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Luke Donald has named debutants Ludvig Aberg and Nicolai Hojgaard among his six captain’s picks for the European Ryder Cup team.
Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka and Justin Rose have also been selected in Donald’s side for the showdown against Team USA just outside Rome.
That means Adrian Meronk, Yannik Paul, Rasmus Hojgaard and Victor Perez have all missed out on the European team.
• Zach Johnson names six US captain’s picks
• 6 players who missed out on Ryder Cup
Donald’s selection of the youthful Aberg makes the Swedish star the least experienced player in Ryder Cup history.
The 23-year-old only joined the paid ranks in June but won the Omega European Masters title on just his ninth pro start at Crans-sur-Sierre on Sunday.
Europe’s captain is a long-term admirer of Aberg and his place in the team appeared likely even he hadn’t produced a brilliant birdie charge to roar past Matt Fitzpatrick in the Swiss mountains.
“Ludvig is a generational player, he’ll be around a long time and do amazing things,” Donald said. “If he didn’t make this one he’d be around for the next eight Ryder Cups, that’s how good I think he is.
“If you look at his stats this year, he’d be the No. 1 driver in the world ahead of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler – that’s pretty high standards.”
Remarkably, Aberg is the first player ever to compete in the Ryder Cup before playing in his first major championship.
Hojgaard, meanwhile, finished in the top five at Crans and has seemingly edged out Poland’s Meronk, who won at Marco Simone in the Italian Open earlier this year but has been snubbed by Donald.
• Bob Mac admits Ryder Cup “hell”
• Why Aberg is next European superstar
Straka, completing the quartet of debutants, finished seventh in the World Points List and is rewarded for his fine form Stateside after winning the John Deere Classic in July.
English duo Fleetwood and Rose have got their expected picks, while Lowry has been backed despite some indifferent form after proving a rare shining light for Europe in the 19-9 drubbing at Whistling Straits two years ago.
Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre secured the automatic berths in Sunday’s final round in Switzerland while Rory Mcilroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Tyrell Hatton had long since qualified for the team.
Team Europe 2023
Rory McIlroy (Q)
Jon Rahm (Q)
Viktor Hovland (Q)
Tyrrell Hatton (Q)
Matt Fitzpatrick (Q)
Robert MacIntyre (Q)
Tommy Fleetwood
Sepp Straka
Justin Rose
Shane Lowry
Nicolai Hojgaard
Ludvig Aberg
ALL ABOUT THE MASTERS
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