European Golf Veteran in ‘Big Shock’ After Escaping Ryder Cup Snub Without a Captain’s Pick

Alex Noren‘s 2025 season looked destined to end with another near miss. Despite his strong return from injury, the veteran Swede was overlooked when Luke Donald named his six captain’s picks for the European Ryder Cup team. For a man who had memorably holed the decisive putt against Bryson DeChambeau in 2018, the silence must have felt telling. But that’s when his phone rang.

Noren shares the exact moment when Donald called him on the Ryder Cup YouTube channel. “It was a big shock. He [Luke Donald] broke the news. I was on the flight back to Sweden to see my family, and he was like, ‘Well, I didn’t actually call because of your game. I just wanted to see if you wanted to be vice captain.’ I was very, very happy to hear those words.”

Donald confirmed Noren as the final member of his leadership team, joining Edoardo Molinari, Francesco Molinari, Thomas Bjorn, and Jose Maria Olazabal. Noren is the only fresh face, replacing Nicolas Colsaerts from the last Ryder Cup setup in Rome. Back then, Noren was snubbed overall — falling short in the points race for automatic qualification and overlooked for a captain’s pick. Luke Donald was the captain then as well.

“He just couldn’t have been more happy, more honored to take the role. He’s loved the Ryder Cup, loves what it represents and has a good respect amongst the players as well,” Donald said in the video.

Now with his selection as the vice-captain, the 43-year-old will carry something unique in the team room: experience. Only seven years removed from his last appearance, Alex Noren knows both the thrill and the grind of modern Ryder Cup competition. That is exactly what matters to Donald. “With all my vice captains, I want them to challenge me,” he explained. Donald wants to rely on his team behind the ropes to keep him in check, in case he does something wrong. And with Noren being a part of the winning team in 2018, he brings that sort of experience to take hold.

For Noren, on the other hand, memories of that 2018 victory still burn bright. “I was really happy I got to play on home turf,” he recalls. Since then, Noren has been something of a workhorse on tour, admired more for his consistency and preparation than headline-grabbing wins. His 2025 season is an example of that. Despite a 90% tear in his hamstring, which forced him to miss seven months of the Ryder Cup qualification, his performance has been anything but bad.

From the nine events he played on the PGA Tour, Noren missed only three cuts. He posted a T7 finish at the 3M Open and an impressive T3 at the Wyndham Championship. His lone major appearance came at the PGA Championship, where he secured a T17. Over on the DP Tour, he teed it up twice — missing the cut in one, but remarkably winning the other, the Betfred British Masters. At that time, Noren’s thoughts were anywhere but at the Ryder Cup. When asked whether he thought a victory might put him in Donald’s thoughts, he replied, “I’m not thinking about that.”

However, now that he is part of the team, Noren isn’t looking to reinvent the wheel. His focus will be grounded in his experience and energy. The Swede also knows this Ryder Cup won’t be easy to win, with a hostile New York crowd sure to test Europe every step of the way. However, as most of these players have played extensively in America, including Tommy Fleetwood‘s recent FedEx Cup victory at East Lake, he believes they can manage it all. “We just have to give it our all, and a little extra, to get the job done.”

Now, with the European Ryder Cup team set, all eyes will be on what they can bring to Bethpage Black against Keegan Bradley’s squad. But before that, it’s important to revisit the 2018 Ryder Cup win—a performance that convinced Luke Donald to turn to Alex Norén as his vice-captain.

How Alex Noren sealed Europe’s 2018 win?

Alex Noren played a pivotal role in Europe’s triumph at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France. He delivered two crucial points from his team’s matches. Teaming up with Sergio Garcia in the Friday afternoon foursomes, the pair dismantled Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau with a commanding 5 & 4 win. Noren was exceptional in his steady ball-striking and in his ability to gel seamlessly in a high-pressure partnership.

But it was Sunday that brought out the best in him. Facing DeChambeau again in singles, Noren rose to the moment. He sank a dramatic 40-putt on the 18th green to win 1 up and secure the final point of Europe’s 17½–10½ victory. “I think on the 14th fairway, I found out that we actually won the cup. The pressure was a little bit off, but I just wanted to beat DeChambeau and that last putt. I’ll never forget that,” Noren recalls.