Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup picks are in, and we know exactly who the European captain has selected to be his players and Vice Captains in New York.
It’s a largely unchanged outfit to the one that won in Rome two years ago. Luke Donald made only one player change, swapping Nicolai Hojgaard for his twin brother Rasmus, who qualified automatically.
Some of Donald’s picks are being second-guessed. There was a suggestion that Donald should have selected Alex Noren, for the Ryder Cup due to his recent form. Instead, Noren was named Vice Captain, which left a member of the 2023 European team “extremely disappointed” to be left at home
Nicolas Colsaerts misses out on Vice Captaincy role at the 2025 Ryder Cup
Nicolas Colsaerts, who was winless in his PGA Tour career but won the 2012 Ryder Cup as a player and the 2023 Ryder Cup as a Vice Captain, was “disappointed” to be left off the team by captain Donald.
He told the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, “Yeah, very disappointed, because it’s a competition that I live for that has basically been the only thing that will get me out of bed for the last couple of years.
“Extremely disappointed, yes, but the captain is in charge. There are no hard feelings to have about the decision the captain makes. Also, because the respect of the competition, and the respect of who is representing us every two years, I would always back them.”
Donald has seemingly universal respect among the Europeans and hasn’t faced internal criticism for his decisions. Noren agreed with Donald’s choice not to select him as a player, for example.
That’s the advantage of being a returning captain with a resume of success. Donald’s triumphant debut as captain two years ago has given him a level of trust, respect and understanding from his players and Vice Captains.
Justin Rose complimented Donald’s communication in the build-up to the Ryder Cup. The Englishman said that Donald told him precisely what he needed to do in order to be picked for the team.
And with that respect comes the support. This European team is together, and that extends beyond those chosen to represent Europe at Bethpage Black.
Nicolas Colsaerts explains how Luke Donald has changed since becoming captain
Former world number one Donald was a different man as a player than he is as a captain, admitted Colsaerts. The Belgian said he has been impressed with how he has adapted his personality to his new role.
He explained, “He’s made himself a lot more approachable. When Luke was at his peak, he could be in the corner of the player’s lounge eating on his own. Now, when you are captain, you have to tap into a different skillset.
“You have to build a relationship not only with the 12 players, but with the 20-25 players who you are looking at when the qualifying process starts. You have the same number of caddies you have to build a relationship with. Their family, their staff.
“You really roam around for a year and a half trying to build the strongest relationship possible with the guys you think are going to be on your team. It wasn’t necessarily something that he excelled at when he was playing.
“He really had to change a little bit the way he was navigating the world of golf, and he’s done that extremely well.”
The relationship with his players was key to Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup win. Donald encouraged Tommy Fleetwood to step into the spotlight and win the competition in Rome, boosting his confidence tremendously.
That continuity between the players and their captain will be a key component to Team Europe as they look to retain their Ryder Cup on foreign soil.