European Ryder Cup roster: Meet the golfers headed to Rome

After a long two-year wait, the Ryder Cup is back.

The U.S. team will take on Team Europe this week at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, Italy, for two years of bragging rights and, most importantly, a chance at history. If the Americans win, it will snap a 30-year dry spell for the Yankees across the pond. While if the Euros win, it will mean the Americans have won just three times since the turn of the century.

But while the name across their chests will be familiar, this is not your typical European squad. With the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia now playing for LIV Golf (and past their primes), captain Luke Donald filled out his team with the next generation of European stars.

Check out below for a rundown of Team Europe’s roster.

Ludvig Aberg

Age: 23
World ranking: 80
Ryder Cup record: N/A (rookie)

Just four months ago, Aberg was still in college competing for Texas Tech. Now, he’s set to make his Ryder Cup debut. The former No. 1-ranked amateur has seen a meteoric rise in his stock this summer as he’s made nine cuts in 12 PGA Tour starts and nabbed a victory on the DP World Tour just a few weeks back.

Mathew Fitzpatrick

Age: 29
World ranking: 8
Ryder Cup record: 0-5-0

The 2022 U.S. Open winner has been steady in 2023 with 11 top 25s and six top 10s to go with a win at the RBC Heritage the week after the Masters. Although he’s yet to earn a point in his Ryder Cup career, he’ll be one of the leaders on this new-look Team Europe.

Tommy Fleetwood

Age: 32
World ranking: 13
Ryder Cup record: 4-2-2

Fleetwood had a career resurgence this season, racking up nine top 10s to top his total from the previous three seasons combined. The Englishman will look to capture the same spark that he harnessed in 2018 as he scored four points for the Euros.

Tyrrell Hatton

Age: 31
World ranking: 11
Ryder Cup record: 2-4-1

Although Hatton didn’t find the winner’s circle this season, he was one of the most consistent players on Tour. He missed just one cut in 21 starts and had seven top 10s, including a runner-up finish at the Players Championship in March.

Nicolai Højgaard

Age: 22
World ranking: 82
Ryder Cup record: N/A (rookie)

Højgaard is coming off a season on the DP World Tour in which he netted five top 5s. He’s the youngest player competing in this year’s Ryder Cup.

Viktor Hovland

Age: 26
World ranking: 4
Ryder Cup record: 0-3-2

Hovland took his game to a whole new level in 2023, winning three times and finishing in the top 20 in all four majors (including a runner-up at the PGA Championship). He did not win a match in his first Ryder Cup appearance, but that will almost surely change in Rome.

Shane Lowry

Age: 36
World ranking: 34
Ryder Cup record: 1-2-0

Lowry didn’t have a spectacular season on the PGA Tour with just one top 10 in 18 starts, but with only three missed cuts, he proved to have a high floor. He’s coming off a pair of top-20 finishes on the DP World Tour heading to Rome, so his game should be in good form.

Robert MacIntyre

Age: 27
World ranking: 55
Ryder Cup record: N/A (rookie)

MacIntyre automatically qualified for the team on the European points list, locking up his spot with a T55 finish at the European Masters. He had six top-5 finishes on the DP World Tour this season.

Rory McIlroy

Age: 34
World ranking: 2
Ryder Cup record: 12-12-4

As usual, McIlroy was excellent in 2023 with two wins and 13 top 10s in 18 starts. He’s aiming to become a part of a fifth winning European Ryder Cup squad.

Jon Rahm

Age: 28
World ranking: 3
Ryder Cup record: 4-3-1

Rahm had a monster season, winning four times and adding two runner-ups. The highlight of his season came back in April when he won the Masters for his second major title.

Justin Rose

Age: 43
World ranking: 37
Ryder Cup record: 13-8-2

After missing out on the Ryder Cup in 2021, Rose is once again a part of Team Europe as he will make his sixth appearance in the biennial match. He is the oldest member of this year’s European team.

Sepp Straka

Age: 30
World ranking: 22
Ryder Cup record: N/A (rookie)

Straka had a breakout season in 2023, netting his first two majors top 10s and claiming his second Tour victory at the John Deere Classic. He’s the second player in Ryder Cup history to hail from Austria, following Bernd Wiesberger in 2021.