Eight prominent figures absent from Luke Donald's European Ryder Cup Squad

The Ryder Cup, one of the most prestigious events in golf, is set to return in 2025, taking place at Bethpage Black in New York from September 26-28.

Several European golfers have had standout seasons leading up to the event, with some securing automatic qualification, while others have missed out on a spot despite impressive performances.

Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, and Rasmus Hojgaar have already earned their places on Team Europe through their consistent performances. Rasmus Hojgaar, in a twist, replaces his twin brother who failed to qualify.

Harry Hall, one of the world's best putters, has enjoyed a successful season on the PGA Tour, with five top 10s and 15 top 25s in 25 starts. Despite this form, he missed out on a spot in the European team for the Ryder Cup.

Aaron Rai, who missed just four cuts for the whole of the PGA Tour season in 2025, did not do enough to be selected for the Ryder Cup team. Matt Wallace, who narrowly missed out on a spot at the Ryder Cup for a second time, finishing runner-up at the Omega European Masters, also missed out on a spot.

Thomas Detry, winner of the WM Phoenix Open, had a disappointing year in Signature Events, missing five cuts and finishing well back. The German golfer who aimed to qualify for the European Ryder Cup team but did not make it is Maximilian Kieffer.

Sergio Garcia, who missed the 2023 Ryder Cup due to his joining the LIV Golf League, re-joined the DP World Tour at the end of 2024 to attempt to get on the European team for the 2025 Ryder Cup. However, he was unable to earn a captain's pick.

Marco Penge, who registered two victories on the DP World Tour, could secure one of the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer from the DP World Tour. His strong finishes include the British Masters and Genesis Scottish Open.

Luke Donald has announced his six captain's picks for the Ryder Cup, which include Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg, and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Matt Wallace came agonizingly close to defending his Omega European Masters title but made a costly error at the par 5 14th. Alex Noren, who won the British Masters in 2025, missed the cut at the Omega European Masters despite a good form throughout the year.

In the end, the Ryder Cup team will be a mix of automatic qualifiers and captain's picks, promising an exciting competition in 2025.