Luke Donald: ‘No Assurances’ Granted to LIV Players for European Ryder Cup Team

European captain Luke Donald would like to have LIV players such as Jon Rahm on the Ryder Cup squad but wants them to “go and earn it.”

Jon Rahm and other LIV players haven't been given assurances that they'll be on the European Ryder Cup team later this year. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Forming the 2025 European Ryder Cup team is proving slightly more intriguing than years past.

That’s because of Jon Rahm’s and Tyrrell Hatton’s jump to LIV Golf. Outside of their performances in major championships, it’s harder for them to collect points for an automatic bid, and they may need to rely on a captain’s selection. Rahm, for example, is currently 29th, with only the top six in points making the team automatically.

Tuesday, ahead of the PGA Championship, Rahm was asked if he has been guaranteed an at-large pick for the biennial matches in September. 

“That’s a question for (captain Luke Donald),” the two-time major champion said. 

Wednesday at Quail Hollow, Donald was asked the same question, and gave some insight.

“I certainly think it’s a little too early to be giving anyone like firm assurances right now,” Donald said. “We have three majors, elevated events, plenty of other events, (DP World Tour) Rolex Series events to play. I want them to go out and feel like they go and earn it.”

However, there’s a chance LIV’ers aren’t eligible for the Ryder Cup, with a third-party arbiter set to hear LIV players’s appeals of fines and suspensions from the DP World Tour before September. 

Donald says that’s out of his hands. 

“I would love for them to be eligible,” he said. “But again, I’m not involved in that process. That is not my role. I’ll leave that up to [DP World Tour CEO] Guy [Kinnings]. I think he can answer that one better than me.”

Donald, though, has been paying attention to LIV, and believes some stars on the Saudi-backed circuit have a decent shot at making the team. But he’s not jumping the gun.

“We do have a lot of stats,” Donald said. “In terms of Jon, he’s one of the best players in the world, and I would expect him to be on that team, but I certainly haven’t given him those assurances. He still needs to keep going and playing just like everyone else. 

“Again, no assurances have been given right now.”