It has been 13 years since Team Europe last won the Ryder Cup in the United States. The triumph in Rome certainly proved that the continent has a superior set of players in this generation. However, a lot has changed over the past two years that might ring alarm bells in the Luke Donald-led dressing room. While their domination on American soil hangs in the balance, the biggest question that will be raised among the potential Team Europe members is, who can take down the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau?

Two of the biggest draws in Team U.S. possess a unique set of skills that are hard to counter. Their team-up can cause mayhem in fourballs and foursomes. Individually, both of them have the potential to secure a point each for the American team. How can you counter that? The Open Championship 2025 showed why Scheffler is so far ahead of anyone else on the field. To beat him in a 1-on-1 contest is not going to be an easy task. Can you trust the highest-ranked European golfer, Rory McIlroy, to take up the challenge? As of July 25, 2025, he sits at first with 3440.78. 2,095.34 separates him from Robert MacIntyre. There is no question that the Irishman is Team Europe’s best bet against the world #1.

Then who will face DeChambeau? The power-house hitter can only be countered with another prolific driver of the golf ball. McIlroy perfectly fits that bill. The fact that the two also share a rivalry dating back to April 2025 at ANGC makes it an even more exciting contest. Within the current top-6, Tyrrell Hatton would be the ideal candidate to defuse that threat. While he may not possess the same power as DeChambeau, he still has the aggressive play needed to match the tempo. Hatton is ranked 19th on the driving distance list for the season in LIV Golf.

But Donald might strongly consider Jon Rahm for that position instead. Even though the Spaniard is not in the top-6 on points, he is an extremely strong candidate to make the squad. Rahm and DeChambeau are also going neck-and-neck on the individual standings. Moreover, there is only a 10-yard difference between their average driving distance for the season. Rahm also has a great record of 6-3-3 in the Ryder Cup, making him a favorite for selection.

Robert MacIntyre & Sepp Straka have both been spectacular the last couple of seasons. The Scotsman won 2 titles in 2024 and has had 5 top-10 finishes in 2025. He came incredibly close to stealing the 2025 U.S. Open title from J.J. Spaun. Their contest at Bethpage Black would be an exciting one to watch. Straka has won 2 titles this year and has had 4 other top-10 finishes. He has picked up the habit of showing up for big events. He won the Truist Championship and finished in the top-10 in 3 other Signature tournaments. The Austrian is sitting in 3rd on the FedEx Cup leaderboard in 2025 behind Scheffler and McIlroy.

While Hatton has already been mentioned, it’s also worth mentioning that he, too, has been on a great run in 2025. He started the year with a win over the defending champion, McIlroy, in the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic. The Englishman has also made the cut in all 4 majors, with his best finish of T4 coming in the 2025 U.S. Open. On LIV Golf, Hatton has already amassed 3 top-6 finishes and has been one of the best players on the Tour.

The last two players currently in the top-6 are Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry. With two runner-up finishes in Signature events, the Irish pro has been quite consistent in 2025. He had also come off a great 2024, where he won 1 PGA Tour title and got 6 other top-10s, 2 of which were in majors. Fleetwood nearly won his first PGA Tour title in the 2025 Travelers Championship by beating Keegan Bradley. Going into Bethpage, he will have revenge on his mind as he takes on the Team U.S. captain’s squad.

These were the 7 probable players who would make the field for Team Europe in the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage. Now let’s discuss the rest of the squad.

Who will be Luke Donald’s 5 remaining Captain’s Picks for the 2025 Ryder Cup?

Just tailing the top-6 are two strong and young European players, Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland. Both are amazing strikers of the golf ball and possess incredible skills on the course. Aberg secured 2 out of the 4 possible points in Rome for Team Europe during his last opportunity. Hovland has played the Ryder Cup twice and has a record of 3-4-3. He didn’t have a big impact in 2021, but was spectacular in 2023. Both players broke their winless streak on the PGA Tour this season and have been quite consistent since. They will certainly add a lot of value to Luke Donald’s squad.

Justin Rose proved himself by pushing Rory McIlroy to his limit in the 2025 Masters Tournament. He was also in contention for the Irishman’s title in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and has been performing really well throughout the year. He will bring in much-needed experience and composure to a squad that is packed with aggressive players. For the remaining two picks, Donald has the option to choose from the likes of Rasmus Hojgaard, Thomas Detry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Aaron Rai, and Niklas Norgaard, who have all been quite consistent the past few months.

Thorbjørn Olesen might also put himself in the picture if he goes on to win the 2025 3M Open after finishing 54 holes at the top of the leaderboard. It will be interesting to see who Luke Donald picks. The Team Europe captain might also keep a close eye on the drama that ensues in the United States dressing room. Perhaps he might change his mind after Keegan Bradley takes a few decisions.