Rory McIlroy And Jon Rahm Secure European Ryder Cup Slots
The pair are the first players confirmed for Luke Donald’s team for the match at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club
The 2023 Ryder Cup is now just a matter of weeks away, and Luke Donald’s Team Europe has its first two confirmed members.
Thanks to their standings in the European points list, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm have officially qualified for the team.
Despite enduring another year without a Major win, McIlroy has had an otherwise impressive year so far. After beginning the year with a win in the Dubai Desert Classic, he followed that up with top 10 finishes in three of the four Majors and victory in the Genesis Scottish Open to hold down second in the world rankings.
Because of that, it’s no surprise that the 34-year-old will make his seventh consecutive appearance in the match, which will take place at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome in September.
McIlroy also has a solid Ryder Cup record, with a points tally of 14 thanks to winning 12 and halving four of his 28 matches.
McIlroy’s greatest successes in the tournament so far have come in singles matches, with victories against Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele, while among his four times on the winning team was the famous 2012 Miracle of Medinah.
Confirmation of Rahm’s involvement was equally expected after a hugely impressive 2023 that has included four wins, one of which was his first Masters title.
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Rahm stands just one place beneath McIlroy in the world rankings and is another player sure to be a huge asset to Donald as he attempts to guide Europe to victory for the first time since 2018.
This will mark the Spaniard’s third consecutive Ryder Cup appearance. He was on the winning team at Le Golf National in 2018, before the US wrestled back the trophy at Whistling Straits two years ago. Meanwhile, he has won four and halved one of his eight matches to date.
Among Rahm’s Ryder Cup highlights so far was his first point five years ago, when he beat Tiger Woods 2&1 in his singles match.
The confirmation of McIlroy and Rahm’s inclusion in the team comes after Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark guaranteed their places in Zach Johnson’s US team.
As for Donald, he can expect four more to qualify automatically before he makes his six captains picks that will complete his team of 12 for the match that starts on 29 September.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
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