When Luke Donald arrives at Bethpage Black next autumn he will attempt to become the first European captain to win back-to-back Ryder Cups home and away since Tony Jacklin in 1985 and 1987. However, a lot has changed for the Europe captain since his team lifted the trophy in 2023 with Marco Simone, where two of his top players currently spend most of their time playing golf.
After winning the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, both Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton transitioned from playing mainly PGA Tour and DP World Tour schedules to one focused on LIV golf. In order to qualify for the European Ryder Cup team, players must be members of the DP World Tour, which requires players to compete in at least four tournaments per year.
“The DP World Tour has a very consistent policy,” Donald said. “That much has been made clear. It's really the same as in Rome. You have to be a member of the European Tour and be born in Europe. If you follow the rules and regulations set by the DP World Tour, then you are eligible. Now there is A lot of the guys who play on LIV, they're eligible, so I can pick them as I please.”
Rahm will officially retain his DP World Tour membership when he competes in the Andalusia Masters, scheduled for October 17-20. The two-time Grand Slam champion, who has competed in the Spanish Open, the Dunhill Links Championship and the Olympics (which all count towards his DP World Tour total), will meet the four-start requirement.
Hatton, meanwhile, has fulfilled his membership duties and even made some progress towards automatically qualifying for Bethpage. The Englishman won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews last week to move up to 16th in the Battle of Dubai standings and secure his place in the season finale, when the Ryder Cup of key points will be up for grabs.
“I've talked to Jon,” Donald said. “I've spoken to everyone who has the potential to join the team. It's great to see Jon doing what he needs to do to stay eligible and to see him in Spain, he played really well at Dunhill last week “We've been talking to all the players – for him, for Tyrrell, it was great to see Tyrrell win at Dunhill last week and good communication between me and all those players has been crucial of course. Keeping up with that.”
Thanks to victory at the Old Stadium, Hatton moved up to fifth in the European rankings a year after the biennial tournament ended. The only way for him and Rahm to earn extra points is through events recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking, such as the DP World Tour or major championships. It is widely believed that Donald will only use the captain's pick on both of them if they drop out of the top six at the end of qualifying, especially if their form remains the same.
Rahm and Hatton helped Marco Simeone usher in a new era of European talent, with some former Ryder Cup players including Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia in 2023 He was ruled ineligible after resigning his DP World Tour membership in the spring. Donald Garcia has since changed his mind and is considering rejoining the European Tour to regain Ryder Cup qualification.
“He resigned from membership a few years ago. But we had some conversations. He is considering rejoining [the DP World Tour],” Donald said. “He has to follow all the rules and regulations like everyone else, and if he does that again, he will be eligible for the Ryder Cup. “
The Spaniard holds the all-time Ryder Cup record with 28.5 points, the last mark set in 2021 with Rahm at Whistling Straits. He also holds the record for most four-ball scores with 13.5 and shares the record for most four-ball scores with 10.5.
“We were chatting on the phone a few weeks ago,” Donald continued. “You know, of course he's very interested in it. He understands everything that's involved and, whether he's ready to do it or not, the decision has to be made by him. But of course, we've had discussions and yes ”