The 2023 Ryder Cup takes place at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome in Italy between Friday 29 September and Sunday 1 October.
The US head into the match as holders, having beaten Europe 19-9 at Whistling Straits two years ago.
However, Team Europe has not lost a home match since 1993 when Tom Watson’s USA edged out Bernard Gallacher’s team 15-13 at The Belfry.
Here are the things you need to know about Europe’s challenge to reclaim the trophy
Team Europe Captain
Englishman Luke Donald captains Team Europe for the 2023 match, taking over from Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.
Donald had been in the reckoning to lead the team before the nod eventually went to Swede Henrik Stenson. However, the 2016 Open champion’s decision to join LIV Golf led to him being stripped of the captaincy, with Donald entrusted in the role instead.
The 45-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the role having amassed 17 wins over a 22-year professional career.
Donald, who also enjoyed 56 weeks at the top of the world rankings between 2011 and 2012, has also represented Team Europe four times in the Ryder Cup, with four wins. Overall, he played 15 matches, securing 10.5 points.
Donald has also been a Ryder Cup Vice Captain twice, in 2018 under Thomas Bjorn and 2021 under Harrington.
Vice Captains:
- Nicolas Colsaerts
- Thomas Bjorn
- Edoardo Molinari
- Jose Maria Olazabal
- Francesco Molinari
Confirmed Team Europe Players
Rory McIlroy
The 34-year-old has played in six successive Ryder Cups since making his debut in 2010 and has amassed 14 points from a 12-12-4 record.
The four-time Major winner has had most success in singles matches, with victories against Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele. He has being on the winning team in four of his six appearances to date.
McIlroy qualified automatically for the 2023 edition after a season where he has been a fixture in the top three of the world rankings.
Jon Rahm
Rahm makes his third successive appearance in the Ryder Cup after qualifying automatically. He made his Ryder Cup debut in 2018, and has a 4-3-1 scoring record to date.
The Spaniard goes into the match during a year that brought his second Major title, The Masters, among several other wins. He has also had two spells at World No.1 during the year and is sure to be a key asset in Donald’s team.
Among Rahm’s Ryder Cup highlights so far was his first point five years ago, when he beat Tiger Woods 2&1 in his singles match, helping Europe to victory at Le Golf National in France.
Viktor Hovland
Hovland became the first-ever Norwegian to play in the Ryder Cup in the 2021 defeat to the USA, and was the third player to qualify automatically for Luke Donald’s team following a year that has seen him claim two top-10 finishes in Majors and victory in The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.
Hovland’s scoring record in the Ryder Cup is currently 0-3-2.
Current Team Europe Standings
European Points
Players in bold would qualify automatically as things stand.
- 1. Rory McIlroy (Q - EP) - 4033.5
- 2. Jon Rahm (Q - EP) - 3417.23
- 3. Robert MacIntyre - 1743.57
- 4. Yannick Paul - 1652.9
- 5. Adrian Meronk - 1614.21
- 6. Tommy Fleetwood - 1534.37
- 7. Victor Perez - 1527.95
- 8. Rasmus Hojgaard - 1516.88
- 9. Adrian Otaegui - 1375.21
- 10. Shane Lowry - 1290.23
World Points
- 1. Rory McIlroy (Q - EP) - 390.56
- 2. Jon Rahm (Q - EP) - 384.22
- 3. Viktor Hovland (Q - WP) - 271.45
- 4. Tyrrell Hatton - 197.16
- 5. Tommy Fleetwood - 177.96
- 6. Matt Fitzpatrick - 153.5
- 7. Sepp Straka - 142.6
- 8. Shane Lowry - 105.21
- 9. Justin Rose - 97.41
- 10. Robert MacIntyre - 92.32
When Does Qualifying End?
The qualifying period, which began with the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, ends on 3 September after the Omega European Masters. Six players will qualify automatically, with the top three from the European Points List making the team along with the top three from the World Points list.
When Are The Wildcards Announced?
Donald will name his six captain’s picks on 4 September between 2pm and 3pm BST. That's the day after the six automatic qualifiers are confirmed and just over three weeks before the Ryder Cup begins.
