Luke Donald used one of his six captain’s picks on Jon Rahm for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Ahead of the 2027 matches at Adare Manor, Europe’s captain may not need to do the same. That is not Donald’s assessment, but that of DP World Tour brand ambassador Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman explained why all three players have his attention with the Ryder Cup in mind.

Speaking at the press conference after the final round in Dubai, McIlroy was asked about the former LIV players adding strength to the DP World Tour. He said:

“It’s amazing. I think you look at what’s transpired in golf over the last few weeks, you know, Jon coming back and winning in Abu Dhabi. Tyrrell, he’s been winning pretty regularly on the European Tour for the last few years, anyway, even when he was playing on LIV… I just think, as well, for the Ryder Cup Team and points, you want guys like Tyrrell and Jon and that caliber of player to make the team automatically so that Luke wouldn’t have to waste a pick on them, essentially.

“I always see these things through the lens of the Ryder Cup, and it’s great that they are back on the DP World Tour. It’s great that they don’t have the noise that they were dealing with over the past few months.”

The reasoning behind McIlroy’s remark is straightforward. Six players qualify automatically for the Ryder Cup, while Donald selects the remaining six. The qualifying race for Adare Manor closes on August 22, 2027, making every opportunity to earn points important.

While he makes a strong statement, his latest comments also mark a shift in tone from earlier this year.

At the Dubai Desert Classic in January, he urged Rahm and Hatton to pay the fines issued by the DP World Tour for playing LIV events. By March, he had called it a shame that Rahm rejected what he described as a “generous” offer from the tour. Now, with the players finding their way back, McIlroy is clearly pleased to see them competing on the DP World Tour again.

Rahm and Hatton’s Ryder Cup Bid

And the early results suggest they could make a strong case for automatic qualification. Hatton, for instance, has already added a Rolex Series title to his campaign. His five-shot victory in Dubai at 15 under was worth 2,000 Race to Dubai points and brought him level with Rahm on six Rolex Series titles.

More importantly, automatic qualification has always been a point of pride for Hatton. He has made all four of his Ryder Cup appearances without needing a captain’s pick.

Before the 2025 qualifying race, he said, “I’d love to keep that streak going.”
His record now stands at 8-4-3, with 9.5 points from four appearances. He was also one of three unbeaten players for Europe in Rome in 2023. After his Dubai victory, Hatton made his next target clear: “I want to be on that team in a year’s time.”

Jon Rahm, meanwhile, has already shown what he can bring to the team, even when he does not qualify automatically. He won the Abu Dhabi Championship at 23 under, finishing two shots ahead of Hatton for his first regular European Tour victory since November 2022. His Ryder Cup record stands at 9-5-3, with 10.5 points, including six wins from six foursomes matches.

He was one of Donald’s captain’s picks in 2025 and went 3-2-0 at Bethpage. However, the experience took a toll. After the matches, Rahm called it “mentally the toughest week of my career.” Despite that, he joined Donald’s September scouting trip to Adare Manor and described the course as “immaculate.”

Eugenio Chacarra Also Catches McIlroy’s Attention

McIlroy’s praise, however, was not limited to the two established Ryder Cup stars. He also singled out his most recent competitor, Eugenio Chacarra, whose performances have put him firmly in the conversation for a future European team.

“He’s a gritty competitor. I think you can see that with how he plays and how he goes about it and his—it’s cliché to say, ‘Oh, he’s a ‘fiery Spaniard,’ but he is.’ That’s sort of who he is, and he plays with his heart on his sleeve, and you can see the emotions that he feels out there… I always view these things through the lens of the Ryder Cup, and he’s certainly going to be an asset for Europe in the future for sure,” McIlroy said when asked about Chacarra’s contribution to the tour.

Chacarra left LIV after the 2024 season when Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs team did not re-sign him. Since then, however, he has built an impressive case for himself.

In 2026, he won the KLM Open and Italian Open before claiming the India Championship on October 18. That victory moved him to the top of both the Race to Dubai and Ryder Cup qualifying standings.

After his India victory, Chacarra made his ambitions clear: “I wanted to be one of the six (automatic) spots.”

Ahead of Abu Dhabi, he had also spoken about his long-held dream of representing Europe. “It’s been a dream since I was little to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup.”

Still, the road to Adare Manor is not without complications for the two former LIV stars. The PGA Tour continues to suspend both Hatton and Rahm, while Rahm has said he intends to spend the 2027 season on the DP World Tour. As a result, their opportunities to collect Ryder Cup points will largely come through DP World Tour events and the majors. With the qualifying race still underway, both will need to make those appearances count.