Rory McIlroy is the first player from Team Europe to qualify for the 2025 Ryder Cup. This means that the Northern Irishman will be part of the team in the continental competition between the best golfers in the USA and Europe for the eighth time in a row. McIlroy has already notched up four victories in the qualifying phase, which has been running since August 2024, and is therefore the undisputed leader in the rankings. Among other things, the 36-year-old completed the so-called career Grand Slam, i.e. winning all four major tournaments in golf, with his victory at the Masters in April.
Commenting on his qualification, McIlroy told rydercup.com: "It's always a great honor to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, so it means a lot to me to have qualified for the eighth year in a row and to be part of Luke's team at Bethpage again. Rome has been an incredible week with the atmosphere Luke has created and I can't wait to be back in the team room." At the same time, he said he was aware that "winning a Ryder Cup away from home is one of the biggest challenges in golf". "We know it's going to be tough in New York, but we're all looking forward to the challenge in September and the opportunity to potentially do something special."
Luke Donald, confirmed as Ryder Cup captain for the European team after the success in Rome, was delighted with McIlroy's qualification but also referred to the challenge ahead. "Rory has been in outstanding form again this year and I'm delighted to welcome him to Team Europe as our first automatic qualifier for Bethpage. It's obviously great to have the reigning Masters champion on the team, but Rory also has a wealth of Ryder Cup experience and that will be important for us as we know how tough the challenge will be in New York."
Six golfers will play their way directly into the team via the European qualifying list. The qualifying phase ends on August 24 after the British Masters. Donald and his team of vice-captains will select the other six players the following week (the so-called captain's picks). In addition to McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and Rasmus Hoygaard would currently also qualify.
18 Jun 2025
Rory McIlroy, here at the Ryder Cup in Rome, is the first qualifier for Team Europe. (Photo: Imago)