Ryder Cup: How Europe can win in the United States for the first time since Medinah 2012
This is the 45th edition of the Biennial competition and visitors have made fewer changes to their team than to any previous competition during the 98th anniversary of the event.
As Europe, the least following number of changes was three in 1985, 1987 and 2006 – and all three ended with victories.
Dane Rasmus Hojgaard, who was integrated into the team in Rome, is the solitary change, replacing his twin brother Nicolai, qualified for his beginnings through the classification system.
Montgomerie, who led the team to victory in 2010 and won five out of eight as a player, joked on the preview program of the Ryder Cup of BBC Radio 5: “With all the respect, Rasmus and Nicolai are really the same person. They shared the same egg, so we have the same team and it’s huge.”
Donald seeking to imitate Jacklin as the only captain to win home and outside games and to cement his place alongside Europe’s great, he chose not to include recruits in his six selections.
“If I came to a Ryder Cup house, I would be comfortable with a few recruits, the next generation that passes, what happened in Rome,” said Rose.
“There are still tons of pressure, don’t get me wrong, but I’m really happy that the boys lived a Ryder Cup and they know what to expect in terms of rhythm and flow of the week and emotion.”
And you can understand Donald’s thought, to try to take a community established in what Montgomerie called a “cauldron”.
“It is important that we have good experience in this team room with people who have treated it,” said Donald.
Faldo, who has raised 25 points from 11 appearances, just after 28.5 of Sergio Garcia – added: “Your big guys must make the big dupage.
“You need half the team playing very well, winning the point and hope that one or two others have a great period. If you can get almost 10 points from the first two days, you only need four out of 12 in single. This is the game plan.”
Faldo spoke of Rory McILroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Rose, who all won more than 50% of the points they challenged.
The major winners McILroy (18 points) and Rose (15.5) also bring experienced know-how, after being in the 2012 victorious team alongside Donald.
Fleetwood broke his Duck PGA Tour by winning the end of the season touring championship last month, while Rahm was crowned individual player of the year of Liv Golf for the second time.
Hatton’s main performances meant that he claimed an automatic place despite playing also on the Saudi circuit and having limited qualification opportunities.
Robert Macintyre, a choice of Joker inspired in Rome who qualified this time, could be added to what quintet given his performance since then.
After being undefeated during his beginnings to Ryder Cup, he won the open Scottish and Canadian titles – as well as the finalist at the US Open in June.
Rahm needed a choice of Joker, just like Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg, who impressed as a twinning in Rome with two victories of three games.
Donald also trusted Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka – who won one and lost one of their two outings together in 2023 – and Matt Fitzpatrick, despite his bad record in three appearances, two of which were heavy defeats outside in 2016 and 2021.
“They had a dry race and made it work, they know the couples,” said the first captain of the Ryder Cuptor Europe, Jacklin.
“You are not going to complain about it. The antennas are in place and you are looking for a weakness but I see nothing more than a European victory.”
