This is how we have named it. Ryder Command. It’s one way like any other. They are Luke Donald and his vice-captains (Edoardo Molinari, Nicolas Colsaerts, Francesco Molinari or Thomas Bjorn), although not all of them are officially yet for the 2025 Ryder at Bethpage. All of them have already been working steadily but unhurriedly throughout this year 2024 with the aim of bringing the best possible team to American soil. In the end, of course, form moments, talent and results will decide ninety-five percent of the total, but they want to have that remaining five percent well tied up and studied. They don’t make stitches without thread, so it’s always worth checking who they play with on Thursdays and Tuesdays at the tournaments where they are present.
This week, for example, at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, one of the major events on the DP World Tour regular calendar, Donald comes out in an interesting match alongside Sebastian Soderberg and Alex Fitzpatrick. And Edoardo Molinari will do so alongside Tom McKibbin and Sam Bairstow. It’s no coincidence, we can be sure of that.
The Ryder qualification year kicked off a few weeks ago, with the British Masters, but Donald and his team (only Edoardo Molinari and Bjorn are confirmed as official vice-captains for 2025) never miss an opportunity to observe potential candidates first-hand, or simply send a message to certain players with their mere presence. At the beginning of the year, for example, Luke Donald came out to play on Thursdays and Fridays alongside Marcel Siem and Pablo Larrazábal at the Dubai Desert Classic, and it was not a ‘casting’ or exam, there is no need with such experienced players, it was just a way of telling them that they were still on the radar, once both had been left out of the Rome team a few months earlier.
There are three players that the Ryder Command has followed up to four times so far this year. One is Tom McKibbin, who is precisely coming out to play tomorrow alongside Edoardo Molinari, the captain’s right hand. Another is Nacho Elvira, who has been followed very closely after winning the Soudal Open. The third is Yannik Paul, the German who also missed out on the Rome Ryder. Paul was followed very closely especially in the first months of the year.
There is another group of players who have been followed on three occasions. One is the Frenchman Romain Langasque, who is having the best season of his career. Others are Sebastian Soderberg and Alex Fitzpatrick. As you can see, consolidated values and another still to be consolidated. There is one more name that may surprise a little more: Andy Sullivan.
In total, the Command has already followed more than fifty players in 2024, always attentive to what the current news may bring. For example, we have recently seen Luke Donald (Irish Open) playing on Thursdays and Fridays alongside Frederic Lacroix, once the Frenchman had already won in the Czech Republic. We have also recently seen Edoardo Molinari alongside Ángel Ayora in Switzerland, a week after the Spaniard won for the first time on the Challenge Tour. In Ireland, in addition, Edoardo came out to play with Rasmus Neergard Petersen, the star of the year on the Challenge. As you can see, they work for the future and indeed they don’t make stitches without thread.
Other names that are already noted in the agenda, according to the follow-up they have already received are: Calum Hill, Connor Syme, Marcus Kinhult, Sam Bairstow and, of course, Matteo Manassero. Even when the captain has played this year on the PGA Tour he has not missed the opportunity to get to know a European player more closely… At the Valero Texas Donald came out to play alongside Matti Schmid. Simple coincidence?
This week, at Wentworth, there are more points up for grabs for the Ryder qualification. 2,000 points will be distributed, compared to the 1,500 that have been distributed in previous tournaments. We’ll see if any of the aforementioned make a statement. Or if anyone else decisively enters the Command’s radar…
