at Whistling Straits in 2021.
But Team Europe, now led by Donald after the farcical departure of Henrik Stenson, having defected to LIV Golf, will hope to harness home advantage in Rome after their iconic win at Le Golf National in 2018.
Here, Independent Sport examines Donald’s 12 players from their style of play to experience and form:
Meet Europe’s Ryder Cup team including McIlroy and six wildard picks
Donald confirms Ryder Cup team
Donald is asked about Viktor Hovland, the winner of the FedEx Cup and World No. 4.
“He’ll be an assassin,” Donald says. “You need your top players to win points and he is one of our top players of course. He was part of the losing team and understands the frustration of that. He like the other guys will want to avenge that.”
Donald confirms Ryder Cup team
More from Luke on Aberg: “Ludvig is a generational player, he’ll be around a long time and do amazing things. If he didn’t make this one he’d be around for the next eight Ryder Cups, that’s how good I think he is.
“If you look at his stats this year, he’d be the No. 1 driver in the world ahead of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler - that’s pretty high standards.”
Donald confirms Ryder Cup team
Adrian Meronk is the player who can probably count himself most unlucky. The Pole has been in the conversation all year for a place on the team having won the Italian Open at Marco Simone earlier in the year.
In the end, it looks like Donald has gone for the youth of Aberg and Hojgaard who have both enjoyed a stellar recent run of form.
Donald on those who just missed out
“It’s extremely challenging, there was a number you could make an argument for that are not on that team. That’s part of the job, unfortunately, I know what it feels like and it’s gut-wrenching.
“I spoke to them all, they took it all well like the true gentlemen they are and they wished us good luck. They handled it with class.”
Confirmed Ryder Cup team
So there we have it, Donald has made his picks and this is what Team Europe looks like:
Rory McIlroy
John Rahm
Viktor Hovland
Tyrrell Hatton
Matt Fitzpatrick
Robert MacIntyre
Tommy Fleetwood
Sep Straka
Justin Rose
Shane Lowry
Nicolai Hojgaard and
Ludvig Aberg
Luke Donald speaking on his twelve-man team
“I’m very excited about the next few weeks. The plan is to put in a great plan of action for success, they know why they are going to win and the options I’ll give them to have the best opportunity to win.
“A mix of great talent, experience, rookies, it’s really a great makeup to the team and I couldn’t be happier.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments