'Six To Watch' in battle to make Europe's team for 2027 Ryder Cup

Over the next 12 months, DP World Tour members will battle it out for 12 spots on Luke Donald’s team to take on the United States in the event’s centenary edition in County Limerick.

The leading six players from the Ryder Cup points list on 22 August 2027 will earn automatic qualification, with a further six players then being handed Captain’s Picks just over a week later.

Here are six players to keep an eye on in the battle to be Ryder Cup debutants as Donald bids to make history as the first captain on either team to record three wins in the biennial bout.

Eugenio Chacarra

The 26-year-old Spaniard, who is playing in the same group as Donald on the opening two days at The Belfry, had already landed three title triumphs on the DP World Tour. He made the breakthrough in last year’s Hero Indian Open before adding both the KLM Open and DS Automobiles Open d’Italia this year. More of the same and he’ll be in with a chance of providing a fitting Spanish component in the centenary edition.

Alex Fitzpatrick

He’s watched his older brother Matthew play in the last three Ryder Cups and four in total and now the 27-year-old is looking as though he can follow in his sibling’s footsteps. He teamed up with his brother to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA Tour in April and will be playing in all of the big-money Signature Events on the US circuit next season.

Marco Penge

The Englishman just missed out on making the team for the 2025 match after emerging as one of the new stars in European golf. It was probably a blessing in disguise that he didn’t end up making his Ryder Cup debut in a hostile environment in New York and, if he makes one team, you can see him playing in two or three as he has a serious golf game.

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen

The Dane was on Donald’s radar for the last match, having been among a group of players who attended a get-together hosted by the European captain in East Lothian during the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open. Apart from a top-ten finish in The Open, it’s not been a great 2026 calendar campaign for the 27-year-old, but he’s a pocket-rocket type who looks certain to play in a Ryder Cup one day.

Aaron Rai

The Wolverhampton man would probably have been on the list even if he hadn’t been crowned as a major champion this year. The way he won the PGA Championship at Aronimink, though, was evidence that he’d be cool, calm and collected in a Ryder Cup environment. He reminds you, in fact, of Donald when he was leading the way in the singles in the 2012 match at Medinah and this could be the perfect match for Rai to make his debut against the Americans.

Kristoffer Reitan

It’s been a brilliant last 15 months for the Norwegian, having claimed a breakthrough DP World Tour triumph in the Soudal Open last May then adding a Nedbank Golf Challenge win a few months later before winning the Truist Championship, one of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, earlier this year. Currently inside the world’s top 30, the 28-year-old is improving all the time.