– Which six players from the European team will be chosen by captain Luke Donald once the Omega European Masters in Switzerland concludes this week? Let’s remember that these six will join McIlroy, MacIntyre, Fleetwood, Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard, and Hatton, who have already secured their spots through the Ryder qualification that closed last week.
– Let’s break it down. There is not the slightest doubt about Jon Rahm. He will be one of the six picks and will play his fourth consecutive Ryder. For several reasons. Firstly, because Jon has already established himself as a fundamental pillar of the continental squad and would have to be playing very poorly, which is not the case, not to be called up. Additionally, his performance in LIV Golf also supports the choice, as do his solid performances in the first three Majors of the year (he was 14th in the Masters, 8th in a PGA he led on Sunday, and 7th in the US Open).
– Something similar can and should be said regarding the cases of Shane Lowry, Ludvig Aberg, and Viktor Hovland, because, in addition to their significant roles in the European staff’s plans, these three finished last week in 7th, 9th, and 10th positions, respectively, in the Ryder points classification, unlike Rahm, who finished much further back (24th).
– Sepp Straka, who finished 8th in the Ryder classification, also had a fixed spot. We’ve separated him from the previous group of players due to the uncertainty that might have arisen after his non-participation in the second FedEx Cup playoff for personal reasons and his lacklustre performance in the TOUR Championship. “For personal reasons, Sepp will not be able to play this week. He plans to compete in the TOUR Championship but requests privacy at this time as he is attending to a family matter at home,” declared Butler Melnyk, Straka’s representative, at the time.
– Indeed, Straka played the TOUR Championship, where he finished in last position, four strokes behind the second-to-last, so it’s legitimate and even important to consider the possibility of the Austrian’s withdrawal because then there would be two selections to fill instead of just one.
– Whether one or two, there are four names above the rest that stand out as contenders, albeit on two slightly different levels: Matt Fitzpatrick and Nicolai Hojgaard in the first; Marco Penge and Matt Wallace in the second. All four are present this week in Switzerland and will really need a great performance to bolster their case or even alter the plans of the captain and his vice-captains. Wallace is defending his title in Crans Montana and might even need to repeat it to earn a spot. A similar situation applies to Penge. It seems that Fitzpatrick and Nicolai, who were part of the triumphant team in Rome, have a bit more leeway.
– Thomas Detry, who has been closely followed by Donald and company for much of the year, finished 13th in the Ryder classification, but he has effectively ruled out any remote chance he had with his absence in Switzerland. Aaron Rai, 15th in the Ryder classification, doesn’t appear in any predictions… But he is in Crans Montana. If Penge and Wallace need nothing less than victory, what can be said of Rai?
– The victory of Alex Noren last week has opened another remote avenue. The Swede is in Switzerland, and if he were able to win, he might make Donald reconsider due to the experience and reliability someone like him can offer in great form.
– Reviewing the tee times of the Omega European Masters, it is curious, even a clue, that Nicolai Hojgaard, Marco Penge, and… Alex Noren are playing together in the same group. It seems that this detail somehow confirms that Noren has entered the equation. Matt Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, plays alongside Rasmus Hojgaard and Wyndham Clark in the featured group for the first two days, perhaps with fewer specific Ryder connotations.
– Sergio García could have earned a last chance, albeit unlikely, by attending to play in Switzerland this week, a tournament he has won (it was a long time ago, true: in 2005) and where his worst result was 23rd in 2019… Curiously, the Spaniard is indeed signed up for next week’s Irish Open.
