What does Europe’s new 2025 Ryder Cup qualification criteria mean for Rahm and the LIV defectors?

Ryder Cup Europe confirm new qualification process for 2025

In a significant change-up, Ryder Cup Europe has announced a new points list that will determine which players will defend the trophy against the USA in Bethpage, New York from September 26-28, 2025.

In consultation with returning captain Luke Donald, Ryder Cup Europe has confirmed its qualification process for selecting which players will travel to New York in search of back-to-back victories.

Unlike previous editions, the qualification process for 2025 will use a single Points List throughout the qualification period, earned in accordance with a new tournament banding structure as can be seen below.

The amended system, which has been ratified by the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee, represents an amalgamation of and a replacement of the two former lists utilized in previous qualification campaigns; namely the World Points List (based on Official World Golf Ranking points) and the European Points List (based on Race to Dubai Ranking points).

As in previous editions, however, the team will comprise the top six qualified players (from the new Ryder Cup Points List) and six captain’s picks.

European Captain Luke Donald said: “I am delighted to be able to confirm the details of the qualification process for our 2025 Ryder Cup team. A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to get to this point and everything is now focused on doing all we can to retain the trophy in New York next September.”

Retaining that trophy on American soil will be no mean feat for Donald’s band of brothers who last won across the Atlantic in 2012 at Medinah. It might not take a miracle at Bethpage but Team Europe will likely need more than good comradery when they take on a USA team hungry for revenge and led by a man with a point to prove after being snubbed last time around.

Donald will want to go in fully loaded and ideally with two of his most trusted players in Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. The duo now face an uncertain 12 months after breaking away from the PGA and DP World Tours to join golf’s louder sibling. The pair chipped in with 6.5 points at Marco Simone and have both won on the LIV circuit this year.

With no points awarded from LIV events in the new streamlined process, it appears as though Rahm, Hatton are left with two realistic qualification pathways – requiring either an accumulation of points from the heavily weighted Majors, or relying on a favor from the gaffer as a Captain’s Pick.

Like Rahm, Englishman Hatton has been eligible to compete in all four majors this year, having been inside the top 15 in the world before making the move to LIV. But unlike his Legion XIII captain, Hatton cannot rely on an exemption into golf’s big four in 2025 as a past champion. Instead, he must hope his strong form on the breakaway tour earns him a special invite into some of next year’s showpiece events.

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The 2025 Ryder Cup Europe qualification period will begin at the Betfred British Masters, hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, at The Belfry later this month and end at a DP World Tour tournament (TBC) which concludes on August 24, 2025.

Guy Kinnings, CEO of PGA European Tour, the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe LLP, said: “This is a major milestone moment in our journey to the 2025 Ryder Cup. This is without question a much cleaner and simpler qualification system than the ones utilized in previous years and we thank Luke and his Vice Captains Edoardo Molinari and Thomas Bjørn for their vital input over the past few months.”

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Ross Tugwood

Senior Digital Writer

Ross Tugwood is a Senior Digital Writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation.

Ross is passionate about optimizing sports performance and has a decade of experience working with professional athletes and coaches for British Athletics, the UK Sports Institute, and Team GB.

He is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with post-graduate degrees in Performance Analysis and Sports Journalism, enabling him to critically analyze and review the latest golf equipment and technology to help you make better-informed buying decisions.