There are two weeks left until the qualification period for Team Europe in the Ryder Cup concludes. Only four tournaments remain. In the United States, the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship will count, while in the DP World Tour, there are the Danish Golf Championship and the Betfred British Masters. Players competing in the United States (Shane Lowry, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Thomas Detry…) have many more options since the FedEx Playoffs distribute triple the points (3,000 compared to 1,000 for the Danish and 1,500 for the British Masters), however, they still have their chances… Well, mathematically, the only player from the DP World Tour with a chance to qualify is Rasmus Hojgaard, for the rest it is already numerically impossible.
The fact that it is mathematically impossible does not mean they cannot still have their chances via captain’s picks. This is where a name has appeared on the radar at the last minute and is probably the most in-form player on the DP World Tour at the moment. It is Kristoffer Reitan. The Norwegian has been one of those chosen to play this week with one of Luke Donald‘s vice-captains in the first two rounds of the Danish Golf Championship.
Specifically, Donald has two ‘spies’ in Denmark. One is called Francesco Molinari and the other Thomas Bjorn. Their pairings for Thursday and Friday are no coincidence. Molinari plays with Nicolai Hojgaard and Reitan, while Bjorn will play with Matt Wallace and Thorbjorn Olesen. All four are potential candidates to be in Bethpage at the end of September. It is curious that none are playing with Rasmus Hojgaard, a golfer who is currently eighth in the Ryder ranking. It’s as if they don’t need to see him because they are sure to take him… Or they simply don’t want to put more pressure on him, as he can still qualify directly. Any interpretation is valid.
The fact is that Wallace, Olesen, Nicolai, and Reitan will be under the Ryder Cup radar this week, and the big news is Reitan. The Nordic player has entered the running at the last minute. It’s really tough for him, but no one can bet against him. If he plays very well in Denmark and the British Masters, he will have his chances, as he is a very good profile for the Ryder. He has proven to be a great hitter, one of the longest on the DP World Tour, a very useful trait on a course like Bethpage, and he has also shown more than once or twice that he competes very well under pressure.
Who knows if Reitan is not the Aberg of Italy two years ago. He has two chances to make an impact and must do very well. He is ranked 23rd in the Ryder ranking, just behind Jon Rahm. If he fights for victories in the next two weeks, no one should doubt that he will be an option considered by Donald and his team.
