LIV Golf star underlines Ryder Cup commitment with Team Cup date
No Scot named in Great Britain & Ireland team but one place is still up for grabs
LIV Golf player Tyrrell Hatton has underlined his commitment to Europe’s Ryder Cup campaign by making himself available for the Team Cup early next year.
The three-time Alfred Dunhill Links champion will be among six Ryder Cup players taking part in the event between Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort on 10-12 January.
Hatton, who signed for LIV Golf earlier this year and has appealed against fines and sanctions imposed on him, met the DP World Tour membership criteria by playing in three events on the circuit’s ‘Back 9’ swing. Helped by his latest win on Scottish soil in early October, the Englishman qualified for the two season-ending Play-Off events in the UAE and ended up finishing fourth behind Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai.
Hatton will be joined by Tommy Fleetwood on captain Justin Rose’s GB&I team while Francesco Molinari will also have two Ryder Cup players, Nicolai Hojgaard and Thorbjorn Olesen, in his Continental Europe side. Others confirmed for GB&I are Laurie Canter, Tom McKibbin, Aaron Rai, Jordan Smith, Matt Wallace and Paul Waring while Rasmus Hojgaard, Matteo Manassero, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Niklas Norgaard, Matthieu Pavon and Antoine Rozner are also set to be in Molinari’s line up.
A place in each team has been left open and these members will be selected after the conclusion of the Nedbank Golf Challenge on 8 December. Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald consulted with both Molinari, who led Continental Europe to a 14.5-10.5 in the inaugural match at the same venue in 2023, and Rose before confirming the main batch of selections.
“Fran, Justin and I are really excited by the two teams which will assemble at the Team Cup in January,” said Donald, who will lead Europe into battle at Bethpage Black next September following his reappointment on the back of a win in Rome in 2023. “There’s a great mix of youth and experience on both sides and there will certainly be a competitive atmosphere at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.
“This event provided valuable insight for a number of players who eventually made it to Marco Simone, with six of the 20 competitors in 2023 going on to play in the Ryder Cup, three of those making their debut appearances, and we’re excited to see who can make their mark in next year as they try and earn a place in my side for New York City.”
Bob MacIntyre, of course, was one of those players who used the Team Cup as a springboard to make his Ryder Cup debut in Rome. His absence on this occasion is mainly down to the fact he will start his 2025 calendar campaign in the PGA Tour’s The Sentry event in Hawaii the previous week, having qualified for the tournament for 2024 champions on the back of winning both the RBC Canadian Open and the Genesis Scottish Open this year.
Ewen Ferguson, who also played in the inaugural edition, will be hoping he can secure the remaining spot up for grabs in Rose’s side.
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