The 2025 Team Cup will pit some of England and Northern Ireland's best golfers against many of the top talents from across the continent, with Luke Donald finally set to try and help Team Europe win the Ryder Cup on US soil in September.
The three-day, multi-format tournament (formerly known as the Hero Cup) is being reintroduced to the DP World Tour calendar by The Donald and the European Tour in 2023, to provide opportunities for those who are not guaranteed a spot at the upcoming Ryder Cup A seat at the table offers people the opportunity to experience a similar style of golf.
That paid dividends for the blue and gold, with Robert McIntyre, Sepp Straka and Nikolay Hoygaard all competing in the Team Cup and Ryder Cup, Straka and Hoygaard won twice.
But ahead of the 2025 event, a host of new faces will be introduced, with 12 of the 20 golfers making their debut at the event.
Ahead of Friday's action, the Golf Monthly news team has selected the teams we think will win and selected the players we think will score the highest points.
Continent celebrates lifting Hero Cup in 2023
(Image source: Getty Images)
Team Cup 2025: Course
Abu Dhabi Golf Club will once again host the Team Cup, having done so during the tournament's inaugural run in 2023.
Measuring just over 7,600 yards from the back tees, the layout is long but features wide fairways and approachable greens, and offers plenty of water and sand to test players amid the desert landscape.
Designed by Peter Harradine in 1998, it opened in 2000 and has hosted the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 16 times, but not since the decision to move to Yas Links in 2021.
Not only does the Abu Dhabi Golf Club feature a superb championship course, it is also home to the Falcon Clubhouse – an instantly recognizable building designed by Diar Consult. Construction began in 1995 and took three years to complete, culminating in clear views of the 9th and 18th holes from all three floors.
Abu Dhabi Golf Club's 18th Hole and Falcon Clubhouse
(Image source: Getty Images)
Previous Team Cup Champions
Year | champion | winning score |
---|---|---|
2023 | continental europe | 14.5-10.5 |
Team Cup Betting Odds
All odds below are from Bet365.com.
winning team
- United Kingdom and Ireland (-175)
- Tie(+1200)
- Continental Europe (+175)
Best overall scorer
- Tommy Fleetwood (+750)
- Tyrell Hatton (+750)
- Thorbjorn Olsen (+1000)
- Rasmus Hoggard (+1000)
- Jordan Smith (+1000)
- Nicola Hoggard (+1200)
- Aaron Ray (+1200)
- Niklas Norgaard (+1200)
- Rasmus Nergaard Peterson (+1200)
- Matt Wallace (+1400)
- Antoine Rozner (+1600)
- Matthew Parvin (+1600)
- Paul Welling(+1800)
- Justin Rose(+2000)
- Tom McKibbin(+2000)
- Matteo Manassero (+2000)
- Roman Langeske (+2000)
- Matthew Jordan(+2000)
- Lauri Kanter (+2500)
- Francesco Molinari (+6000)
Team Cup Betting Picks
(Image source: Getty Images)
Winning Team: Continental Europe (+175)
I was rather surprised to see GB&I listed as favorites for the Team Cup when the Continental team features the Hojgaard twins, three other talented Danes and PGA Tour winner Mathieu Pavon.
However, GB&I should be a tough team to beat with nine Britons including Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Wallace. Will be looking to avenge that 2023 loss.
Still, I'll back the underdog to pull off an upset, thanks to the excellent Hojgaards and a strong combination of young talent and established DPWT winners.
Top scorer: Rasmus Hojgaard (+1000)
This is a tough category to choose, but I'd say it's hard to top Rasmus Hojgaard. He will be desperate to impress after his twin brother Nikola made his Ryder Cup debut without him in 2023. Playing for the team alongside his brother will undoubtedly be his priority this year, and a strong performance in Abu Dhabi could help him go a long way in convincing Luke Donald.
Rasmus beat Rory McIlroy to win the Irish Open last year and then came close to beating McIlroy again with a runner-up finish at the DP World Tour Championship.
On the GB&I side, I think Matt Wallace has a strong showing this week as he's another guy eager to wear European colors in New York this year.
(Image source: Getty Images)
Winning Team: Continental Europe (+175)
Both teams have a lot of big-name players, but overall I think the Continental side are ahead in terms of depth and current form. Obviously, we're coming off the winter break, but, looking at the names of the games, I feel like the obvious and stronger pairings are more prominent in continental Europe as well.
In terms of scoring, I believe it will be a close game, especially with GB&I having the likes of veteran Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrell Hatton. However, with Europe filled with the Hojgaard twins, multiple DP World Tour winners in 2024, and a host of big-name hitters and accurate iron players, I think the continent will have the upper hand.
Top scorer: Matt Wallace (+1400)
While I'm rooting for Team Europe, I personally think the top scorer is either Tyrrell Hatton (who won at this venue in 2021) or my pick of Matt Wallace Wallace). The Englishman is ideally suited for the Ryder Cup, his intensity is an added bonus and he will be looking to prove a point after a number of close calls over the past few years.
At the end of 2024, Wallace finished in the top 20 three times, including a tie for third at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and a tie for 11th at the DP World Tour Championship, so his form is already there.
More importantly, I noticed that when his DP World Tour season started, he seemed to be off to a good start. He's starting 2023 on the European Tour with two top-20 finishes in his first two events, so I'm sure he'll be one to watch this week.
Jonny Layfield
(Image source: Getty Images)
Winning Team: Great Britain and Ireland (-175)
As good as the Continental team is, I couldn't top the quality of the GB&I team this week. Apparently, neither can bookmakers. Three of Europe's most recent Ryder Cup players are involved, plus the likes of Aaron Wray and Matt Wallace joining them at Bethpage Black in September, with Justin Rose at Abu Dhabi Zabi has an extremely strong team.
From a format standpoint, I feel like GB&I is in a better position as well, with a couple of late-season winners as well as a few guys getting lucrative PGA Tour cards in November.
Top scorer: Tyrell Hatton (+750)
With all 20 players participating in all five events, there is a good chance that multiple golfers will achieve a 100% winning rate at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort. I fully expect Hatton to be one of them, as he has excelled at his own ball – especially since the start of 2024 – and has a decent track record of alternating shots in team events.
The Englishman later went on to remain unbeaten in the 2023 Ryder Cup, partnering Jon Rahm, and matched up with Tommy Fleetwood in the Hero Cup foursomes earlier that year (Tommy Fleetwood) and then nearly lost another with Shane Lowry.
His one-goal outing with Antoine Rozner produced a 5-and-4 success for the LIV player, but his first four-goal outing – in which he paired with Jordan Smith – also failed miserably. . Hatton doesn't need to change much to make a statement at the weekend and I think he can do that.
How to watch the 2025 Team Cup
United States (East)
- Friday, January 10 – (Four-Ball): 3:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Friday/Saturday, January 10/11 – (Foursomes): 10:30 p.m. – 8:00 a.m. (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Sunday, January 12 – (Singles): 1:30 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
United Kingdom (GMT)
- Friday, January 10 – (Four Ball): 7:00am – 1:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Saturday, January 11 – (Foursomes): 6:00am – 1:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Sunday, January 12 – (Singles): 6:30am – 12:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)