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The European Tour has announced a significant change to the qualification process for the 2020 Ryder Cup.

Captain Padraig Harrington will have three picks at his disposal for the match at Whistling Straits.

That’s one fewer than his predecessor Thomas Bjorn allowed himself for last year’s clash at Le Golf National.

The change, says the Irishman, is largely to do with team spirit.

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“I have spoken to a number of people regarding the ninth player automatically qualifying for the team,” said Harrington. “In my experience, a player is more comfortable when he has qualified, hence my reasoning behind this change.”

Qualifying for Europe’s 2020 Ryder Cup team will start at the 2019 BMW PGA Championship – the fourth Rolex Series event of the 2019 Race to Dubai – and conclude at the same event in September 2020.

Ryder Cup At Whistling Straits

All Race to Dubai points and OWGR points will be multiplied by one-and-a-half towards the end of the qualification period. The tournament where this starts will be confirmed when the European Tour issues its 2020 schedule later this year.

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Also similar to last year, qualification points in both 2019 and 2020 will not be available anywhere in the world from a tournament played opposite a Rolex Series event, further protecting the status of the premier series of events on the European Tour.

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Guy Kinnings, the European Ryder Cup, said: “It is fitting that we start and end Team Europe’s 2020 Ryder Cup qualification journey at the prestigious BMW PGA Championship, which as well as being one of our core Rolex Series events, celebrates its 65th anniversary edition in September this year.”

The 43rd edition of the Ryder Cup will be played on the Straits Course at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin from September 25-27, 2020.


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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

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