The DP World Tour moves onto the Belfry for the British Masters, which provides a huge opportunity for the players competing.
The Belfry in its own right holds immense Ryder Cup history, having hosted the tournament four times, and it will be the final battleground for golfers who will look to claim a spot for Team Europe.
This is the last opportunity for players to qualify for the tournament, with the final automatic place up for grabs as proceedings are set to get underway at Bethpage in New York on September 26.
Team Europe rankings for Ryder Cup qualification
The top five have automatically secured their position in the team, but Shane Lowry, in sixth, faces competition from Rasmus Hojgaard can leapfrog into the automatic places with a sufficient performance at the British Masters.
| Ranking | Player | Ranking points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rory McIlroy | 3489.21 |
| 2 | Robert MacIntyre | 1709.94 |
| 3 | Tommy Fleetwood | 1622.11 |
| 4 | Justin Rose | 1545.72 |
| 5 | Tyrell Hatton | 1279.33 |
| 6 | Shane Lowry | 1275.51 |
| 7 | Sepp Straka | 1264.27 |
| 8 | Rasmus Hojgaard | 1261.91 |
| 9 | Ludvig Aberg | 1140.44 |
| 10 | Viktor Hovland | 1031.34 |
| 11 | Matt Wallace | 869.57 |
| 12 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 850.78 |
| 13 | Thomas Detry | 817.19 |
| 14 | Marco Penge | 761.63 |
Rasmus Hojgaard will seek to take the final automatic Team Europe place
Five of the six automatic spots have been filled with Shane Lowry currently occupying sixth position, but Rasmus Hojgaard sits two places behind the Irishman and can claim an automatic spot depending on where he finishes in the British Masters.
A finish in a tie for 29th with one player or better would be the minimum the Dane needs in order to earn the 13.7 points that would lift him into the automatic spots.
Rasmus will seek to match the achievement of his twin brother Nicolai, who was a member of Europe’s winning team in 2023 at Marco Simone, Rome.
Contenders for Team Europe’s Captain’s Picks at the Ryder Cup
For players who sit outside the top six, their fate will be revealed on September 1 as Luke Donald will announce his six Captain’s Picks to complete his 12-man team.
Further down the rankings, there are multiple names in the British Masters who will also put their hats in the ring for a slot in Donald’s squad.
Former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick will hope to claim a fourth Ryder Cup appearance, but the 30-year-old faces competition from a number of hopefuls who are looking for their first stint with Team Europe.
Marco Penge will look to continue his hot streak of form after his victory at the Danish Open and further build on his dominance in the Race to Dubai rankings, with the Englishman sitting in 2nd place.
At 35 years old, Matt Wallace is also hoping to be on Luke Donald’s radar, after notably starting 2025 by helping Great Britain and Ireland to a 17-8 victory over Continental Europe in the Team Cup.
Outside of the British Masters, Luke Donald will also be keeping a keen eye on the FedEx Cup at East Lake, Atlanta, with Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka and Ludvig Aberg competing in the Tour Championship.