The six wild card recipients during their presentation
Team Europe is there for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. Luke Donald has announced the six wild cards called to complete the six continental players who won the right to play on the pitch at Marco Simone from 29 September.
It’s about Ludvig Aberg (at debut), Tommy Fleetwood (third participation), Justin Rose (sixth), Sepp Straka (debut), Shane Lowry (second) e Nicolai Hojgaard (debut).
Aberg is the surprise of the last few hours, his name was almost certain after yesterday’s victory in Crans Montana. The Swede, 23 years old and only played six games on the DP World Tour, is number 90 in the world ranking. The English Fleetwood (number 32 in the world) and Rose (34) represent continuity and tradition: out of twelve players, four come from the Land of Albion. Lowry (37) represents reliability. A deserved first time for the Austrian Straka (23) while the Danish twin Nicolai (78) represents the biggest surprise.
Captain Donald’s six picks join Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton who qualified on the World Points List. Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm arrived in Rome thanks to European Points.
Of twelve Europeans, four are rookies in the greatest golf competition on Earth.
Four Englishmen (Fleetwood, Rose, Hatton and Fitzpatrick), one Spaniard (Rahm), one Northern Irish (McIlroy), one Norwegian (Hovland), one Irish (Lowry), one Austrian (Straka), one Danish (Nicolai Hojgaard), one Scottish (MacIntyre) and one Swedish (Aberg).
Where were we – Two years ago the twelve who suffered a memorable defeat at Whistling Straits were Rahm, Fleetwood, Hatton, Wiesberger, McIlroy, Hovland, Casey, Fitzpatrick, Westwood, Garcia, Lowry and Poulter. Under the regulations at the time then captain Padraig Harrington only had three wild cards available. The picks went to Garcia, Poulter and Westwood, all today on a collision course with DP World Tour and PGA Tour. In Wisconsin Team USA won 19-9. Never since 1979 (since the confrontation pits the USA and Europe) has no team managed to impose itself by such a large margin.
The USA will arrive in Rome (only to then leave again) for training on 8 September. On Monday 11 it will be Europe’s turn to carry out a field test. Then, from 29 September to 1 October it will get serious.
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