The Ryder Cup is a little over two weeks away, and both sides are finalising their preparations for the biennial tournament.
Luke Donald’s Team Europe are all, bar Austrian Sepp Straka who is absent due to a private matter, teeing it up at the BMW Championship at Wentworth this weekend as the former world number one and his co-captains cast their eyes over their players, giving us a hint at how they may line up in New York.
Europe were 16.5-11.5 winners over the US in 2023, in Rome, and were praised for their meticulous preparation and attention to detail.
It’s well known that Donald and his captains can have their say on the tee sheets for DP World Tour events in the lead-up to the tournament, so have they given us a few glimpses into changes in their mindset ahead of this year’s Ryder Cup?
Fleetwood to partner Rose, not McIlroy?
Tommy Fleetwood paired up with Rory McIlroy for morning foursomes in Rome, forming a formidable pairing and saw off Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay with ease. Has there been a change in thought process here, though?
Fleetwood is now, at long last, a PGA Tour winner and may be used to complement the veteran Justin Rose, allowing Rory to buddy up with someone else.
Rose was on the 18th green as Fleetwood won the Tour Championship a few weeks ago, phone in hand, looking like a friend filming his pal winning a local club championship – could their chemistry see them tee it up together at Bethpage Black?
Heavyweight duo or all-Irish affair?
Speaking of McIlroy, he’s out with Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm.
As it is, that’s a pretty tasty pairing in isolation, but if any combination of this trio is paired together in a couple of weeks, expect fireworks.
If Fleetwood and McIlroy are split, and the Northern Irishman needs another partner when he’s not with his other usual playing partner, Matt Fitzpatrick, could he form a duo with Lowry or Rahm?
The all-Irish duo has been a success before, when the best friends won the 2024 team event in New Orleans. This seems more likely than a blockbuster pairing of McIlroy and Rahm, whose games would be better suited to being split up, and their golf balls are particularly different, too.
Scandinavian success with Rasmus Hojgaard and Viktor Hovland
One of the crucial questions to answer for Donald and co is who to pair Ryder Cup rookie Rasmus Hojgaard with.
Finding the right blend of complementary playing styles and an experienced playing partner is a daunting task, but have we already got a hint of who the Dane will be out with?
He’s grouped with Viktor Hovland, who is only 27 himself, but has plenty of experience on the biggest of stages and would make an energetic, dynamic, and exciting partner for Hojgaard.
Hojgaard’s power off the tee would complement Hovland’s intricate approach play well. One to watch, for sure.
Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick to pair up?
Ludvig Aberg remains one of the best, if not the best, young players on the planet.
He played three times with the aforementioned Hovland two years ago, but if he is eyed as Hojgaard’s partner, could Aberg and Fitzpatrick be the next new duo?
Fitzpatrick, outside of singles, played for McIlroy in Rome, but if he’s given one or two more matches, he may partner with the towering Swede Aberg.
This one seems less likely, as Aberg’s inexperience wouldn’t necessarily gel well with Fitzpatrick’s sub-par Ryder Cup record.
Robert MacIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton partnership?
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is out with England’s Tyrrell Hatton – good luck to the broadcasters trying to mute the mics in time for this pairing.
Both, the latter in particular, are known for their colourful use of language to express their dismay at a less-than-expected quality of golf shot. To put it politely.
With many expecting rowdy and boisterous crowds in New York, this pairing could be the perfect mix of on-course talent and big personalities to combat any taunting and torment from the home crowd.
How likely is Luke Donald to change pairings?
So many factors contribute to picking a Ryder Cup pairing.
Golf balls, how many matches they need players for, driving distance, putting average, the list goes on and on.
It is by no means unlikely that Donald and his fellow captains may opt to make changes, but these BMW Championship tee times could be one big game of 4D chess to confuse and confound any onlookers from the other side of the pond.